Political Vandalism:10-20-04 Attacks on political yard signs escalate

[dmcowen674]

10-20-2004 Attacks on political yard signs escalate

Though sign shenanigans are common in election years, some Republican leaders are calling this year's activity unprecedented.

Democratic leaders say attacks are so rampant that supporters should take their yard signs inside at night to protect them.

8-24-2004 Kerry Yard Signs Vandalized in Florida

Hundreds of yard signs supporting Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry have been stolen and vandalized in Pensacola, Fla., a heavily Republican region known as "Bush Country," prompting some Kerry supporters to hang signs from trees to deter burglars.

Police said they would increase patrols, and Kerry supporters planned to conduct neighborhood watches, said the group's chairman, Jerry Holt.

Pensacola resident Anne Bennett lost four Kerry signs from her front yard before putting out a homemade sign that read, "Nice people don't steal or vandalize." She hung her latest sign from a tree limb 15 feet in the air.

"It's like you don't have a right to participate in the public debate unless you are in the majority, and that is not one of the principles on which our country was founded," Bennett said.

Northwest Florida is a Bible Belt region filled with military bases, veterans and Republican voters. In 2000, George W. Bush beat Democrat Al Gore there by better than a 2-1 margin.

 

[jjzelinski]

Sound familiar Rip?
"Kerry's supporters are just following their leaders attempt to silence anyone who is opposed to him. "

Please say something

 

[Runner20]

Dmcowen, the stories you post all seem to be on drudge ... :beer: coincidence?

 

[cKGunslinger]

Yes, and we all know that those vandals were working under the direct order of the Rich Elitist Neocon Shadow Organization. Bush himself probably called each one of them personally and told them they were "un-American" if they let Kerry supporters put up signs in their neighborhood. Just one more reason to vote for St. Kerry and the Holy Order of Democrats!

Sh1t happens. Some people are just "bad eggs." I sincerely hope that it was not the purpose of this post was to implicate the "inherent evil" that exists in all Bush supporters.

 

[Perknose]

Dave, leave these kind of posts to Rip. I have friends who live in Reading, Pa. They can't keep Kerry signs on their property, they are continually stolen or defaced. They aren't getting any active help from the constabulary, either.

It seems the same thing happens sporadically on both sides. Such low grade stupidity is hardly newsworthy, since idiots on both sides will and do engage in it.

Let's all be thankful it's not more commonplace.

 

[jjzelinski]

Actually I posted the reference to rips tirade to illustrate the idiocy of associating the actions with the campaigns themselves. Somehow I think it unlikely that these political masterminds would give a flying fvck about some guys yard candy.

 

[GoPackGo]

The sign thing is nothing new, its just getting worse...there is an article in todays local paper about state candidates having their signs stolen or destroyed...from both parties.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: jjzelinski
Sound familiar Rip?
"Kerry's supporters are just following their leaders attempt to silence anyone who is opposed to him. "

Please say something

There are some better quotes in that thread (I missed it the first time aound)

Originally posted by: Todd33

Do you know how ridulous you sound?

Originally posted by: chrisms

Yes, Kerry and his tricksters sent their goons to Granville to steal Bush signs. Pure genius.

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit

LOL. You better drive down there and watch those signs! RAOFLMAO

Originally posted by: mugs

A few overzealous supporters do not reflect John Kerry at all.

I think they all are just as applicable here. This entire post is a non-issue. next topic.

 

[raildogg]

Democratic signs were stolen in a republican majority area??? hmmmm shocking

 

[jjzelinski]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger

Originally posted by: jjzelinski
Sound familiar Rip?
"Kerry's supporters are just following their leaders attempt to silence anyone who is opposed to him. "

Please say something

There are some better quotes in that thread (I missed it the first time aound)

Originally posted by: Todd33

Do you know how ridulous you sound?

Originally posted by: chrisms

Yes, Kerry and his tricksters sent their goons to Granville to steal Bush signs. Pure genius.

Originally posted by: 1EZduzit

LOL. You better drive down there and watch those signs! RAOFLMAO

Originally posted by: mugs

A few overzealous supporters do not reflect John Kerry at all.

I think they all are just as applicable here. This entire post is a non-issue. next topic.

I think we're all on the same page here, refer to my second comment for confirmation.

 

[Ogi]

imagine that, rip still hasnt' posted

Ogi

 

[Todd33]

He's still in day care

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: jjzelinski

I think we're all on the same page here, refer to my second comment for confirmation.

I know. I'm just pointing out that "two wrongs don't make a right." Dave isn't being any more mature than Rip by posting this irrelevant "news."

 

[jjzelinski]

I agree to some extent, but I think DM posted this to contrast it against Rip's broad character assassination. Notice Dave didn't offer any words of his own.

 

[shiner]

That sucks....I have had signs stolen for years. No matter your party affiliation you should condemn this. It's childish and moronic.

 

[chowderhead]

we need to ask if Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite's husband was in the area

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: jjzelinski
I agree to some extent, but I think DM posted this to contrast it against Rip's broad character assassination. Notice Dave didn't offer any words of his own.

Thanks :thumbsup:

:shocked: For a newbie you sure notice a lot here

 

[jjzelinski]

Not a newb, long time lurker / P&N junkie would be more like it. But your welcome!

