Pennsylvania
This is a warning to the people who oppose George W. Bush and put up signs that say "Re-Defeat Bush" or "Vote for Kerry/Edwards."
You're potential targets of crime and are in grave danger of losing your freedom of speech.
The night of July 22, we learned the consequences of having such signs pinned on the railing of our front porch on Buttonwood Street. The signs had been stolen, and the push-pins that had kept them there since May were left on the sidewalk to pierce the feet of innocent passersby.
Stunned and horrified, we called the police. Unfortunately, we could not give the very cooperative police officer a description of the perpetrator as he or she acted, as most cowardly criminals do, in the dark of night.
However, we were able to identify the license plate number of a pick-up truck whose driver, earlier that day, drove by and shouted to us, "You Suck!" We also recalled the very pudgy middle finger of a man who drove by in a Mercedes one day last week.
As we provided the officer with the information he needed to file a report, we tried hard to ascertain a motive for this crime. Was it the act of someone who liked the signs so much he could not resist the urge to take them? Or was the thief someone who hated them so much he could not stand to see them? Or worse, did he hate us for having those signs in the first place, and was this just a warning he'd be coming back to commit more crime?
As bleeding-heart liberals who need to understand both sides, we could not rule out either profile.
After the officer left with his report in hand, we called the Democratic headquarters in Doylestown to see if we could get another Kerry/Edwards sign, and we learned the shipment of signs they'd gotten the day before already was sold out.
While that might have been good news to some people, it was an ominous sign to us the crime rate is about to skyrocket in Pennsylvania! And if some of those signs end up on the porches of Lambertville houses, besides the good news we'll be able to justify having 10 police officers in this little town, our crime stats could jeopardize our property values!
Take heed, neighbors who hang "Re-Defeat Bush" or "Kerry/Edwards" signs: Hang them high and out of reach of thieves. We must do our part to thwart the criminal instincts of those who prefer the likes of Bush/Cheney or those who would steal to show their support of Kerry/Edwards.
And if you should become a victim of the same sort of crime that befell us, please notify the police and demand they file a report. It's the right and American thing to do to protect our community and ourselves from people who would trespass on private property to deny us our freedom of speech.
zwire.com |
