Mischief Making and Sign Taking

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The Obama sign I put near the Elementary school disappeared. I pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park, staring at the spot where it had stood just yesterday. At first I thought maybe it had fallen down or blown away, but it was completely gone. A Ron Paul sign only feet away stood, untouched.

I tried to stay positive. It was obvious that someone had stolen it, but maybe they stole it because they liked it; not that it makes the act of stealing acceptable. It just made me more comfortable to imagine the sign simply found a new home, and had not been destroyed.

A few hours later I found myself running an errand which took me by the busy intersection near the bank. This time the Obama sign lay crumpled on the ground. I got out of my car to retrieve it but it was not salvageable. It was covered in dirt and holes, as if it had been trampled and stomped on. Again, a nearby Ron Paul sign stood by the roadside untouched.

I drove around the city to see if the rest of the signs had survived. Half of them were gone.

I stopped by Obama Headquarters in downtown and got an even bigger sign to replace the one at the busy intersection. The volunteer who handed me the sign was a handsome younger man with stylish glasses. I told him why I needed the new sign. He listened, tilting his head empathetically. “Yeah,” he said, “That has been a problem. I know, it’s frustrating.”

I didn’t press him for details but I wondered if this was an organized effort, and if so, organized by whom? Was it just some mischievous individuals? What was their intent? What was their motivation? I wondered if I really wanted the answers to those questions.

Last night a car stopped in front of our house, beeped their horn and drove off. We have an Obama sign on the front door. I wondered if it was a friendly gesture or a warning of things to come.

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