Racist leaflets disturb some

Thursday, November 15, 2007 2:04 AM MST

CHEYENNE (AP) -- People here say they're disturbed by white supremacist leaflets that were left on cars earlier this week.

Police Chief Bob Fecht said half a dozen people complained about the leaflets advertising a group called the Nationalist Coalition.

One leaflet read: "Immigration? or INVASION."

"LOVE YOUR RACE," proclaimed another with a picture of a white, blond-haired woman.

Fecht said city code bans leaving leaflets on cars.

"Technically, those are illegal," he said. "Normally, as long as they are taken down, there is no problem."

Gretchen McCarthy said three fliers were rolled up with a rubber band and placed on her car antenna. She said she has six adopted children of different races, and was worried -- especially because her neighbors to either side didn't get leaflets.

"I thought somebody had a problem with our family," she said.

But she soon found out that leaflets were left on cars parked on several blocks around her home. Also, leaflets were left on nearly every car at a Kohl's department store.

"It makes me sick," said another resident, Cherie Schlumpf. "This is trash, in my opinion."

But Linda Burt, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the leaflets are protected by the First Amendment.

"The speech that most needs to be protected sometimes is the speech that is the most upsetting," Burt said. "But nice speech doesn't need protection."

Source: CasperStarTribune