Lawn Sign Advice, SVP

I respect people with views that differ from mine (more so if they can support it a coherent argument), but as the old adage goes, "your rights ends where my nose begins."  I live in Little Rock, AR in a neigborhood with more BC04 signs than KE04 signs, but KE04 signs are being stolen.  I've seen one house place their sign inside their front window.  My apolitical wife is incensed and has asked me to pick up replacements for our neighbors (which I haven't met yet, but this will be the impetus for that).  I admit that I am a member of the population that believes this election is a critical juxture for our democracy, but I will not be intimidated or silenced whether I am in the majority or minority - nor should anyone for that matter.

My questions is this:

What kind of strategies can someone use to prevent lawn sign abuse or more appropriately, the desecration of private property?

BTW, AR can go KE04.  There population on a whole supports progressive policies and thus tends to still vote Democratic.  Like many other Americans, they are susceptible to "sky is falling" scare tactics of this administration.  We can win this!  Of note, the low income neighborhoods where my wife and I work are dotted with KE04 signs - no BC04.  Class warfare is a myth, right?

•  Lawn signs being stolen here,too.

  Here in North Carolina, KE signs are being stolen constantly.

  Some people have tacked ntoes to their signs stating "Thou shalt not steal."

  by silverbax on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 10:31:10 AM PDT

  •  I love that idea

    I was thinking of the First Amendment, but I think the Bible holds a bit more sway with this crowd! Where are you in NC? I'm in High Point and it's been quite a battle in some parts of town. I've taken to riding around with replacement signs in my car, kind of a one-woman rapid response team. So satisfying.

    by AngelinNC on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 10:54:22 AM PDT

    •  Winston-Salem

      I'm in Winston-Salem.

      by silverbax on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 02:28:33 PM PDT

•  use the Bible

  Attach a small note to each sign that has the 10 commandments on it.  Highlight "Thou Shalt Not Steal".  The wingnuts usually leave the signs alone after that...

  Good luck.

  by Hiram on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 10:33:19 AM PDT

•  car grease, pepper spray

  by jmelli on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 10:35:03 AM PDT

  •  tranny grease...

    ...is like velcro; it sticks to almost anything.

    by PanzerMensch on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 11:06:43 AM PDT

•  More signs

  I added a sign each time mine were stolen. I found 5 in the yard and one in the window to be critical mass. : ) Of course, my Bushie neighbors think I'm a complete lunatic, but they'll get over it. Of course, no Bush signs have been stolen, only Kerry and a particularly controversial school board member.

  by AngelinNC on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 10:52:19 AM PDT

•  Signs in Central PA stolen, including our

  I think our local GOP is getting desperate. I wrote up an explanation of what I think is going on here on the ground. My guess is voter registeration. Anyway, my son and his daddy made a new sign. I dare them to steal it.
  

  by Grassroots Mom on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 10:52:39 AM PDT

•  Lawn sign comeback

  In Philadelphia (West Mount Airy section), there is a large custom-made banner now hanging across the street that says,

  "You can steal our lawn signs, but we won't let you steal this election!"
  

  by JohnA on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 10:53:08 AM PDT

•  the in-laws

  My father-in-law, a staunch Fox News Republican, put up a makeshift Bush sign in front of our KE'04 sign last week. I was actually kinda glad it was him instead of any number of other people traipsing around our dead end dirt road. When we called him on it [and told him we appreciated the "joke"], he was unrepentant; "If you wanna vote for that sumbitch, go right ahead."

  by PanzerMensch on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 11:11:38 AM PDT

•  Ideas

  I was fearful of my sign being stolen, so I had a few ideas on how to stop it

  The only thing I actually did was put the sign in my yard about 10 feet back from the curb.  Thieves will have to tresspass to steal it.  It's still highly visible.

  Some ideas I have if this one gets stolen and I need to defend a new one

  1. surround it with dog poop.  Let the fools walk in my yard at night.

  2. tie a fishing line to it that runs to a bell in my house.  Keep a camera by the door.  If the bell rings in the night, jump up and run out taking pictures

  3. tie a string to a camera mounted in a tree.  Have it take the pictures.

  4. tie a string to some sort of loud alarm that will go off, or to the sprinkler system so it will go off, or to spot lights, or any thing like that.

  Personally I think the best would be to catch them on film, and then press charges.

  Other things I've seen is to just respond by increasing the size of and number of signs each time your's gets stolen.

  What's really annoying me lately is that all the people who had one Bush sign in their yards all seem to now have 2 Bush signs.  It's like they made more than they could find people to use, or they are getting desperate.

  by gdesignr on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 11:17:41 AM PDT

•  some advice

  my sign got stolen a while back and the community posted some great suggestions on what to do.   here is what worked (i got my stolen sign back).

  by anna on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 11:34:54 AM PDT

•  How 'bout this one...

  Put the fear of God in them, and give 'em a real shock. Electrify a sign like one would a security fence. High voltage could really raise their hair. But even a low voltage shock would do enough to perhaps "modify their behavior".

  Of course, I like the suggestions regarding the use of the 10 Commandments. In those cases a bit of theophany would always come in handy, and electrification would be a step towards that. However, one could get really creative with this: fog, flashing colored lights, thunder, the voice of God coming from speakers in the trees above... maybe trapdoors? ...masquarading as the Gates of Hell?.

  At the very least attach a small sign that reads "Sign from God". They'll make the connection real fast.

  by younggoodmanB on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 11:53:47 AM PDT

•  I live in a townhouse

  So I stuck two OBAMA signes in my windows - each facing a street.  This way I don't have to worry about someone complaining to the association about the signs and I can still counter that cop down the street with 4 W signs in his yard. :)

  by RAST on Mon Oct 11, 2004 at 11:53:49 AM PDT