A sign (theft) of the times
A lot has changed in 2020. Unprecedented happenings, from impeachment to
COVID-19 shutdowns, from riots and protests to mask wars and warp-speed vaccine trials to the introduction of mail-in voting and the ground-breaking peace deal facilitated by the U.S. between Israel and the
UAE. That’s just a smattering of unprecedented events that have shaped this year in history.
But one thing that has remained the same, as in every presidential election year, is the theft and vandalism of campaign signs, particularly those on people’s lawns. With that comes a sense that your freedom of speech has been violated, and rightly so. Whenever our freedom of expression is stolen right out from under our noses, it’s never a good thing.
Stealing or damaging a campaign sign is a crime. Those caught doing so face charges of trespassing or even larceny. Campaign signs are part of the American way of life, and partaking in voicing a view is the beauty of freedom this country was found on, an idea baked into every American’s DNA. And taking part in this great process can get pretty exciting as the signs pop up along roadways as Election Day nears.
One poll suggests that every sign represents 6-10 votes for a candidate.
Though the risk of losing a sign is low, the law is on your side. More so, if you decide this election cycle that you want to show your 2020 support for your favorite candidate with a catchy campaign sign in front of your home, you have every right to do so. I’m thinking of putting a big bowl of candy, like some people do for Halloween, right next to mine when it comes.
In all seriousness, we shouldn’t become shocked when a sign we plant in the grass with all of our patriotic good will goes missing or gets defaced when we aren’t looking. Petty but perturbing crime like this is always par for the campaign season. Whether a random act of vandalism, premeditated malicious move or prankster on a dare, history has shown it’s nothing new.
You can and should report loss or damage to your local police. Also, if you’re tired of replacing signs and feeling like your right to free speech is being thwarted, you can try approaching the situation as persistent victor, rather than quashed victim. Remember, keep things light and positive, because I believe, as Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough echoes an early and much-used saying in “The Pioneers” when it comes to hardship and handling difficult times, “spit on your hands and take a fresh hold.” In other words, take positive action.
Still, it feels better to sometimes create a narrative even if we’ll never know what truly became of our sign.
A friend of mine is convinced there are no Biden signs in her hometown because word on the street has it that there “is a sect of Republicans stealing them.”
I’ve heard the same kind of grievance from Trump supporters. And though I agree that individual actors on opposing sides are ostensibly engaging in such acts from time to time, I hardly think this kind of unlawfulness would behoove any political organization’s official campaign strategy.
And where does one put all of these stolen signs? The very act of disruption might, in the short term, remove visibility for a time to a certain candidate, but in the long run, once word gets around, it could also boomerang back with negative impact on positive branding and with negative and serious consequences.
Why risk it?
The answer is that most regular and
hard-working folks who play by the rules and respect their neighbors and themselves will uphold a person’s right to speak out, even if they disagree. That is the beauty of this country and its just and fair judicial system, coupled with strong institutions like church and family. We are all Americans first.
There’s a big Trump lawn sign on a busy route heading toward the grocery store where I live. Recently, the sign was defaced, spray-painted in rudimentary, large letters as if the trespasser was under the dark of night and rushed by oncoming headlights. The letters “BLM,” marked in black, are simply scrawled over the red, white and blue campaign sign bordered in stars touting, “Trump 2020 Keep America Great!”
This week, on our town’s electronic message board, someone posted that indeed their sign had been stolen while they sat on their porch.
Only the squealing tires of a truck had tipped the couple off to the offense. Their specially made sign had been designed especially for their view of a presidency that many in the country felt Hillary Clinton should have won, but for the constitutional provision of the electoral vote. The “Dump Trump” sign went away and with it the strong message it sent against the incumbent whose unprecedented ways precede his policies, whether you like the man or not.
We, as Americans, cherish our right to speak up and take a stand. Even if it means sticking a lawn sign proudly and squarely for passersby to beep in approval or frown upon with silence. We love our freedom of speech, and so we should. We are a country founded on the idea that all people should have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I give kudos to any American who wishes to exercise his inalienable right to express a political view. And we should, as the founders believed, always be able to do so without threat of harm to our property or ourselves.
Take a moment, as parents, as teachers and as Americans, to take heart in knowing we have a wonderful history that allows us to speak our minds and share our views in the wonderful spirit of freedom.
In 2016, Steve had three lawn signs stolen. He finally decided to coat the fourth sign with a bottle of deer estrogen. It worked. A lot easier than erecting an electric fence around his sign, as one Massachusetts man did, and a whole lot stinkier! Just yesterday I saw a couple campaign signs posted high up on a tree, away from easy access of wouldbe thieves and in plain sight for all to see. Now that’s one way to higher ground. Perhaps it’s a good sign.