An Eyesore Or A Sign Of Patriotism?

To the Editor:

Annual events sponsored by church, school, and local nonprofit organizations remind us that those who diligently serve our community need our support. Relay For Life, book sales, craft fairs, spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts, and church festivals are announced by signs, sandwich boards, and postings that are welcome reminders to all who see them, not only of the event but of the dedication of the organizations hosting the affair.

Every two years we are called together, as a community, to vote for who will be part of our local government. And so I wonder. In a community that embraces the age-old tradition of posting public service announcements, why does the use of standard yard signs to herald the approach of Election Day cause such animosity among the very citizenry it is intended to serve?

 To me, the daughter of a World War II vet and the aunt of a nephew who survived the September 11 attack on the Pentagon, these simple signs are no eyesore. They serve to remind me that what we have, as a nation, is a gift that has been purchased by generations of men and women who placed the needs of their country before their own. They remind me I need to prepare so that the choices I make on Election Day are informed choices that will strengthen the resolve of our commitment to inalienable rights and social justice. They remind me that it is the ballot cast by each individual that preserves our way of life.

Whether we saw signs posted in yards throughout our community, hanging from posts at local businesses, or decorating a building on Route 25, the intent was the same: to remind us that it would soon be our turn to answer the call to duty and vote.

Respectfully,

Karen C. Pierce

10 Chestnut Hill Road, Sandy Hook                     November 8, 2009