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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels October 16, 2004 Campaign signs disappearing The stealing of campaign signs is reaching a fever pitch in Ashland and around the county. Local Republican and Democratic officials each estimate more than 400 signs supporting their presidential candidates have been stolen in Jackson County. Both believe more than 100 each of these signs have been stolen from the Ashland area. Andrew Mariman | Ashland Daily Tidings Kim Lewis and his son Chris rebuild a political sign in a field on the east side of Hwy. 99 North of Ashland. The original sign was stolen, forcing Lewis to take extra precautions against thieves. Incidents range from signs being vandalized or stolen from front yards to cars getting keyed or windows broken because of political stickers on vehicles. Stolen Bush and Kerry Signs On Sunday, Kim Lewis of Ashland and his 18-year-old son put up a large George W. Bush/Dick Cheney sign in a field off North Main Street near the Ashland city limits sign. On Tuesday morning, Lewis discovered the sign had been removed from its metal post. "It really surprised me they would take so much effort to do this," he said. "This is supposed to be the land of tolerance � to do something like this is so unproductive. When you have to take someone's sign to make a statement is pretty low." Friday afternoon, Lewis put up a new Bush/Cheney sign. To ensure it's not taken, he plans to take it down each evening and put it up again each morning. Lewis said it's important for him to show his support for Bush and what he believes is the good job the president has done for the country in his four years in office. "I believe he has been a courageous leader in the face of 9/11 and the unity he brought to our country � and keeping our country safe in the war on terror," he said. "We haven't had any (terrorist attacks) in our country since 9/11. This is a way for me to express that," appreciation. Last week, Sue Cate was surprised to discover her John Kerry/John Edwards sign had been stolen from her front yard in the Helman Elementary School area. "I didn't expect it was going to happen in Ashland," she said." It seemed like a safe location to put the sign up." She got another sign and taped it to her front porch. "It's my right to have my sign up," Cate said. "I want people to know where I stand and this vandalism is not going to change that." Unacceptable Behavior Steve Gilmore, Jackson County chair for the Bush/Cheney campaign said that people stealing and vandalizing Bush/Cheney signs has been a problem all over the county. To Gilmore, some people have such a dislike for Bush that they are not taking the proper avenues of expression. "They're losing perspective," he said. "It's unfortunate. What makes our country great is that we can have an open dialogue, so why are we having people stoop to the lowest common denominator? � I wish everyone would get out of the gutter and play fair. We're all better than that." He said one Ashland man has had his Bush/Cheney signs stolen 15 times. Each time, he has gone to the Republican headquarters and paid $5 for the new sign. Recently, an Ashland resident with a Bush/Cheney sticker had his window smashed during the evening, Gilmore said. Three other cars in the same parking lot with Bush/Cheney campaign stickers had their cars keyed. He said many people have had their campaign signs vandalized, with anti-Bush and anti-war messages on them. Mary Finley, a volunteer at the Jackson County Democratic Headquarters in Medford, is in charge of handing out signs and bumper stickers . She said they also have had countless signs taken. Despite this, numerous people have come back, sometimes several times, and paid $3 for a new Kerry/Edwards sign. "They're digging in their heels and putting up their signs for their candidate," Finley said. "It's stupid (stealing signs). It's not like we're not going to vote for him because they took our sign." Finley said the vast majority of signs taken are Kerry/ Edwards, with "No on 36" signs coming in a distant second. Finley said, by far, this is the most campaign signs taken in the county in a long time. "The whole country is so polarized and people are (expressing) their furor this way and it's just so stupid," she said." This is why we live in America, to be able to express what we believe. We might not agree with each other, but I don't hate them. It's all about respecting a person's right to think what they want." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams