An Open Letter to My Yard Sign Vandal

Our Obama sign was stolen. Again. 

It’s no secret that the Brint family supports our current president. In fact, we like the whole Obama clan. My grocery bags have a drawing of Michelle, and my car sports a bumper sticker with a picture of Bo (their Portuguese Water Dog) stating “I Bark for Barack.” An Obama sign has been proudly planted in front of our home for more than six months.  In that time, five signs have been uprooted and two of them have been physically stolen. 

So I write an open letter to the culprit:

Dear Vandal,

You do not have to like my political leanings. You do not have to like the candidates I choose to support. In fact, you don’t have to like me. But what does it say about your political views when you break the law by trespassing and vandalizing or stealing my property to make your point? 

Do you actually believe that when you kicked over my Obama sign I would suddenly see the light and think, “Wow, the person who pulled up my election sign sure did me a favor. What in the world was I thinking? Thank goodness a good samaritan came along and, through crime, has shown me the right path.” 

It didn’t work. In fact, I think you are the equivalent of a schoolyard bully. You see my little blue sign as a threat and so you pick on it. You knock it over, step on it and leave it shivering in the wind face down in the dirt. I’m surprised you didn’t shake it down and demand it hand over all its milk money. Shame on you.

I realize it takes self-control to accept other people’s beliefs. And clearly it pains you to walk or drive by my house and be reminded that we live in a society where people are free to express their opinions. But I beg you to try to keep your emotions in check, stay off my property, and leave my poor sign alone. Think of it this way: every time I have to purchase a replacement sign, I am further funding the campaign you seem so hell-bent on destroying. 

Sincerely,
Blue

Is this yard-sign warfare a sign of our times? Are we headed for a society where red and blue become gang colors and territories will be mapped out and violators will be intimidated into suppressing their opinions?  

As Seth and Amy would say, “Really?”

Yes, I am as blue as they come. But here’s a newsflash, as cliché as it sounds: some of my best friends are red.  And, some of my Democrat friends have Republican children and vice versa. I even have a red friend married to a blue spouse (think James Carville and Mary Matalin). And guess what? I still like them. Image that. 

In the end, I don’t really care what your sign is, but I’d like to feel that the bottom line is mutual respect.

Yard sign #6 is in place.  My allegiance to Obama continues, as does my belief that everyone is entitled to his or her political opinion, especially on her own property.

I hope #6 stays in place. I choose to believe it will. In the mean time, I’m signing off… for now.