Political Cheaters and Political Vandalism

I am a former small town politician and a twice unsuccessful State House candidate. I am familiar with rules governing campaigning. While we may not all agree on issues, it is imperative that we follow the rules and treat our opponents fairly.

I will give three examples that illustrate my observations that some partisans are not “playing by the rules”.

1) I have repaired and replaced several large signs for my candidate. I found my candidate’s signs pulled out of the ground and broken and thrown in the underbrush.

2) I saw numerous examples of small signs for my candidate that were obscured and deliberately covered by the opponent’s signs.

3) In one recent case, a large sign that I placed (at the homeowner's request) was called into code enforcement because it violated the maximum sign size. While I recognize the error and the need to follow rules, I was upset by the many other signs by candidates of the other party that were also obviously too large, but which were not flagged by code enforcement. This is obvious hypocrisy and inconsistency in the application of rules.

I know that all groups have both “good" and “bad” elements, but it appears to me that many care only about the pursuit of power and the imposition of their point of view on others, regardless of rules and fair play. As in the example of January 6th, some seem to believe that “might makes right” and that the “end justifies the means”.

These are not the values of America on which I was raised and in which I believe. I am discouraged and do not see a quick solution, but I do hope that both sides can act ethically and with respect in the future.

Forest Blanton, Fort Pierce