"'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Can't believe this is still happening in this day and and age.

LINDENHURST, N.Y. (WABC) -- An African-American family on Long Island got a nasty letter claiming that the Suffolk County Village of Lindenhurst is overwhelmingly white and "you don't belong here."

"Lindenhurst is 84 percent white population you don't belong here," the letter reads.

The racist words were anonymously penned to an African-American family in Lindenhurst, and they have quickly drawn outrage.

"The anger was there, the hurt was there, and then, of course, fear," said Darcell Copes, the letter's recipient.

It shattered the sense of peace Copes and her children thought they found in this Long Island community.

"Please leave Lindenhurst as soon as you can it will be better for all of us. Find the town where there are more people like you," the letter went on.

Darcell said her daughter first noticed the strange letter in the mail Thursday and frantically called her at work.

They then posted the message on Facebook asking for help and support, and called police who took immediate action. "There have never been any incidents for us no problems, no quarrels with anyone, so as I said, we are really taken aback because we have no idea where this is coming from," Copes said.

The original letter has been sent off for fingerprinting and detectives went door to door.

The Suffolk County Hate Crime Unit is also now involved, and Darcell said the support from others has been overwhelming. A little girl even came by to deliver flowers to the family.

County Executive Steve Bellone responded to the letter in a statement calling the person who wrote the letter to Copes a "coward who committed a hate crime against an innocent family."

"There is no place for intolerance in Suffolk County. I know the Suffolk County Police Department will do everything possible to solve this hate crime, out you and see you punished," it said. "I stand together with all Lindenhurst residents who decry this act of hatred. This community and all of Suffolk County are better than that."

Now holding onto hope those responsible will be caught, Darcell has a return message for them.

"Sometimes you have a preconceived idea of how a person is just because you don't know them. You don't know how they live, you don't know what they believe," Copes said. "I'll continue to pray for you and you need to get out and meet people."

In a written statement, Lindenhurst Village officials say they "Stand in solidarity with residents in declaring there no room for intolerance or hatred in this community."
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Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

I saw this on the news. So disgusting that anyone would do this! I hope they catch them.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

that is insane!

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

disgusting. I can't even believe this. What awful people would do this?

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

How disgusting! The person who wrote that doesn't belong anywhere!

Message edited 5/24/2015 10:59:48 PM.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

I am so disgusted by this. We lived in Lindenhurst for a while. The focus should be redirected towards getting the ignorant white trash out of there instead because THAT is what ruins what could be a nice town.

Message edited 5/25/2015 6:52:35 AM.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

That is so horrible! I can't imagine how cold a heart someone must have to send a letter like that.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

While I personally think it's completely disgusting, overall, it doesn't surprise me.

Unfortunately I think this is a huge mentality for many on Long Island.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

I don't understand it at all but I remember reading not too long ago that Long Island is one if the most segregated places in the country. It boggles my mind that just outside of the melting pot of the world live so many close minded people.

The letter is just disgusting and I really hope whoever wrote it now realizes how wrong they were and are ashamed. They can't possibly ignore the insane backlash that has occurred. I hope the expose who sent this piece of garbage so that they can receive some letters of their own.

Message edited 5/25/2015 10:13:56 AM.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Interesting. I have a friend that lives in Lindenhurst, she is white and her husband is black. They received an anonymous letter in her mailbox addressed to n*gger and wife and it said all sorts of horrible things. I wonder if it's the same person. The difference is it went on to talk about parking in front of his house so she was pretty she knows which neighbor sent it. It's horrible that racism like this still exists

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Unfortunately, I'm not shocked at all. We even see it on this forum when people ask about school districts, god forbid someone is looking to buy a house in a more mixed area.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

DH is a history buff and I believe he said that years ago, Lindenhurst actually had a lot of ties to Hitler, as a large German population resided there.

I agree that I see the negativity on this site (more often from people who don't live in certain areas or left in elementary school).

There's a lot of us vs. them mentaility.

I even see it towards people who can't afford to buy here because of the large down-payments and taxes usually on a 1950s house that needs a total gut reno.

When talk of rentals comes about all of a sudden nasty comments get thrown about like "illegal immigrants" or "the projects".

I live in a town with a lot of diversity and they are talking of doing one of those downtown renos which would bring affordable housing (although not really because it's still going to be over $1200 a month for a studio or 1bedroom) and business into the empty storefronts, and even people are having shite-storm about that.

I've seen comments that if you can't afford a mortgage, you are not contributing to our area.

Message edited 5/25/2015 12:02:16 PM.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Message edited 5/25/2015 12:12:43 PM.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

I think it's sad, small minded, ignorant and disgusting. But sadly not surprising.

When the homes were originally built in garden city, it was put in the deed that the owners could never sell to a jewish family. Racism, anti-semitism, etc are everywhere unfortunately.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

disgusting!
Where did they even get that statistic number from??

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

LI has been like this for as long as I can remember. It is COMPLETELY segregated. It is one of the only places in the country like this. Most everywhere else, you find it's pretty even split between all various races - and not just say, Hispanic or black, but Asian, Indian, and various groups of Caucasian who might be grouped out by say a Religion or a Nationality. But, New York? You drive and not only is it ALL Caucasian, it is all and ONLY Greek Orthodox Caucasian. Or, a certain section is ALL Italian-American Caucasian. It's crazy! And I grew up here so for a long time, I never thought about it as being odd. I figured, this is like this all over... until I traveled to other parts of the country. Then, I was like holy shit! It's nuts.

Re: "'YOU DON'T BELONG HERE' SAID RACIST LETTER SENT TO LONG ISLAND FAMILY"

There is no place for racism anywhere in this country. It seems to me some residents of Lindenhurst should move abroad (possibly to a solitary space shuttle somewhere)!

When my husband and I looked for homes we looked for diverse neighborhoods where our children would be surrounded by and grow up comfortable around people of all colors, religions, and shapes. We are European Catholics but I grew up in a very diverse NYC neighborhood and had friends of all colors, religion, shapes and socio-economic backgrounds - and I am all the better for it.