file photo by Boyd Loving
I have just sent the following email to the Village Council:
“Dear Members of the Village Council:
I have just filed a police report, with Officer D’Amico, concerning the theft of the pro Parking Garage sign from the front of our house. At least seven other signs from our immediate neighborhood were also stolen.
Putting up a sign expressing my views on a political matter is protected as free speech under the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Whoever stole my sign is trampling on my Constitutional rights, and I will do what I can to see that he/she is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Ridgewood politics continues its descent to a new abyss. Richard Nixon must be looking up, from wherever he is, with a big smile on his face: Dirty tricks are alive and well!
Thank you
Rurik Halaby”
Just call your friend the Mayor he has a few thousand at his house.Im sure he would be glad to replace yours.
Maybe the person or persons were from the organization that provided the signs and thought they were doing you a favor by removing them. The vote is taking place tomorrow and they won’t be needed anymore. Maybe the persons who took them away are too busy during the week , after Tuesday, to take the signs away,
Sign Makers love this stuff, it keeps them busy.
What a whiner!
maybe kids took your sign as a Halloween prank
Given that only certain signs were removed it was quite clearly deliberate. My sign was one of them. I am carefully reviewing my security camera footage and that of my neighbors in hopes of identifying the person who did this.
As Americans we should all be concerned when someone dares to trample on our rights like this. It is very sad that the political dialogue on this issue has become so personal and nasty but it is infinitely worse when others take it upon themselves to trample on the rights of their fellow citizens.
Did anyone realize that it was halloween on Sat night and some kids might have been pranking? Doesn’t make it right, but it certainly doesn’t mean someone was harming your constitutional rights, Mr. Halaby.
Mommy someone stole my sign!
Brian, why don’t you and Rurik just go vote tomorrow and then go home for some warm milk and a nice nap. You’ll feel better.
Seriously, someone is complaining their sign was taken over the Halloween weekend and equating it to a violation of Constitutional rights???
While it might be distasteful to us as adults, stealing signs, smashing pumpkins, throwing toilet paper are rights of passage in a town like ours at Halloween time. We shouldn’t condone it. The offender might be caught and punished. But, with everything going on, do really need the Village Council or our Police Department to investigate?
What was it Governor Christie said about priorities in response to an inane question at the last Presidential debate? Let’s get real.
These obnoxious signs have littered Ridgewood for the past several weeks without incident. Does anyone really think there was a conspiracy afoot to steal the signs on Halloween?. Although, perhaps it was the ghost of Dick Nixon that is responsible for their disappearance . . almost as sinister as the 18 minute gap in the Watergate tapes.
Please – – this is why the discourse has drifted to such a low level. The issue is the future of our Village, not some damn signs on your front yard.
I’ve worked on plenty of campaigns and it is always temping to tamper with the signs of your opponent. To me that is a line I won’t cross and would never let anyone I was working with cross. And to do so on private property is really crossing the line because you are interfering with an individual’s right to free speech.
I believe in Democracy and the First Amendment way more than I care about any candidate or certainly a stupid parking garage. If we lose our souls as Americans it wont matter how many parking lots are built. We can disagree, debate, discuss and vote. But we should all be outraged when campaigns cross the line and cease to respect the democratic process. The men and women who died for our freedom deserve better, hard working Americans deserve better and our children deserve better.
I hear that there are a few extras available on Gail Price’s lawn.
“Vote Yes on the Parking Matter” Is that going to be the chant
VOTE NO!
Oh Brother – Someone stole a sign off your lawn. Why don’t you cry for sympathy to Councilman Sedon. Someone in favor of this monstrosity got him fired before the last election. Booo Hoooo.
A lot of RHS Graduate Tribute signs were stolen at the beginning of the summer. Many were found on Maple field. Have you looked there?
Warm milk and a nice nap sounds GREAT.