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Sign of good faith trumps vandalism Mail Tribune / Jim Craven They don�t agree on politics, but Ralph Wallis and Lori Francis do agree that political differences shouldn�t divide people of good will. When Democrat Francis found the signs in her west Medford lawn vandalized last week, Republican Wallis � wearing Bush-Cheney hat and button � showed up to help her repair the damage. A Democrat�s lawn signs are trashed, but then a Republican makes it right By Dani Dodge Destroyed campaign lawn signs don�t have to create division and rancor. For at least one ardent Democrat and one lifelong Republican, something entirely different occurred. They found common ground. They created good will. They shared a cup of coffee. "We are all in this world together," reasons Ralph Wallis, a retired real estate agent and die-hard Republican. "After next week, we get to go back to living our lives. No matter who gets elected, the world won�t come to an end." What matters most, according to Democrat Lori Francis, is civility � something that Wallis proved to her has no party affiliation. Their story began last week after Francis, who describes herself as a "happy liberal," picked up four Democratic yard signs for her west Medford home. A bubbly stay-at-home mom with a flair for artistic design, Francis was proud of the neat row of support she�d lined up in front of her buttercup yellow home with teal and pink trim. But when she returned home Thursday night after an evening with her husband, an attorney, her signs had been ravaged. A neighbor�s sign for a Republican candidate was intact. "All the signs in my yard were trashed. Pulled up and thrown around," Francis said. "Some were dismantled, torn and rumpled. They were dirty everywhere. "It was obvious this wasn�t just vandalism, but a message." The next morning she decided to do something after seeing the disappointment on her 14-year-old son�s face. "So I called Republican headquarters," she recounted. "I said �Hi, I�m a Democrat ... someone vandalized my signs last night. Could they come and put my signs back up?� " It�s not that Francis thought that someone at the headquarters had anything to do with the destruction at her home. It wasn�t that she couldn�t have cleaned up the mess herself. She was just hoping to have a little of her faith restored in humanity. Fortunately, she got Wallis on the phone. He had volunteered to manage the office that week. Wallis was at Francis� home in less than 15 minutes. "Being a good Republican, he drives up in his Mercedes with the standard casual Republican outfit of chinos and a Polo denim shirt," Francis laughs. "Here I am in my cut-up jeans and dangley earrings. It was a vision. It was beautiful. We chatted and had a lovely time." Wallis repaired the signs and actually drove them into the ground with a brick. He jokes that his hand trembled as he put in a sign for Al Gore, but he didn�t hesitate to try to make things right for Francis. "I told her I was sorry this happened," he said. "We aren�t that kind of people and everyone has a right to vote how they want. "I don�t hate Democrats. They are just people like me who want to vote one way and I want to vote another." Francis was so touched by Wallis� response she took him a bouquet of red and white carnations with an American flag tucked into it. She offered to put up any torn-down Republican signs. When the two talked and laughed about the incident this week, they couldn�t help but argue politics. Wallis insisted he was just showing what Gov. George Bush calls "compassionate conservatism." But Francis disputes that vociferously, as she does any of Wallis� political views: "There was nothing conservative in Ralph�s compassion." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.