Letter to the Editor: Stealing campaign signs wrong

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I read with interest and sadness William Crandall’s letter regarding stolen campaign signs. Mr. Crandall is an engaged and active member of our community, and I have had the pleasure of working with him on a number of issues of relevance and importance to our community.

I am a resident of Avon, Maine, and am an active member of the Democratic Party. I support Barack Obama for president, and most, but certainly, not all democratic candidates for local, state and federal offices. Like Bill Crandall, I, too, have experienced in recent weeks, campaign signs for my candidate for president stolen and/or removed from my property and surrounding areas. Sometimes more than once in a day.

Whatever your political beliefs, or the candidates you support, please let all of us residents of Franklin County respect the First Amendment to the Constitution and be free to express our views, especially on private property. Republican, democratic, or independent, free speech and right to express our views are fundamental to the ongoing survival of our democracy especially in these perilous times.

Regardless of our personal political views, let’s remember we are friends, neighbors, a fellow citizens of the great state of Maine, fortunate to live in Franklin County with a way of life that is unique, and fellow citizens of the United States of America. No matter what our differences, we are all Americans.

Tearing down, removing or stealing signs for any reason is wrong. It is contrary to the values of our community and the memories and sacrifices of our forefathers and a large part of what makes America unique. It is our good fortune to live in a society where freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed. Let us respect each other, even in disagreement. After all while we might have different views about the direction of our country, we have a shared destiny.

Removing signs for any reason demeans us all. We have a way to express ourselves in a positive and unique way, by voting on Nov. 4. No matter what your political persuasion, I encourage and implore all my fellow citizens to express their views by casting their vote for whomever they chose, not by tearing down signs. That is simply cowardice. And we in Franklin County, Maine are not cowards.

Respectfully,

Guy Appleby Griscom
Director, We-The-People/Maine
Vice chair of the Democratic Party
Avon, Maine

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3 Comments

  1. There was an issue @ UMF with political signs being removed without permission within the last 2 weeks also.

  2. I spent a couple of hours Friday, October 17the, putting signs up for Angela Courchesney , Candidate for House District 87. One leg of my trip took me to Rt. 43 in Starks, in her district, where I thought might be good to place it close to the Madison line, so I headed out in that direction. I found a spot for the last sign of the day, very nice view with a huge mowed field, perhaps 20 to 30 acres to the west of the road. I set the sign up on the opposite side, the east bound side in the state’s right of way.

    As soon as I finished I got into my truck and drove off toward Madison about 150 yards down the hill to the first driveway I found on the right. I turned and went back up the hill I had just come down, but before I got up much speed the sign came into view and, just then, a black or perhaps very dark blue or deep purple ½ or ¾ ton truck or large SUV, with a lot of chrome (a dream for any 14 year old) slowed down as it glided up to the sign. It stopped by the sign. I stopped about 120 yards down the hill from the sign and vehicle. I hadn’t really gotten going very fast at that time. I suspected the driver was up to no good so I searched around for a piece of paper and got my pen out and watched. In thirty or forty seconds he got back in and headed in my direction. I got the Maine license plate number. I concentrated on getting the plate number as the vehicle passed me, so I did not pay attention to what the driver looked like. The sign had been in the ground about 90 seconds before the driver had torn it out of the ground and threw it in the ditch. It is very rare to see a crime occur. The vandalizm happened at 4:30 PM plus or minus 5 minutes. It was very shocking that within a minute and a half after the sign was placed it was ripped out of the ground and I witnessed it. Over the years, as I ran for the Maine House, three times, I have had my signs ripped out, or torn up, or vanished, so I was amazed to actually see the crime take place. It takes a lot of effort and expense to purchase and place campaign signs.

    I used my cell phone and called the Somerset County Sheriff and gave the dispatcher all the details including all sorts of details related to me, cell phone number and phone number in New Sharon etc.. I waited till 5:20 PM at the site for a call or visit by a deputy. Even now, Sunday morning the 19th , no call. This is the season for that sort of crime.

    Dr. Bill Reid
    Chairman, Frary for Congress Committee
    New Sharon, Maine

  3. ILast week put out an old Casino No sign from the last casino ref.
    It said vote no on 3 Casinos No
    I figured it would make people think. since this year it is # 2
    Someone stole it yesterday

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