The secret language of local lawn signs

So this is how we speak to each other in Greenwich now, through lawn signs. In the good ’ol days, lawn signs were how you marked the beginning of election season. The appearance of “McHaggis for Selectman” and “Shlabotnick for President” signs was as predictable as the blooming of the Second Congregational Church crocus crop. Over the years, lawn signs became more of an invasive species, growing from “vote for me” to include mattress sales, youth league sign ups and come-ons for pretty much every event or cause in town. Now this roadside clutter has become a preferred soapbox for anyone with a point to make, a cause to champion or a bone to pick. All you need is a few bucks, access to a print shop and you too can exercise your First Amendment rights on corrugated plastic in your yard, on a traffic island, or on some other stretch of public property.

Which is odd because collectively, Greenwich residents swear they hate this literary litter. But drive around town and it’s not just the number of signs that might surprise you, but the range and tenor of what they have to say. Take the most common lawn sign type, the ones “backing,” “thanking” or otherwise supporting the police department. A laudable sentiment at any time, but oddly these signs didn’t start appearing until last year, seemingly as counterpoints to state and nationwide calls for increased police introspection and accountability.

Thanking health care and front-line workers in a time of pandemic is another popular topic found on the roadsides. Sometimes professional and sponsored, other times handmade or privately crafted, these messages of support clearly have no ulterior motive other than expressing gratitude toward those in the community who have worked tirelessly to keep the rest of us healthy, safe, warm and fed.

Having seen many Black Lives Matter signs around town last year, and recognizing that the issues facing the POC community haven’t faded, you might expect to find those signs still dominating some landscapes. The opposite is true however, as the quantity of BLM signage seems to have shrunk, while on the other hand there’s been an uptick in Greenwich Pride signage. Pride as in LGBTQ+ Pride. That’s not to say people are necessarily championing one social cause over another, but it does speak well for a town working hard to shed old negative perceptions.

There’s a movement afoot to Stop 95 Noise, which at first glance seems weird since obviously, cars on highways are going to make noise, but is actually a commendable effort to try to force the state Department of Transportation to take noise remediation into account when planning highway construction projects. And if you haven’t seen their lawn signs then you don’t get out much.

Concerned adults in town want to remind us of the dangers of underage drinking and serving alcohol to minors with signs that point out that Parents Who Host Lose The Most. And the Love Greenwich signs from the First Selectman’s Youth Commission asking us to stay safe, keep a distance and wear a mask are a charming and welcome contrast to certain signs that have received the most attention recently.

Recognizing that their rants at school board meetings weren’t getting enough traction, an organization that has no problem twisting the truth, seeing bogeymen where none exist and using bullying and scare tactics has decided to take their message directly to the people. With lawn signs. Asking “Do You Love Freedom?” imploring “Stand Up Greenwich” and showing they know how to use a thesaurus with “Academics, Consistency, Transparency,” Greenwichites are admonished that teaching history, getting a vaccine and wearing a mask will be the end of freedom as we know it.

Except that “Freedom” does not actually mean what they think it means. Too many blowhards think freedom means they can do whatever they want without restraint, and cannot be compelled to act in a way that helps others or benefits society. That’s confusing freedom with anarchy, and we’ve had enough of that recently. Freedom comes with responsibility to yourself, and to your community. We don’t need to see that on a lawn sign to know it’s the truth.