 

[conjur]

Yard Sign Thefts Anger Democrats
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=2210328

(LOUISVILLE, August 23rd, 2004, 11 p.m.) -- Supporters of Senator John Kerry for president who live in the Highlands neighborhood woke up to an unwelcome surprise Monday morning: their Kerry/Edwards lawn signs were missing, and on the windshield of their cars were posters advocating the swift boat veterans. WAVE 3's Dina Kaplan has the story.

Because of the thefts, police are now beginning to track stolen political signs for the first time. Karen Stewart says she awoke to find her Kerry lawn sign missing and a poster on the windshield of her car questioning his war record. She wasn't happy about it. "To think they're going to change my mind by vandalizing my property is just wrong."

A few blocks away, Wade Hall awoke to the same story. "And I looked over here and saw it was missing, and I thought 'oh no, they're at it again.'"

Democrats in the Highlands say signs are stolen during every election, but some say it's worse than ever this year. Ten days ago the Kerry bumper sticker on Judith Daniel's car was ripped off and tossed on the lawn. "We figure it was just a bunch of kids or people acting like kids," she says.

Jefferson County's Republican Party Chairman Jack Richardson insists this is not a coordinated effort, calling such accusations "ridiculous -- I don't have time for that."

But victims say the vandalism is a violation of their right to free speech.

Karen Stewart tried to file a police report. "As I'm an attorney I know this is theft by law." Even so, she says an officer told her the sign wasn't worth enough to take a complaint.

But Major Rodney Milburn told us that metro police will begin tracking stolen signs. "If it's criminal mischief ... we'll look into it if we come across someone."

Meanwhile, Stewart says she'll put up two signs for every one that's stolen.

 

[dmcowen674]

10-20-2004 Attacks on political yard signs escalate

Though sign shenanigans are common in election years, some Republican leaders are calling this year's activity unprecedented.

Democratic leaders say attacks are so rampant that supporters should take their yard signs inside at night to protect them.

Lawn signs in swing states such as Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have come under attack, and emotions appear to be running high even in traditionally tame states like Kansas.

"I was outraged," said Lis Ross of Fairway, Kansas, whose "Kansans for Kerry" sign disappeared last week. "What made it worse was that they replaced it with a Bush-Cheney sign. I ran out there and ripped it into little pieces."

In Missouri, the theft of signs supporting Kerry is so pervasive that the Cole County Democratic Party in the state capital of Jefferson City this week issued a $1,000 reward to help catch the perpetrators.

In Ohio, two men were reportedly caught on videotape urinating on a Bush-Cheney sign, and in Madison, Wisconsin, someone burned a swastika into a lawn with a Bush sign.

Some people are working overtime to protect their signs. Mark Shemet of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, has had to replace two stolen Kerry signs in the last week alone. Pennsylvania Democrats have threatened to spread itching powder on signs to keep the opposition at bay, and an Illinois family last week covered their yard sign with petroleum jelly to repel thieves.

But some political scientists think the activity may be a good thing.

"People really care about this election and this is one way to show it," said Richard Valelly, a research fellow at the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics at Princeton University. "It's American politics."

 

[bozack]

LOL people need to chill, it is only a yard sign....if I had one and it was stolen I would simply get another...now lighting up someone's lawn is a different story.

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: jjzelinski
Sound familiar Rip?<BR>"Kerry's supporters are just following their leaders attempt to silence anyone who is opposed to him. "<BR><BR>Please say something

Happens to both sides (actually all sides)

 

[conjur]

http://www.denverpost.com/Stor...64%257E2488266,00.html

Littleton teenager Aaron Oster-Beal woke up one morning last week to find the family's Kerry-Edwards yard sign on the porch covered with a rude surprise - a pile of dog excrement...

...Randal Wagner was removing Kerry-Edwards signs from lawns in Lakewood when he allegedly shoved one homeowner who tried to stop him, according to a police report. He later ended up tripping over a chain- link fence and knocking himself out. He was charged with trespassing and theft.

Wagner now says he "sincerely apologizes" for his actions and hopes "moderating voices" prevail in the political debate.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: conjur
http://www.denverpost.com/Stor...64%257E2488266,00.html

Littleton teenager Aaron Oster-Beal woke up one morning last week to find the family's Kerry-Edwards yard sign on the porch covered with a rude surprise - a pile of dog excrement...

...Randal Wagner was removing Kerry-Edwards signs from lawns in Lakewood when he allegedly shoved one homeowner who tried to stop him, according to a police report. He later ended up tripping over a chain- link fence and knocking himself out. He was charged with trespassing and theft.

Wagner now says he "sincerely apologizes" for his actions and hopes "moderating voices" prevail in the political debate.

Jasmine Montoya, who until last week worked for a Democrat-aligned voter-registration group, said trainers told her that even if people indicated they were already registered, they should encourage them to register again.

She and other canvassers for Moving America Forward said they would ask people whether they supported Pete Coors or Ken Salazar in the race for U.S. Senate. If they supported Salazar, canvassers handed them a form to request an absentee ballot. If they supported Coors, they would walk away.

But maybe that should go in the other thread.

CsG

 

[PatboyX]

my chicks brother was arrested last week for tearing down kerry signs.