It was October, some years back, when we moved to another big city on the West Coast and I remember how puzzled I was by the yard signs that announced which houses supported which political candidates. Political signs had never been a tradition in the Midwest--bumper stickers and lapel pins, yes, but not signs. Even though we eventually got accustomed to them we never erected any ourselves, and when we moved to the island it was more like we remembered from the Midwest: no signs.
This year, however, was a landmark year with a very different candidate, and some of Barack Obama's supporters were very assertive about their choice. A few yard signs actually went up in our neighborhood--a first, for as far back as I can remember, for most of us live quietly and don't advertise our politics.
One of the sign erectors had recently moved from the big city, so this ritual was understandable, and once his sign went up his next door neighbor promptly followed suit with a second Obama sign.
They were there, undisturbed and unopposed by rival McCain signs, for about a month when one night they both mysteriously disappeared. Who had done it? Who had stooped to low down thievery and stolen the signs? The big city residents were furious. Although replacement signs soon went up, feelings were raw, and the victim reported that he suspected his neighbor across the road, who had a tendency to stir up trouble if there was trouble he could find to stir up.
Someone else piped up that it wasn't a good idea to make an accusation if it couldn't be backed up by proof, and this pissed off the big city resident. How dare someone impugn the validity of his accusation? Especially when the accused neighbor was despised by everyone and even suspected of being a Republican?
Funny how bad feelings can be stirred up during an election year. How wonderful it would be if that's all we had to worry about!
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