ON CAMPAIGN SIGN VANDALISM

"Vote for Jack Miles" signs are being "disappeared"

"UNAMERICAN" ACTIVITY REPORTED IN COUNTY

Submitted to Shelton Blog by Pat Jerrells Mason County Progressive

I am so extremely disappointed in our Mason County residents who have participated in pulling up or stealing the campaign signs of Jack Miles and others running for various positions.

The vote for Jack sign that was at the end of Cole Road was taken down once, and after being put back up, was stolen the next time around. I noticed that a Dick Taylor sign now resides in that spot instead!

Two Jack signs on Arcadia Road were tampered with, one was broken off and the other was pushed over in the grass. The Jack signs at the end of my own road that intersects Arcadia (Nighthawk Place) were stolen sometime this past Monday. (Also, a "Save Our Air" sign was stolen off Old Arcadia Road this past week. It had been there for several months.)

Could it be supporters of Dick Taylor who are doing this to the Jack Miles' signs? I think Mr.Taylor has too much integrity to sanction such activity. But perhaps some of his supporters are not willing to leave it to the ballot box to determine the election outcome, and believe they have to trash or steal opponents' signs? Shouldn't they have enough confidence in their choice of candidate, and enough faith in the system of voting to leave the signs of others alone?

Such activity is also a personal attack on all the people who have donated to the various candidates. Money is not so easy to come by these days. Not many have much extra money to donate for purchasing signs, stakes, advertising or paper materials that are needed for campaigning and getting the message out to the voters. Many worked at putting up the signs and doing other jobs associated with campaigning.

Most people know this vandalism is very poor behavior and shows a lack of understanding about how our political process works in this country.

All voters should be outraged that anyone takes it upon themselves to decide for others what they will read, and by that, whom they will vote for in the coming election. I support Jack Miles. Whoever wants to vote for Dick Taylor has that option. Both of their signage should be left alone out of respect for the candidates, and out of respect for the voting system.

Instead of pulling down or stealing political signs, these folks should be doing something constructive, such as encouraging others to get out and register to vote...and then vote themselves.

That is the way our system is supposed to work.