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While I don’t agree with the message of Mr. Segeth’s front yard sign, I support his right to say it and place it in his yard, and I find the letter he received very offensive. I know he must be feeling quite uncomfortable, wondering which “friendly” neighbor wrote such a note to him.
I also live in a small, quiet Redlands neighborhood, away from the main roads, and feel some of the same things Mr. Segeth must be feeling right now because of the cowardly actions of “friendly” neighbor(s) in my neighborhood who have come within a few feet of my front door in the middle of three different nights to steal my signs supporting Barack Obama. It’s a creepy thing. Violating. Sadly, my children now view our nice neighborhood with some suspicion and mistrust.
This campaign season has proved to be a time of intense personal introspection for me, and a journey through disappointment and disillusionment regarding the American democratic process and the actions of some American citizens — some of whom I personally know. I’ve discovered how easy it is for well-meaning people to perpetuate lies, deceit, and mischaracterizations, without asking questions and without checking the facts for themselves, because someone they trusted told them it was “truth.” And I’ve discovered that reaching the “base” of a political party might really be about reaching out to those things that are most “base” about our inner selves. It’s heartbreaking.
But I have hope, and my hope is that when this election is over and done, we will come together as “good neighbors,” and find ways to demonstrate respect and concern for one another, no matter our differences. And I hope we will find ways to be courageous in our interactions, and stop acting like thoughtless cowards.
Mr. Segeth, though you and I hold different political views, I respect your right to post this sign and am so sorry you received such a communication from a neighbor. It’s not right. None of it.
Cyndi Clark
Grand Junction
5 Responses to “Sign dispute highlights election friction”
Posted October 30th, 2008 at 4:56 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Ms. Clark is correct that the gentleman has every right to display what he chooses but, he is by no means the only one who receives such literature in the mail. Some I have personally received were from so-called “Christian” groups who disagreed with my letters to the various newspapers. All such letter originate from those who react emotionally instead of rationally and reasonably, and interested in productive discourse. It is unfortunate that there are so many.
However “unthinking” and offensive Mr. Segreth’s sign may be, and some of us find it quite offensive, considering it little more than based on a misinformed opinion of others, he still has the right to display sign if he wishes to do so, and without fear of reprisal.
It is only those who cannot tolerate dissent who remove signs from the property of others, or threaten others for displaying them. It is, although in milder form (so far), little more than Brownshirt tactics.
Posted October 30th, 2008 at 6:06 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
I echo RLs’ words. The unmitigated selfishness of zealots is unacceptable coming from any direction. Those who reject it must steadfastly insist that honor, integrity, and respect for the rights of others is central to the
notion of what it means to be an American.
Those principals must guide us everyday and in every endeavor. If we, who believe that communication and mutual respect are the baseline of our politics and our government, allow the merchants of distrust and greed to continue to dominate our body politic, we deserve the pain that will inevitably ensue.
Naomi Klein opines in her groundbreaking book, “the Shock Doctrine”, that the free market remodel of a nations’ economy is very difficult in a democracy. Fortunately for Americans, the Bushco evisceration of the American economy is being resisted by the American people, in the candidacy of Barack Obama.
Corporatism has been ascendant during the Bush administration. Watch carefully the machinations of the banking system. Even the “experts” are shrugging their shoulders. Read Ms. Kleins’ brilliant book and read about the example of the end of apartheid in South Africa. The struggles of the Mandela government are a pattern for the free market engineers at Bushco.
This is gonna be interesting.
Posted October 31st, 2008 at 10:48 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
I have a hard time understanding Rls’ comments of “unthinking and “offensive” as it relates to Mr. Segeth’s sign. Have you met him? Do you know the context of his statement? I took the time to visit the Segeth’s last night and found this man immigrated from Germany in 1957, then went on to serve the in the United States Army for the next 30 years!
He had this sign made over a year ago and actually took it the Downtown Veteran’s Parade last November. While it may be offensive to you it is not unthinking! He told me it was aimed at the Congressional Democrats who supported the effort in 2002/2003, supported the effort during the Clinton years, and now have jumped ship or forgotten the warriors they sent into harms way. I am one of those warriors Sir!
You make the statement of his sign being based on a misinformed opinion, can you shelve your opinion long enough to become informed? Have you actually taken the time to met the man and get informed?
I feel the same way when I see the bumper stickers “01-20-2009 End of an Error”, “Endless War”, “Bush is a War Criminal”, “Bush Lied and People Died”…and the rest of the misinformed propaganda!
Mr. Segeth has the right to display his sign, he also served 30 years in the US Armed Forces so you can have this same right. I think the “friendly neighbor” who left the cowardly letter needs a lesson in the First Amendment…and if he/she/they come visiting in the night to deliver “The Consequences” I hope he/she/they also get a free lesson on the Second Amendment, we are watching as well!
Posted October 31st, 2008 at 3:07 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Mtnbrk65 wrote: …the Congressional Democrats who supported the effort in 2002/2003, supported the effort during the Clinton years, and now have jumped ship or forgotten the warriors they sent into harms way. I am one of those warriors Sir!”
If an individual has, or has not served in the military, or for how long, is of little consideration, except in our obligations to them.
It makes the individual neither more nor less of a “patriot”, or any more or less entitled to any claim on patriotism. Those who believe otherwise have “never left” the military, at least emotionally. Maybe they never realized why they were in uniform in the first place.
If the gentleman, Mr. Segeth, is to be concerned about something, he might do well to ask himself why he singled out only the Democrats? If so, the individual has not been paying much attention of late as he, as well as Mtnbrk65, are grievously misinformed.
Yes, and as I stated in my original post, Mr. Segeth has every right to display his “sign” but, prior to doing so, and singling anyone out, he really should expend more effort expanding his intellectual horizons prior to doing so. And, Mtnbrk65 might do well to do the same.
As to the “threat” of physical force over a sign, that is ridiculous, and indicates a failure on both individuals’ parts to recognize the difference between a “person” and a physical object. That, they may wish to examine also.
Posted November 3rd, 2008 at 11:25 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
Rl wrote….”If an individual has, or has not served in the military, or for how long, is of little consideration, except in our obligations to them. It makes the individual neither more nor less of a “patriot”, or any more or less entitled to any claim on patriotism. Those who believe otherwise have “never left” the military, at least emotionally. Maybe they never realized why they were in uniform in the first place.”
I never said a person who served in the military is more patriotic or more entitled than a person who hasn’t served, you said that!
I have read several of your posts and it seems that anyone who has a different opinion than you is misinformed, far from it. My personal well being was greatly impacted for over 20 years by our elected officials and the decisions they did or didn’t make, I made it a point to be well informed then as well as now. We can speak for hours on the mistakes made by both parties and several administrations, not just the Bush Crowd. There is plenty of blame to go around.
My post will not sway your opinion or outlook in the least and that’s fine, yours will not sway mine. We can agree to disagree.
The point being, Mr. Segeth has the right to post his sign without being threatened…period! Takes a brave person to threaten a 74-year-old man. Be strong in your belief, walk right up and say it in person, be proud of your stance….or keep your cowardly mouth shut and continue to hide in the shadows.
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