Is This Graffiti a Hate Crime?

An American flag mural on McDonald Avenue near Cortelyou Road was recently the victim of some tasteless tagging—but was it a hate crime?

The graffiti—which appeared on Monday—consists of the words "Patriotism makes me sick." According to the Kensington Brooklyn Blog, the mural's creator, Scott LoBaido, called the desecration of his work a "hate crime."

"It's a hate message and a hate crime," LoBaido told the blog. "Once in a while you get a punk who tags a flag. But this is more than that. This was a deliberate act."

Kensington has certainly seen its share of hateful graffiti in the past year, enough to prompt Councilman Brad Lander, D-Park Slope, to hold a vigil in February as a means of curbing intolerance and promoting unity throughout the neighborhood. 

Though security cameras caught the vandalism in action, it's unclear whether the perp has been arrested, as calls to the 66th Precinct have not been returned.