Stealing, defacing political signs must not be tolerated
Thursday, October 23, 2008 12:08 PM EDT

One would have liked to think that people here in Swain County - indeed, in America in general - had moved beyond this type of behavior.

But news that a political sign for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama and his running mate Sen. Joe Biden had been defaced last week shakes that notion.

The sign stood in a private yard. According to local Democrat Mark Tyson, it had been knocked down the first night after it was put up, then on the third night surrounded by signs for Republican rival Sen. John McCain.

Then, on the fifth night, someone spray painted an obscenity and a racial epithet on the hand-built-and-painted sign (see related Letter to the Editor, page 5A).

While this incident was particularly disturbing because of its racist overtones, Swain County Republican Party Chairman Mike Clampitt noted that the Republicans had been victimized in September, when numerous McCain signs were stolen from in front of the Republican Headquarters.

We believe that the leaders and rank-and-file members of both local parties would condemn such actions, which likely are the work of "loose cannons" of either affiliation - or simply of vandals with no party ties.

Clampitt, in fact, said the Republican Party would be willing to consider offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone stealing or defacing political signs of either party.

We believe both parties would be well advised to do this. The simple fact is, as trite as it may sound, stealing or defacing political signs is un-American. It is an attempt to hinder the democratic process by depriving victims of their rights of free speech and expression.

To the perpetrators of such acts, if by chance they read this, we say: If you are so intimidated by your chosen candidate's opponent that you have to try and remove his name from the public eye, that doesn't say much for your confidence in your candidate.

We realize, of course, that this editorial is likely to have little effect on - or to even reach - the offenders. But we hope it will prompt people of reason and goodwill in both parties to proclaim that they will not endorse - nor even tolerate - such actions.

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