NewsLiam Duff - NDP candidate's response to the sign tear down issue.
Liam Duff – NDP candidate's response to the sign tear down issue.
We are of course completely opposed to this vandalism and we do not participate in any such acts. We believe that the vandalism of signs, though perhaps directed at the candidates and party's affected, is really an act of vandalism against our democratic system and show immaturity and utter contempt for the residents of this riding. We all have the right to be informed of who is running for elected office and to make up our own minds without the influence of crass and aggressive attempts to intimidate voters or silence candidates.
These 'sign wars' are unfortunately a sad reflection of the bitter partisan politics which have come to dominate our political culture of late, where the discussion of ideas and values has been replaced by attack ads, wedge issues, spin and branding, turning voters into fans who support one "team" and dismiss out of hand the ideas and supporters of other parties.
The flip side of these 'sign wars' which also deserves comment is the increasing sign pollution that accompanies elections nowadays where parties will erect 25 signs at a single intersection. At this point signs are no longer playing an informative role but are trying to crowd out other voices. When you consider the environmental impacts and resources consumed to litter the riding with thousands of plastic signs, distributed by cars, which become obsolete within a few weeks of manufacture, it makes you wonder if the time and energy couldn't be spent on more important things, such as supporting community services or perhaps picking up some of the plastic already littering our roadsides?
