Well, they’re at it again. It seems that someone in Patrick County has declared war on political signs for Democratic candidates.
During the 2012 Presidential election, yard signs were stolen from homeowners’ lawns and large signs, placed on private property with the consent of the owner, were slashed, spray-painted and otherwise vandalized. We called for the local Republican leaders to condemn these acts of vandalism, but heard nothing from them, except an unverified claim that a GOP sign had been damaged.
That was 2012. Now, just this week, two large Clinton-Kaine signs have disappeared, one from downtown Stuart, and a third was damaged. The signs were on private property, put up with the knowledge and consent of the landowners. Earlier this fall, yard signs were taken from homeowners’ yards.
These acts are not “cute” pranks and I doubt that teenagers were behind them. They are theft and vandalism, pure and simple. Local Democratic supporters, through donations and dues to the Patrick County Democratic Committee, paid for these signs and volunteers put them up. We will take them down after the election. The signs are in accordance with Virginia law and our First Amendment guarantees of free speech.
Our opponents have the same right to put up their signs (where legally allowed) and to advocate for their candidates. I may not agree with their choice of candidate, but I will not touch their signs and will condemn in the strongest terms anyone who damages or steals them. Lively competition within the bounds of law and civility should be the way we conduct election campaigns, not trying to get an advantage by illegally removing or vandalizing the signs of political opponents.
Sincerely,
Janet Demiray
Chair,
Patrick County
Democratic Committee
