I saw something curious in front of the Port Washington Post Office the other day. A “Trump-Vance 2024” yard sign was planted in front. Other signs were there, of course, for other candidates and community events, as there often are.
A Trump-Vance sign seemed unusual for the moderate posture of our community, but a plurality of opinions should be accepted and welcomed. Looking closer, however, revealed the threat. It was planted less than an inch in front of a Kim Keiserman for State Senate sign, completely blocking it from view.
That’s not free speech. That’s belligerence.
I know the frustration of yard sign advertising. I’ve hunted for fertile ground myself to promote community groups and events. You have to seek out spots that get a lot of eyeballs, preferably both in cars and on foot.
The corner by the post office is ideal for that. That’s why so many signs show up there, and coming to it late usually offers no room left. The temptation to block someone who’s already gotten there is considerable. Civilization is founded on resisting such temptations.
Jamming that sign in front of Ms. Keiserman’s is a declaration of disdain for our community. It is the bully stomping up and shoving our neighbors out of the way.
In this case, it is also a command to the woman to sit silently at the back of the room: “That’s enough, little Miss. Your voice doesn’t count.” The act is a familiar projection of the Trump-Vance campaign ethos of cartoon swagger and virulent misogyny. It’s easy enough to recognize and dismiss as pettiness. Seeing what’s behind those signs demands a closer look.
Signs for other Republican candidates are more prominent around here. You see the names Mike LiPetri, Jack Martins, and Daniel Norber on nearly every prominent corner of our town. Those signs are rarely so bold as to deliberately block those of their opponents, Tom Suozzi, Kim Keiserman, and Gina Sillitti, and yet they back the ticket that does.
The Grand Old Party of today is building a wall of Trumpy totalitarianism: an assertion of what Donald Trump calls “extreme power” that recognizes no limits to its authority. GOP candidates are happy to hide behind this brand but they share responsibility for all the toxicity that oozes from the top.
Silencing opposition. Silencing women. Punishing the communities like ours that seek a government of shared respect. Stomping into our public square and jamming their will into the ground.
Their standard-bearer has said as much in recent days, calling retired Marine General and his own ex-Chief of Staff John Kelly a “lowlife,” convicted anti-election rioters “patriots,” and his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris a “sh*t Vice President.”
The contempt for basic human decency is clear. That’s Donald Trump, JD Vance, Mike LiPetri, Jack Martins, and Daniel Norber. The stain of belligerence runs through them all.
That “Trump-Vance 2024” sign didn’t last long. I don’t know what happened to it. In one way or another, the community rejected it. I hope it wasn’t an effort – by either side – to just put Trumpism out of sight.
What that sign stood for will be up for a vote on November 5th and it must be ripped out of the ground at the ballot box. Voters need to see the warning signs and reject Trump along with all who stand silently behind him.
Douglas Parker
Port Washington
