Hoover Hate: Too Little, Too Late
I’ve read the comments. People have called her a “raghead,” told her to “go back where you came from,” and accused her of being a terrorist.
Opinion. Warning, sensitive content and adult language.
I’ve been a conservative, a Republican, and a proud Trump supporter for years. I believe in strong borders, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government. But what I’ve seen in this Hoover City Council race has nothing to do with policy, and everything to do with ugly, outdated hate.
I’m also a Hoover resident of 15 years. I know this community. I know the good people who call it home. And I never thought I’d see this level of open racism here.
Tanveer Patel, a 24-year Hoover resident, successful entrepreneur, and community leader, is running for City Council. She happens to be a conservative Muslim, an immigrant from India, and someone who wears a headscarf as an expression of her faith. For that, she’s been subjected to a wave of racist attacks online, many of them coming from right here in Hoover.
I’ve read the comments. People have called her a “raghead,” told her to “go back where you came from,” and accused her of being a terrorist. Others have declared, “Never in Hoover,” as if someone who has lived, worked, volunteered, and raised a family here for nearly a quarter of a century is somehow not one of us. Over the past month, I’ve seen hundreds of these hateful remarks on her campaign page. That’s what led me to write this op-ed, which I intended to publish Tuesday morning.
But then came the news that changed everything. On Friday, death threats appeared on Tanveer’s campaign Facebook page, telling her she should be “shot in the face” and that Muslims should be “taken out and shot.” A police report was filed immediately with the Hoover Police Department. The FBI was contacted, and within hours a suspect was located in Georgia. Both agencies continue to investigate. They have reassured the public that it is safe to vote, but I believe the threats themselves were designed to suppress the Muslim vote through fear and intimidation.
At Monday’s press conference, Tanveer’s team displayed unredacted hateful messages for the media. They included slurs like “Go back to India,” “Go home,” “fuck off,” and “sandbox builders.” These weren’t random trolls. These were neighbors posting openly under their own names. Free speech is protected. However, threats of violence and voter intimidation are not.
What’s most troubling is how long nobody spoke up. Many knew this was happening the entire time.
Meanwhile, Mayor Frank Brocato and some other local leaders have condemned the comments, and they should be commended for doing so. But the truth remains: the silence from too many officials allowed this to escalate unchecked. Now that it has reached the level of death threats, speaking up feels too little, too late.
To the voters and citizens of Hoover: do not let hate win. It is safe to vote. Please get out and exercise your constitutional right to cast a ballot. Your voice matters.
Racism is a poison. It divides communities, drives away good people, and destroys the fabric of civic life. As Republicans, we talk about individual responsibility, merit, and opportunity. Those values mean judging people by their character — not their religion, ethnicity, or last name.
Hoover can be better than this. We must be better than this. There is no place for racism or voter suppression in our elections. Hate will not win.
Update: Robin Schultz, Tanveer Patels opponent, has released a statement condemning these actions.
“Today, I am appalled and deeply saddened by the vile death threats and hateful attacks directed at my opponent, Tanveer Patel,” Schultz stated. “These acts of hatred are not only disgusting and disrespectful but an affront to the very principles of humanity and democracy. They have no place in our world, our community, or our electoral process.
“No one—absolutely no one—should ever face threats of violence or be targeted for their race, religion, gender, views, or ideals. The hateful rhetoric and threats aimed at her, are not just an attack on her but an assault on the values, respect, and unity that we strive to uphold in Hoover. Such behavior is utterly unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.”
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