Our first Kerry Edwards yard sign lasted less than 48 hours

[PA Democrat]

My husband went out to get the paper this morning and reported that our Kerry Edwards yard sign had been stolen some time overnight.

Our street is not a through way, and the vast majority of traffic on our street is people who live in our housing development. We know many of our neighbors, having lived here for 17 years; and we've never had any of the typical petty neighborhood type arguments with ANYONE.

We immediately put up another sign, and we'll see if this one meets a similar fate. If this one disappears, we may put up a companion sign reading "Number of signs now stolen by desperate Bush supporters ___" and keeping a running tally of the number of signs stolen.

Anyone else been the victim of thieving juvenile Bush supporters?

[Misunderestimator]

1. Yes, had mine stolen a couple of weeks after I put it up.

So I ordered FIVE to replace it, put one of the new ones up close to my house and one of the others in the back facing the golf course (for all my republican asshole neighbors to enjoy). They've been up now for two months. I guess they were brave enough to commit a crime when they could grab the sign from the street, but too chicken shit to get up close to my house. (I also do not live on a through way, more like a really big cul de sac, so it was likely a neighbor who took it.)

[PA Democrat]

15. Any broken windows from "errant" golf balls lately?

Some of these people are MEAN.

[Misunderestimator]

23. Fortunately no. Since I'm on a tee, it would be REALLY intentional ...

if a ball was directed at my house. I have seen people pointing and staring and whispering to eachother when I happen to be noticing. I get a huge kick out of it. :)

[Blue Gardener]

2. Like the idea of a companion sign

I don't have a yard sign up yet, but when I do, I'll keep your idea in mind if it gets stolen.

[katmondoo]

5. Yes

I have had mine knocked down along with the flags next to it. The Bushies really feel they own the flag,thats why I put the flags next to the Kerry sign to show Kerry is an American too. I now have 3 back up signs and more flags. I still feel there is not the same level of animosity that existed a few years ago. (Central Florida, Bush country)

[luaneryder]

6. I put the yard sign up

at my daughter's house near the front porch and attach light chain to it, then affixed the chain to one of the bannister posts. Soneone owuld have to bold enough the have bolt cutters with them to steal this sign.

[xultar]

7. Nize!!!! n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. Wire it in.

where are you in PA?

[PA Democrat]

9. Westmoreland County, 20 miles east of Pittsburgh

Westmoreland County is home of the infamous Richard Mellon Scaife's filthy right-wing rag, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review.

Our county went for Bush in 2000, despite a majority of registered Democrats. Scaife has been slowly buying up all of the small independent newspapers, and is now competing head-on with the only other major daily paper, The Pittsbugh Post Gazette.
Most people active in Democratic politics here will tell you that the media has been very effective in moving the populace more to the right.

[cthrumatrix]

4. put up another

[PA Democrat]

10. Already did

And I will pick up a few more spares later today when I go in to work for the local Kerry Edwards campaign effort.;-)

[cthrumatrix]

13. you're the best!

[Warpy]

8. These boards are so full of those stories

That I think Hitler Youth are probably organized to the point of taking Dad's car out in the evening and roaming neighborhoods to steal signs.

Some people with videocams have managed to catch these punks on tape; one was even an older guy who should have known better.

My ideas are first to put the sign close to your house (they're chicken, like most bullyboys, and won't come close to steal), and if you've had more than one theft, fight back. Double glove with latex gloves available at the pharmacy and smear a little poison ivy where those signs are most likely to be grabbed to pull them up.

That won't deter the theft, but you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that even if the thief is wearing gloves, he'll scratch his nose, and...

This is a desperate tactic by desperate people who will break the law to suppress opposition to fascism. I don't know why they think they want to live in a fascist system. I only know we need to fight them, and fight dirty if we have to.

[girl gone mad]

11. Ha!

I'm up all night, so I would just get out a paint gun and shoot at them if they tried anything. Or maybe just cock my shotgun... hehe.. bet they would change their mind real fast. Maybe just a camera with a good flash - mail the photos to your local newspaper.

