Editorial: Hands off political signs

Whoever is running around Maumee pulling Harris-Walz campaign signs out of yards should cease and desist immediately.

Does this individual not know that webcams are everywhere?

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Already, a bald man in shorts is seen in several doorbell cameras pulling up campaign signs for the Democratic candidate for president.

WTVG-TV Channel 13 reported on it last week, focusing its report on a woman whose security cameras captured a recording of the individual taking signs.

Tara Ruby, a veteran of the U.S. military, deserves better than having her political campaign signs stolen out of her yard.

Video shows what appears to be a bald man wearing a T-shirt and shorts rip a yard sign supporting Kamala Harris right from under Ms. Ruby’s window.

In August, Ms. Ruby’s “Veterans for Harris” sign was removed from her yard in broad daylight. Security video showed the man walking across her sidewalk with the sign in his arms.

Ms. Ruby got a replacement sign, but on Thursday night, it appeared the same man came back to her house to steal the fresh sign.

“I did 20 years in the military, I served our country and it upsets me that my democracy is being taken away by someone stealing my signs,” Ms. Ruby said. “I have the right to show everyone who I stand behind and it’s not right for my ‘Veterans for Harris’ sign to be taken away from me.”

WTVG reported that Ms. Ruby wasn’t the only neighbor who was hit overnight. A handful of other community members living on the surrounding streets said their signs were also stolen.

Stealing yard signs is low-down political activity, like stealing signs in college football. It’s also illegal. We suspect Maumee police are already getting good intelligence about the individual boldly pulling up political signs that are legally posted in citizens’ yards.

That man may not like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, the Democratic candidates for president and vice president.

Stealing yard signs and then being shown doing so on video on the evening news not only is moronic politics but reflects on the presumed favored presidential ticket of the sign-taker.