KERRY SUPPORTERS IN DULUTH VANDALIZE VETERAN'S BUSH LAWN SIGNS

Pro-Bush yard signs draws protests in heavily Democratic Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) It's tough being a Republican in heavily Democratic Duluth, but Robert James isn't about to hide his politics.

The Gulf War veteran said he will ignore a request from the city that he take down two large, hand-painted political signs supporting President Bush's re-election. Cindy Hall, the city zoning coordinator and the person responsible for enforcing sign ordinances, said James' signs violate an ordinance that limits the size of political signs.

It says political signs must not be larger than 6 square feet. James painted his signs on 4-by-8-foot sheets of plywood, making each of them 32 square feet."I'm not taking them down,'' James, 41, said Wednesday, standing in his yard beside the signs reading "Welcome to Bush country'' and "Four more years.''

The signs have endured flying eggs, firecrackers, spray paint and even a bashing by those who don't agree with their messages. Dried egg yolk still marks one sign. So James said the last thing to take them out will be a city bureaucrat. "It's my property. Nobody paid for the signs, no campaign funds have been used for them. They're staying right where they are,'' he said. "This is a First Amendment right of political expression.''

City Attorney Bryan Brown essentially agreed with James, saying the city's ordinance is probably obsolete, unenforceable and unconstitutional."It's very unlikely that this sign is in violation of the law of the land,'' he said. "Federal law guarantees freedom of political expression, and the federal standard is the law of the land.''

City Council President James Stauber said he was disheartened that the city even sent a letter urging James to take down his sign."Mr. James has routinely displayed a number of patriotic signs and flags over the years. I think Mr. James is probably one of the greatest patriots we have in the entire city of Duluth _ a true American,'' said Stauber, also a Republican.

Stauber said he's enjoyed James' displays, especially those supporting troops at war."I think that there is just a handful of people in town that suddenly, because of his expression, thought they should squelch anything he should say or express, and clearly that would be a violation of his First Amendment rights to do that,'' Stauber said.

Ann Peterson, 17, of Two Harbors, and her visiting friend, Naomi Hoffmeyer, 16, of Harrisonburg, Va., staged a minor protest Wednesday in front of James' house with their own signs showing support for Bush's Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. John Kerry.

The teens and Ann's mother, Judy Peterson, said they didn't know the city had asked James to remove his signs, but they had grown weary of looking at them as they travel London Road regularly."We were just so sick of it _ we couldn't look at this crap anymore,'' Ann Peterson said.The pro-Kerry protest triggered a counterprotest across the street.

Laurie Thompson and her four children _ ages 7, 9, 10 and 12 _ held Bush signs, chanting, "Four more years.''Cars and trucks passing by seemed to be honking alternately for Kerry and for Bush.Thompson was pleased her children were showing support for the president, even though none was even close to voting age.

"I think it's good for them to learn young, so that when they are older they will know that they can have a voice in our government,'' she said.If nothing else, James' signs are achieving one thing: "It gets people thinking,'' he said.

Source: Associated Press/Duluth-News Tribune, August 26, 2004