[deutsey]

12. But, the terra-ists hates us fer our freedoms.

:eyes:

I'd a write a letter to the editor of your local paper and say you thought our troops in Iraq were fighting for freedom, and yet you aren't free to post a yardsign without someone snatching it away.

[PA Democrat]

14. Good idea

I will submit a letter to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and also to Scaife's Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Anyone want to bet which paper will publish my letter?

[CrispyQ]

16. So sad that our fellow citizens have stooped to such dirty tricks . . .

Certainly explains their choice of candidates, doesn't it?!

[theHandpuppet]

17. A trick I learned during the first Clinton campaign...

... and a very effective one, too! :D

Slather a goodly amount of Vaseline, Ben-Gay if you're feeling pissed (even Vicks Vaporub will do) all around the stakes of your sign, especially around the top where it is likely to be pulled. If you have a slick (glossy) yard sign, you can even put it about the border of the sign itself. When the idiots come to steal your sign they'll get a handful of slime instead!

I used this in rural NW Viriginia during Clinton's first presidential campaign when Clinton/Gore signs were dispppearing as fast as folks put them up. I passed along the advice then and the sign stealing stopped pronto!!

[AnnInLa]

18. get Habanero Juice at the local grocery store

and mix it with your vaseline, or oil, or Crisco. If that stuff gets on their hands, it burns like hell, especially if they have a small cut on their hands. And, anywhere else on their bodies that they touch (peeing?) also burns like hell.

[theHandpuppet]

21. The idea is to discourage sign-stealing...

... not to hurt anyone.

[AnnInLa]

22. sorry, thought that would discourage

sign stealing...especially from the same house. After replacing my sign 7 times during the last election, I see nothing wrong in a mild hurt to anyone stealing from me.

[theHandpuppet]

27. We've found that...

... copius amounts of Vaseline work very well. I wouldn't want to hurt anyone, especially if the person ripping up the sign is just a kid.

[maine_raptor]

19. Folks, be careful here

Many States have laws that limit what you, as a private property owner can do to protect your property.

In a nutshell, in most cases, you cannot do anything that might cause bodily harm in the protection of your property.

For example, let's say you are concerned about a bugler entering your house through a particular window, so you place a large leg trap on the floor directly under that window. Presto, the bugler steps into the trap, the jaws spring shut, trapping the miscreant for the police to haul away. Problem solved, right? WRONG! You are now looking at both jail time and a civil lawsuit.

Bottom Line: check the local laws BEFORE you take action, make sure you are protected by your local laws in what you do. Otherwise, it's going to be awfully hard to vote on Nov 2 if you're in the hoosegow awaiting a bail hearing.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

20. We just moved, and I was discouraged to see a yard down the

street with Pete Coors and B/C signs right along the sidewalk, as I drove by. Those stayed up for five days after we moved and then mysteriously disappeared shortly after that. I'm dying to know what happened, but admit to a great relief about not seeing those signs every day as I drive home. I'm still cautious about putting the signs out in my new neighborhood, but I really like the suggestions here, so will give it a try. MKJ

[G_j]

24. our local newspaper has had a few letters about Bush signs

being stolen. Americans are just plain losing their cool.

[Catfight]

25. Hang the sign in a tree, "Number of signs stolen for by christian value

bush supporters, 30!" Make the number up and hang it high. This is a great idea! Then call your news.

[LisaL]

26. I think that's a great idea-about a second sign next to

Kerry Edwards sign.
LOL.

[spanone]

28. Call the Police.

[Digit]

29. Window signs anyone?

I have an obnoxious neighbor anyway, and wondered about just putting a sign in my window.
Where might I get one of these, or do I need to make it on my computer.

[liberal N proud]

30. I have heard so many cases of this that I have been pulling the sleeve off

every night. Since I leave home before dawn in the morning, it isn't hard to slip the cover back on the wire each morning.
We live on a busy street in a neighborhood that is mostly BMW's and Jag's, I have not seen too many yard signs or bumper stickers right in my neighborhood so I have not trusted them.

[AmerDem]

31. set up a video camera over night

Catch the bastard and then have them arrest for tresspassing and vandilism. Go one more set and report it to the local newspaper. Be one step ahead and get that lesson out there to other likeminded repuke criminals!