Today, my nextdoor neighbors complained about the signs on my yard

See prior thread:

So, one of my neighbors called the cops to complain about my signs
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1417691&mesg_id=1417691












(Why the signs? I ran out of room on my car for more bumperstickers...)




My next-door neighbor was pretty damn pissed.

(According to voter registration logs, his wife and one of his sons is a Democrat, and their other kid is un-aligned, by the way).

Anyway, he told me that when he looks out his window, he has to see the signs and it makes him sick. "What those signs say is disgusting," he says. I agreed. "Yes, it is. But that's my opinion."

I told him that I've never had any problems with him, and if it impacts his quality of life, I'd be happy to take the signs off and move them to the other side of the storage trailer.

He also said he called the trailer rental company to find out when they'd be leaving. I assured him that I was even more eager than he is to have that damn thing off my lawn.

So, then a few minutes later, while I'm re-locating the signs, his wife comes by. She said, "Those signs say some pretty ugly things." I said, "Yes, they do." I also told her that I'd already spoken to her husband, and that out of respect for them, I said I would move the signs out of their sight. "Fair enough?" I asked. "Not completely satisfactory, but good enough for now."

In any case, I now have a pretty good idea who called the cops.

I also think I handled the situation fairly well.

I didn't escalate anything.

I Didn't use harsh rhetoric, like, "Well, if I had blood on my hands from voting for Bush, I'd have trouble looking at something like that, too." Not that I know any of them voted for Bush. One shouldn't assume, after all. (Then again, he could end-up reading this online, couldn't he?)

I made concessions to improve their situation, acknowledged their discomfort, and said I would accommodate them out of respect.

But what I will not do-- at least not for a while-- is I will not shut-up.

The Repukes stole the elections, stole the media, and hijacked the debate.

Angry signs are all we really have left anymore that can actually reach past our little internet enclaves and out of the Air America fiefdom.

:o

And I have given-up on being polite.

That's a big reason why we lose- we play nice, we play fair, and we use soft words.

And they shut down anything that might be effective. I was asked to censor the pic below today. Someone complained that I was disrespecting the soldiers and providing comfort to our enemies by publishing it. I countered that if you don't like the image, quit making war widows.

That'll give the enemy one less freedom to hate us for.

doing what we all feel inside!

If someone said "revolution today" I would oil up all my weapons and get 2000 more rounds for my 22!
From a pioneer family, every woman could feed 50-100 people with only a 22 and still help to keep everyone well and healthy with natural remedies and a pint or fifth.

you are as angry as all of us should be, and those signs prove it to me. You speak truth to power and I am a supporter of you. If you try to talk to them civilized and they yell, tell them they're doing the tired practice of being afraid of 'government' and are ignoring a horrible president and administration that would let them die in water if it happened in your area. They don't care and you are standing up for what's right.

Now, the signs might be a bit much, but like I said, you are speaking how we all feel, so you do what you feel is right and I again commend you!
:)

some kind of free-standing structure and a more permanent kind of sign.

:toast:
More power to you!

agree with the neighbors. Sorry about that.

In my opinion, ugly is ugly, no matter the cause. But that's just me.

Redstone

ugly is ugly. At least make some nice looking signs and spell the words correctly.

are a remarkably accommodating neighbor!

I might have noted to the wife that "Yes, the signs do describe some ugly truths".

These people need to be shown the truth in clear and unambiguous language, otherwise they just won't "get it".

I would've said something akin to this:

"I understand you don't like what my signs say, yes? That's fair enough. You should be free to say whatever you want to me about those signs as long as I am free to say whatever I want through those signs. Freedom of speech means telling people things they may not want to hear."

The rest of the signs-- including the ones he has to drive past every day-- are staying.

It's a forty-foot long storage trailer.

Plenty of room for signs on the other side, plus on the end that faces out into the road.

I didn't have to do a damn thing-- but I did.

I just hope they remember that I chose to do so before they complain again-- because I could just as easily put the signs right back where they were.

Over the years, we've gotten along without trouble, and I don't want to shit all over that if I can avoid it. I don't mind tossing a few turds around, but I've opted out of a full-fledged fecal-shower.

pad on my property. (it's where we park in the winter if it might snow - up near the road as our driveway is long and steep)

"W" - the new Swastika and footprint of the Chickenhawk! LOVE IT!

You can fool 29% of the people ALL the Time! EXCELLENT!!!

IanDB1 - You ROCK!

:toast:

edit - I think I will do them up in red, white and blue with lovely block print and flag motif with doves for the stars..... I will have fun making the visual message as pretty as the words are accurate and ugly!!!

Will post an image when I get them installed!

"Pro-Family" just means Hate without the hood.

But the fact that the TRUTH is unpleasant
makes it no less true.

It's like calling Jane Fonda, "Hanoi Jane". But cops don't investigate that, even if it offends me.

Besides I wouldn't call cops for offensive signs out of principal, anyway. It seems patently un-America to try to restrict someone's freedom of speech.

For one thing, it's a legimate way of releasing pent-up fustrations against a "minority President", who is ruining all the good things that I know in America and the US. NRA whackos will go out and shoot up a MacDonalds out of frustration, but then it's too late. I never heard of a sign in someone's yard actually doing bodily injury to a neighbor or bystander, unless there was a tornado or hurricane which blew it across the yard and hit someone or something.

