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On Monday night, a sign advertising the
Rappahannock County Democratic Party’s
Independence Day celebration was vandalized, painted over with the dripping red message “God Bless Prez Bush.”
Painting over that sign was stupid. It furthered nothing, it responded to nothing and made nobody better. Its artist belongs in the same category as Fred Phelps, the Kansas Pastor who pickets the funerals of gay people at the head of a mob screaming profanity, or the animal rights activists who stalk fur coats with their buckets of paint. These extremists don’t believe that other people can have a valid viewpoint the opposite of their own. They don’t respect people that do not agree with them. This is a mistake.
Before the sign was altered, it read “Everybody Welcome” in large letters, so presumably, if the grafitti ariist had a craving for hot dogs, he or she could have attended the celebration and discussed his or her views on “Prez Bush” with the democrats, who admittedly might not have been in complete political agreement with the vandal. However, there would have been a sharing of views, a meeting of the minds, an exchange of knowledge, all of which would lead to greater understanding for the painter and victims.
Instead, there was no discussion, just a lot of sloppy painting.
Empty catch phrases, shouted slogans, and criminal vandalism don’t further a worthy cause. Only knowledge and the willingness to respect those you disagree with enough to engage them in discussion can spread mutual understanding. America is growing increasingly reaetionary and partisan and red paint can’t fix that.
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