MONTVILLE, Maine — John Bednarik’s homemade political signs apparently got under the skin of someone.
Bednarik contacted the Bangor Daily News on Friday morning to report that many of his lawn signs in support of liberal causes had been destroyed during the night. And they were not the thin, cardboard-on-wire variations. Bednarik made them from quarter-inch and three-eighth-inch thick plywood, and fastened them to stakes with screws.
It was the third time in three years that his signs were destroyed, he said. Once, it appeared that a pickup truck took them out, swerving off Route 220 to hit them.
This time, Bednarik said, it appeared from the tire tracks on his lawn that someone stopped to do the dirty work and smash up the signs by hand.
One of the destroyed signs read, “I was a soldier, I am a Democrat and I’m fighting for my fellow Americans.” Another featured a bar chart showing that 1 percent of the population earns 74 percent of the national income.
Still another somewhat playfully urged people to “Occupy Montville,” a reference to the Occupy Wall Street movement that probably wouldn’t build a following in this western Waldo County town of 965.
“I used to have a tent out there,” Bednarik said, which may have persuaded would-be vandals to lay off the signs, thinking someone was sleeping on the lawn.
Bednarik and his wife Leslie Woods are longtime Democrats, and have been active in the Waldo County party. They planned to call state police about the vandalism later in the day. The couple also is considering posting a reward for information leading to the culprit.
According to state law, “a person who takes, defaces or disturbs a lawfully placed sign bearing political messages relating to a general election, primary election or referendum commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of up to $250 may be adjudged.”
“Hey, you can’t have political freedom of speech if you destroy political signs,” Bednarik said.
So will the BDN run a story that my Bush sticker was keyed on my truck? That cost a whole lot more to fix than a few lawn signs. I’m not holding my breath.
I’m sure a bumper sticker is worth thousands.
Try the scratches and paint that had to be fixed.
Thousands.
This happened today. You still have a Bush sticker?
Maybe he’s just acting thrifty and holding out for Jeb 2012.
Did you call the BDN like he did?
Report it and see what happens.
Put an explosive “Democrat Blue” dye pack on the next one with a camera !
I want to see the look on their face!
Turn dimwitted criminals with nothing better to do than destroy or steal road signs instantly into closed minded conservative Smurfs. I like it!
Disrespect for another’s property is running rampant everywhere.
I’m so glad that the police have nothing better to do. My thought process today must be a little off, as I do not see a connection between the signs described and any election.
It’s vandalism and trespassing to commit a crime-for the THIRD time!.How is that not a police matter?If you put signs on your lawn and they were vandalized,you wouldn’t call the police?
My thought process must be off too. I was thinking the same thing.
They were more for broadcasting an ideology than anything.
People are allowed to “broadcast an ideology” on their own property in this country- and expect that their property not be subject to trespass and vandalism.
That may be, but my reply used this as a guide:
According to state law, “a person who takes, defaces or disturbs a lawfully placed sign bearing political messages relating to a general election, primary election or referendum commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture of up to $250 may be adjudged.”
In other words, a specific and upcoming vote to which those signs didn’t apply. IMHO
I understand- however the general trespassing and vandalism laws would still apply as they were on his own property. A lawyer could also argue that he was advocating support for Democrats in general for the upcoming election.
It certainly was both trespassing and vandalism, No doubt.
I don’t believe that town would have any bylaws with a permitting clause for signs like where I live.
But that’s a tangent to my original post anyway. :)
B.S Your to far into the woods to see the trees.
Good job trying to explain what apparently I could not.
That first sentence of your comment is so ubiquitous it’s become meaningless. Moreover, it’s nonsense. Vandalism is a crime. Shouldn’t we expect the police to investigate when a crime has been committed?
I think there are more important things for LE to do than worry about a $50. crime that would never be solved.
It’s funny how these out-of-staters come up here looking for attention.
Where doe it say he was from away? Make up your own story much??
The majority of the state is liberal. So you’re going to suggest that the majority of Mainers are from out of state? Get real.
Not surprising at all that conservative thugs are out there.
“….conservative thugs”?????? The last time I checked, it was the liberal thugs whose tactics included the destruction of property- the Wisconsin state capitol building and the Occupy Wall Street crowd did millions of dollars worth of damage in their restpective protests. When the Tea Party held its rally in Washington D.C. the Park Police reported not finding so much as an empty paper cup after they left.
Well, you know, those paper cups can be used again.
Are you sure it wasn’t a group of Tea Partiers from Maine? That would be like the ultimate in thrifty.
I had some relatives come down from Maine to visit DC years ago. They had purchased sodas in Maine, put them in a cooler, and as they were used up, they saved the cans to drag back to Maine to get their 5-cents per can. We do not have can deposits here but there are recycle bins everywhere. I felt like giving them a dollar to cover 20 cans, just so they didn’t have to deal with a bunch of sticky, used cans rattling around in the car.
When you are supported by the Koch Bros. as the tea party is, there are abundant funds for a clean up crew.
And the Fox”clean up crew”is there to spread the usual bile against the OWS heroes and present the TPers in nothing but the most positive light.
Heroes? Are you kidding me! and last I knew, all the major news agencies have somewhat gone against the OWS. Don’t blame Fox news for the bad behaviors of some!
Ya, I’m sure that happened.
Who the heck said a conservative did this?
I like this guy! Such a shame these ignorant people clearly don’t understand what he means when he says he’s a soldier, a democrat, and an advocate for Americans. What sophisticated behavior.
I agree.
“Hey, you can’t have political freedom of speech if you destroy political signs,” Bednarik said.”
I do not condone such behavior but I would say it might fall within the same catagory as flag burning which qualifies as free speech.
I’m fairly certain, in both Texas v. Johnson and U.S. v. Eichman, that the Supreme Court didn’t rule it constitutional to burn a flag belonging to another person.
You do not have a free speech right to destroy someone else’s property. You want to burn your own flag or destroy your own political signs, go ahead. You can’t burn your neighbors flag or destroy their signs.
Typical liberal crybaby.
If they were conservative signs, the general consensus would’ve been “but he’s a veteran, put his life on the line for our great nation, he has earned the right to put up signs if he wants to, shame on these disrespectful liberal vandals!” Don’t ya think??
yes.
It’s interesting that the press was contacted Friday morning, and they planned to contact the police “later in the day”. Gotta get that 15 minutes of fame!
I think it was a sensible call to alert the media to this vandalism.
The lesson in this thread is: don’t offend others with your personal ideology. Nor should you call attention to your personal affluence or financial status. Personally, I would not even put a University of Maine sticker on my car lest some uneducated hooligan take offence and damage the vehicle.
I suspect that vandals come in all stripes between far left and far right. And in the state of Maine (unfortunately) there are many more far left than far right!
LOL. This is news. Hey Mr. Bednarik if you really want to make a political statement that people would make a difference that is news worthy. Take your artistic talent, and work with needy children or a wounded warrior. Or you could take them camping with your tent. just a thought. Keep the great journalism stories coming BDN. It’s great for a chuckle!