Okay: how hideous do you have to be to set a library on fire?

I mean, yikes. The library is one of the holies of holies! (Okay, we’re a little biased, but…)

Last week, Chicago’s ABC7 reports, the gay and lesbian section of a Chicago library was set on fire, and now the police investigation is turning up the idea that it may have been a hate crime. (Duh.)

“Typically in a hate crime the motive is clear: to offend or scare people based on their ethnicity, belief or lifestyle. In this case, it is unclear whether this was a crime of opportunity or passion. The books that were damaged were in the gay and lesbian section, but it is also a section isolated from librarians and the common reading areas,” according to the article.

Despite the fact that the library houses the city’s largest gay and lesbian section and it is Gay Pride Month, the library refuses to label it a hate crime, preferring not to speculate on a motive.

“What’s puzzling about this crime is that we have no witnesses, no surveillance cameras, no motive and no offender,” said Cmdr. Ed O’Donnell, Chicago Police Department. Add to that a feckless crime scene investigation and the police’s reliance on the public to “help solve this crime”, and we might never catch this crook.

Where’s Seinfeld‘s library detective Mr. Bookman when you need him?

(Thanks go to Bookninja for the link.)

Related links:
Get the whole ABC scoop here