300 people showing up for a march against racism in New York City would not be an impressive turnout. But in Hardwick New Jersey, which has only about 1500 people, it's a fifth of the population.

60 miles to the east in Union or Essex County New Jersey, a banner celebrating the victory of Barack Obama wouldn't have drawn very much attention. But in rural Warren County, where only 62% of the people voted for John McCain and Sarah Palin, it stood out.

On election night 2008, Gary Grewal, an Indian immigrant, his wife Alina, a Cuban American, and their 8 year old daughter joined in the national euphoria celebrateding Obama's victory. They took a bedsheet, wrote President Obama Victory '08, and posted in on their front lawn.

The next morning they woke to a horrifying sight. Someone had tied the homemade banner to two pieces of wood, fashioned it into a six foot cross, and burned it on Grewal's front lawn.

Where a cross burning would have been disturbing even if it had happened on Central Park West, in rural, 95% white Hardwick, 10 miles east of the Deleware Water Gap, it was clearly an act of racial terrorism designed to intimidate the Grewal's into moving out of town.

But largely conservative Hardwick quickly mobilized to support Gary Grewal and his family. In response to a call by Mayor Kevin Duffy, over 300 people marched from Hardick's municipal building a mile to Grewal's house in support of Grewal's right to fly a banner supporting Barack Obama. After the march through the picturesque town, Mayor Duffy, local politicians and a representative of Senator Frank Lautenberg gave speeches on Grewal's porch.

There was also a fairly heavy presence of the New Jersey State Police, who are treating the incident as a bias crime.