For more than a month now, supporters of Proposition 1 have been defacing, damaging, and stealing signs posted by citizens in opposition to Prop 1 and ranked choice voting. Idaho GOP chairwoman Dorothy Moon called out this vandalism in her weekly column last month, offering a $5,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of anyone involved.
That first wave of vandalism in late September involved a dozen “No on Prop 1” signs stolen or defaced in the Treasure Valley, some of which had Nazi symbols spray painted on. Vandalism has continued — I drove past this one in east Boise a few weeks ago:
According to Benjamin Chafetz, chairman of the District 17 GOP and a State Senate candidate, signs were repeatedly stolen in south Boise. In response, he and fellow precinct committeeman Paul Lewer decided to take action by using various methods to monitor and track the signs.
On the night of October 16, a custom sign suggesting that Joseph Stalin would support Proposition 1 was stolen, and Chafetz and Lewer followed it to its destination. They knocked on the door, confronted the individuals involved, retrieved the sign, and then reported the theft to the police.
Chafetz told the Chronicle that the City of Boise had mistakenly removed some of the signs, for which it agreed to reimburse the owners. Despite this, other signs continued to be stolen from the same location.
Lewer told the Chronicle that after the first round of thefts, he used solid core wire to attach a new set of signs, figuring that would provide more security. Nevertheless, they were once again removed. He decided to set up another sign, but this time he staked out the location. He watched a woman drive up in a white pickup truck and begin removing signs, so he took pictures of the vehicle and called the police.
Lewer said that officers followed up on the tip and spoke to the woman at her house, and that the woman confessed but claimed it was a spur of the moment decision. She directed officers to a dumpster behind the Spirit Halloween store on the corner of Overland Rd. and Orchard St. Lewer visited the dumpster and found numerous signs — more than just those stolen that evening — buried under cardboard. He left them alone while sending evidence to police, but came back later and found them removed, presumably by the thief.
Lewer related another story about a neighbor of different PC who stole a sign on the PC’s property, and only returned it after being told he too was on camera.
It’s not just in the Treasure Valley though. A citizen sent a video to the Chronicle of an alleged thief removing Trump signs from a public area. The Cassia County Sheriff’s Department is pursuing the case.
What is it about this issue that is driving people to violence and lawlessness? Vandalizing and stealing campaign signs is a crime — offenders can face charges ranging from theft to trespassing, depending on the situation. While it may not be law enforcement’s highest priority, some of these individuals will inevitably be caught and could face fines or even criminal records, all because they were driven to a blind rage over words.
The larger issue here is freedom of speech. Do we have the right to express our views and advocate for causes we believe in without facing censorship or violence? Many who, if not personally tearing down signs, are at least cheering it on, would eagerly support Big Tech or even the federal government cracking down on our right to free speech.
When you go to the polls next week or on November 5 and vote no on Prop 1, you’re not only rejecting a Byzantine scheme to radically alter the way we elect our leaders in Idaho, but you’re also standing up for free speech and our right of conscience.
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About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