I salute your courage and tenacity in trying to bring across your point of view, which probably has done much more long-term good (in terms of promoting a healthy democracy) than any short-term nuisance it brought to one or two people. This is a type of Jeffersonian ideal or basic American radical thought!

She's not happy about me making waves like this.

But at least, to paraphrase you, I'm not letting all the frustration get pent-up inside until I shoot-up a McDonalds.

and if they try anything else, it's time to tell them to go fuck themselves because your right to express an opinion is greater than their desire to go through life unoffended.

I would have simply said after six years of this shit, FUCK YOU! And went back in the house.

There's a "k" at the end not a "c". Easily fixed without having to re-do the signs.

That's why I hate books. All fact, no heart.

Actually, thanks!

Or should I say written or typed?

Regarding a free-standing device to display future signs: check with local code to be sure you can do it.

I display a number of signs in my windows. I use my computer to produce them so they are neat and attractive. Call me the Martha Stewart of protest signs, but I might object if I had to look as your signs all day. Sorry.

I would be more fearful of living in a community that is controlling you so much you can't
express your own opinion.

If you buy into property with a home-owners' association, then that sort of rule might be more applicable, but I would guess outside of that, within most other areas, any local code this restrictive, it could be creating a constitutionally-challenged community and it would be a citizen's duty to try and correct this by a state or federal court. Otherwise the Bill of Rights is a scrap of paper that is being tossed in the trash-can.

They were on your property, and they could have stayed where they were. You did him a big favor that you did not have to do.

You are very kind and generous person. :thumbsup: :hi:

They are all fantastic, but my favorite is:

It's none of their damned business how you feel and what you choose to say in writing on the grounds of your house.

You said "(According to voter registration logs, his wife and one of his sons is a Democrat, and their other kid is un-aligned, by the way)."

Using voter reg. logs for reasons other than those justified for a political campaign is considered illegal in most states.

These laws and confidentiality should be regarded with the utmost respect and followed.

and generally, the courts only prosecute commercial exploitation and harassment.

And since I didn't actually give any names, no privacy was breached.

them, it wasn't so you could look up voter registration of your neighbors!

I really hate the cavalier way these lists are treated w.r.t. privacy - and it's virtually impossible in CA to remove your info from the list unless you simply don't register to vote.

I don't know where in this country you live, but IMO it was disrespectful for your neighbor to call about signs that are on your property that YOU pay for. As for your wife, making waves is what being a true patriot is all about...I suspect there were a few unhappy wives during the American Revolution too, but that did not stop a certain tea party from taking place!

My 2 cents...

Cat In Seattle

You did seem to handle it all well. . .I'm afraid I would have been in trouble. I remember neighbors harassing me because I was gay and renting next door. They were pretty threatening, and after calling police several nights in a row (in which they did nothing). . .I packed up a tent and drove out to THEIR landlords house, rang the doorbell (past midnight) and started to pitch my tent in their front yard. . .hahaha. The landlord woke up, and after a brief discussion, got eviction notices for those neighbors the next day.

Obviously, yours is a different situation. . .but I'm afraid I would have pointed out to the neighbor that HE lived over THERE and YOU lived HERE. And that you were sorry if he didn't like what he was seeing, but that it's difficult for you to have to live on a street with a Republican, too - especially one who believes he has the right to control everyone else's opinion except those that do not "bother" him.

Those were harsh signs, yes. .. but then, were they any harsher than what you get when you open up your morning newspaper and see Ann Coulters crap? Does the newspaper pull her out of their publication?

to say about Repukes that is TRUE, yet as nasty and venomous as what THEY say about US.

And while I STILL don't feel like I have reached that asymptote of vicious hatred, I think my signs come fairly close to some-- but I can never compete with Dobson, Santorum, Frist, Coulter, O'Reilly, Limbaugh... I think the best I can do is to out-shrill Tucker Carlson.

The important differences is that the Republinazis and the Talibornagain have been making their words into POLICY, and all I have is angry words posted on a truck.

They have Fox "News," CNN, Headline News, Fox Talk Radio, Christian Radio, The House, The Senate, The White House, all of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers, NBC, FOX and The 700 Club-- I've got paper and magic markers.

There are not enough magic markers in the world to counter the Backwash Republicans-- the Lunatic Fringe of 29%-- that have hijacked our country in the coup of 2000.

The guy across the street is a great guy, who's been full of helpful advice about my recent home disaster. I like the guy, and don't want to piss him off.

Yesterday, he was outside and said, "Ian, your signs are very obnoxious!"

I said, "Yes, I know. But they won't be there much longer."

"Well, you don't have to look out your window at them."

"Actually, I do."

"When is the trailer going? Let me guess... still waiting on a check from the insurance company?"

"Yep. Everything inside has to be mold tested."

"That's what I thought. That's probably filled with all the damaged stuff."

And this morning, he shouted (not particularly angrily, mind you) "Ian, those signs are obnoxious!"

And I replied, "I'm sorry. But today is their last day. Does that make you feel any better?"

"No."

"Sorry."

Well, I suppose if he won't feel any better if today is their last day, I may as well keep them up, right?

But I did compromise with my wife, and I told her that today would be the last day for the signs.

Here are updated photos of my installation of political art:


New signs:





Here is the side facing down the street:


Here is the side facing directly toward the road: