Hate signs in my neighborhood

I live in a middle class cul du sac suburb located between Denver and Boulder. It’s a place where every home has a basketball hoop whether they are used or not. Garage doors are left open. Bikes and toys are scattered on lawns, driveways and the street. Small children and roaming cats travel freely and often unaccompanied. It feels safe. Or at least it used to.

We are about a half mile from our local recreation center with access to miles of open space and bike and running trails. Today as we came back from our run we passed a formerly pristine white fence ruined with red paint. Swastika symbols, messages of "white power", and threats to people of Hispanic origin shimmered like still wet blood. I went back later to take a picture but the images had been washed, smeared, the stigma still visible.

The issue of (illegal) immigration is complex and highly visible in Colorado. And yes, we are known for our protectionist politicians. But I never expected to see graffiti, let alone symbols of intolerance and hate, on my run home.