wow, it feels like i haven’t blogged in 39,589,503 years, since so much has happened in the news world. quitting facebook just means more doomscrolling on twitter for me, but at least i don’t have to look at the stupid stuff that people i know are posting. i can blissfully imagine they live the perfect lib/hippie life.

speaking of the lib/hippie life! my “be kind” sign was stolen last weekend, along with the biden signs from the two houses in my neighborhood that had them out in their yard. apparently being kind is a partisan, liberal viewpoint. go figure.

(i mean, i did figure that when i was totally nervous about sticking it out at the end of my driveway in the middle of trump country. but seriously, a rebuttal of “how can anyone be against kindness?!?!?” would always work with any kindness naysayers.)

anyway, my sign was stolen saturday night, and i was understandably annoyed! i actually spent money on my sign, unlike all those DT signs and flags that just get thrown off the trump train for anyone to display. so i decided to file a police complaint. i ended up emailing the avon PD general email address.

Hello!

I’m not sure if this is something you’d like reported or not, but I had a yard sign stolen last night (Saturday, Oct. 3-Sunday Oct. 3) at 15594 Parkwood Circle. Mine was rather non-political and only said “Be Kind”, but I did notice all the democratic candidate signs in my neighborhood are also missing.

Let me know if you need anything else or if there is something you recommend I do if I replace the sign.

Thank you!

Thank you for the email Kate.   Obviously this election season has been like no other.  {With that we have seen campaign sign theft at levels I have not seen in my almost 30 years.  It started out as even between the two parties to begin with but in recent weeks has tipped considerably to democratic signs being taken or vandalized.}  Regardless, with your sign, frankly I would suggest putting a new one up after November 3^rd.  If you are concerned it might be taken again you could always think about putting up a game camera close to the area and hope it captures an image of the thieves.

(bracketed section is my big takeaway from his email.)

what’s funny about his game camera recommendation was that that was my first thought when trying to catch thieves, and i thought, i bet that’s what’s recommended to me. and, it turns out, game cams are relatively cheap compared to the camera doorbell that i thought of for a useful, second option.

all that to say, i have two more signs coming to me in the mail.

while i wait, i’m trying to think of ways to deter theft. add a sticker that says “stealing isn’t kind”? cover the thing in spray glue and glitter so it’s gross and tacky? spray it with capsaicin? spray glue, glitter, AND capsaicin? actually get a camera out there to catch the thieves? take my sister’s advice and put a motion-activated screaming halloween thing in the tree above it?

or just let it be and let it speak for itself?

but really, if you need to steal a be kind sign to make you feel better about voting for your guy come november, maybe it’s time to reassess and take a look inward.