I don't live in the house in the picture. I rent a house that is on the same lot, but in back of the house in the picture. My house is not visible to the street. A friend of mine, albeit, a very liberal democrat, whom I except from all accustations I make here, rented the front house. I couldn't put the sign up in front of his house because it was considered his property and it wasn't ok to do so, so I put the sign in front of my place. He moved out a short time ago and a very nice woman, and her young son, moved in shortly thereafter. While they were moving in, the woman's mother told me that she and her daughter were big supporters of President Bush and that I should move my sign in front of their house so it could be seen from the street. I graciously said I would, but because of a little laziness, and worry that someone might attack their house and my sign, I didn't do it right away. But since the election is only days away, I decided that I would put the sign up this morning (Friday 10/29). I put it up at 9:00 am (the Halloween decorations belongs to my new neighbor). I took the picture to send to my friend who used to live there, to tell him "there goes the neighborhood." It was there when I got home from work this evening. It was there at 9:30 when I left for a Halloween party.
Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. I when I returned from the party at 1:15 a.m. the sign was gone. It almost made it 24 hours. I know that someone took it. Its safe to say that the person, or persons who were involved in this theft aren't Republicans or Democrats who support Bush. They aren't even live and let live Democrats like my friend who I described earlier. They are fascists. They are probably communists as well and they can't stand another person holding a view other than theirs. They must intimidate. They must try to suppress all speech that they don't approve of. They will go to no end to make sure that the "other side" isn't heard. They aren't "open-minded." They aren't "tolerant." Hell, they're probably college kids (Santa Clara University is blocks away). They are un-American. They are un-Patriotic. They are against this country. They are against what this country stands for. I don't have any problem saying these things. Who does such a thing? What American would be proud to say that "Yes, I suppressed another's free spech?" None that I know. None that I want to know. None that I want to live another minute in this country.
The remarkable thing is that I was telling a guy at the party tonight that I've had a Bush sticker on my car for months and have experienced no troubles. I have heard of harassment and other difficulties with rabinous anti-Bush (anti-American President) people from the radio and the internet, but I was rather surprised that nothing like that had happened to me. I was confident that the people in the Silicon Valley were much more tolerant of other views, or even just didn't care. That has all changed. I'm not sure I can put up another sign, I don't have a replacement and it may take too long to get one. I just know one thing. Were I to run into the person who did this: if I could somehow find out who did this thing to me, I would have no moral dilema inflicting pain upon them. I would consider it my patriotic duty.
I can picture a new sign going up: "Democrat-Nazi-Fascists: Beware of Patriot"
