The racially offensive graffiti reading "KKK Bitch" appeared in mid-October in Kokomo, Indiana, on cars, homes, and telephone poles. Many of the victims, including Peters, were African American, while some were not. A number of them had Democratic candidate lawn signs for the upcoming presidential election, which were defaced with the initials of the Ku Klux Klan. Peters believes that the intense atmosphere of the presidential campaign, particularly the inflammatory rhetoric of Republican candidate Donald Trump, has emboldened extremists. She expressed concern that when political figures make ignorant statements, it may give others the impression that such behavior is acceptable, which she finds very disheartening. "It appears that our nation is regressing." Law enforcement has no leads in the attacks. Democrats, such as the mayor and local party leaders, suspect political motives behind the incidents. Local Republicans are doubtful and think the damage was caused by ignorant troublemakers who do not represent the party. Throughout the country, the divisive and aggressive language of politics is starting to influence public conversations and divide the population. The exact impact is difficult to measure, as there is no national data on politically motivated crimes or inflammatory speech. However, the percentage of voters who think it is acceptable to insult political opponents has increased during the campaign season, rising from 30 percent in March to 43 percent in October, according to surveys conducted by the non-partisan Pew Research Center. A majority of voters from both parties have a very negative view of the other party, which is a first since Pew started asking the question in 1992. Trust in government is also at near record lows. Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, believes these indicators show tensions between different groups that can lead to various levels of aggression, including extremist acts. While much of the hostility has been directed towards immigrants, African Americans, and other groups typically associated with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Republicans have also faced criticism. The focus on extremism has largely centered on the Alt-Right, a group of white nationalists, anti-Semites, and immigration opponents that has aligned itself with the Trump campaign after emerging from the political shadows. A person who supports the Ku Klux Klan was observed displaying his tattoos during a rally at the statehouse in Columbia, South Carolina on July 18, 2015, according to Reuters. Trump's promises to construct a wall on the Mexican border, expel millions of undocumented immigrants, and investigate Muslims for connections to terrorism have stirred up the Alt-Right community. Michael Hill, a self-proclaimed white supremacist, anti-Semite, and xenophobe who leads the League of the South, a group focused on creating an independent "white man's land," believes that the current political climate has helped validate the Alt-Right's concerns about the diminishing white, Christian majority in the country. Hill stated that the overall atmosphere surrounding the current political campaign has been beneficial not only for his group but for other right-wing organizations as well. Similar nationalist movements have emerged in various countries, including Russia, Japan, and Britain. This rise in nationalism has been linked to violent incidents such as the shooting and stabbing of pro-EU lawmaker Jo Cox in Britain and reports of hostile political displays, vandalism, and violence in the United States, such as the burning of a black church in Mississippi and the spray painting of "Nazi Republicans leave town" on a building in North Carolina. In Utah, a man who had Trump yard signs on display discovered KKK graffiti on his car. At a college football game in Wisconsin, a fan wore a President Barack Obama mask with a noose around his neck. Both the Trump and Clinton campaigns did not respond to requests for comment. White nationalist Jared Taylor, who runs the website American Renaissance, stated that Trump's views align with the Alt-Right's goal of protecting white interests. However, Taylor believes the media is exaggerating Trump's support within the Alt-Right to undermine him. Trump has received criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans for not quickly condemning extreme elements of the political right. However, his campaign promptly rejected a pro-Trump story on the front page of a leading KKK newspaper, calling it "repulsive." Alt-Right figures like Taylor and Hill deny promoting vandalism or violence and argue that their rhetoric is not hate speech, claiming that they are unfairly vilified by the left. According to Heidi Beirich of the Southern Poverty Law Center, left-wing extremists have a history of confrontations with fascist or racist individuals or groups. She stated that anti-racists tend to be more violent than racists. The First Amendment of the US Constitution provides extensive protections for inflammatory speech, but there are laws that allow law enforcement to investigate and prosecute hate crimes based on bias against certain groups. Research conducted by California State University showed a 6 percent increase in hate crimes last year, with a significant 86 percent rise in crimes against Muslims. Some individuals involved in politics believe that there has been a decline in civility that began long before the current presidential race. Craig Dunn, the Republican party chairman for Howard County, Indiana, which includes Kokomo, states that extreme voices are being amplified through the Internet and social media, leading to a breakdown in civility. Local officials are concerned about the impact on their community. Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight, a Democrat, notes that there is more tension and volatility in the atmosphere, and the recent graffiti attacks have been particularly troubling. Monica Fowler, who had her Democratic yard signs vandalized with "KKK," is struggling to cope with the attacks. She says it is acceptable to have different opinions, but if your actions will frighten or hurt someone else, it is not acceptable.