Obama Sign Vandalized With KKK Reference
By Earl Neikirk/Bristol Herald Courier
Chris Johnson stands in front of his vandalized “Vote Obama” sign, he and his stepson had painted, on Friday, Sept. 26, 2008 in Abingdon, Va.
Published: September 27, 2008
Updated: October 14, 2008
If You Saw Something
Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman said a reward could be offered in this case. He asks that anyone who saw anything suspicious near Briarwood Lane and U.S. Highway 19 overnight Thursday or early Friday call (276) 676-6000 or (276) 676-6277.
Abingdon attorney Chris Johnson, a political independent, said he had never promoted a presidential candidate until he was inspired by Democrat Barack Obama. So Johnson and his 8-year-old stepson painted a “Vote Obama” sign about three weeks ago.
The 2-foot-by-4-foot, blue-on-white handmade sign – a lesson in civics and participation for the elementary schoolboy – was visible to motorists on U.S. Highway 19 and Briarwood Lane in Washington County.
Someone took two cans of spray-paint to the sign late Thursday or early Friday, covering up the word “Vote” and the letter “O” in Obama’s last name with black paint and adding “KKK” twice in white and the word “kill” in black above Obama’s name.
“We are both heartbroken,” said Johnson, 31.
Washington County Sheriff Fred Newman said his agency was investigating and would notify the U.S. Secret Service in Roanoke. An agent there said the Secret Service does not comment on any investigations but would follow up with local authorities.
“We’re taking it very seriously, irrespective of presidential candidates or not,” Newman said. “Any matters of vandalism we take seriously. We have the right to express our views toward our political candidates, but to have someone vandalize a sign is obviously a criminal act, and we’ll do our best to find the perpetrator.
“A good deterrent is to obviously locate the individual and charge him and let him know this won’t be tolerated,” Newman said.
An Abingdon town official, who asked that her name not be used, said she saw two vehicles sporting official Ku Klux Klan flags on Sept. 19, the same day that Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden visited Southwest Virginia.
A “white stretch limo” and a white Lincoln – both flying red KKK flags – turned off Main Street onto U.S. Highway 19, she said.
There were no public KKK rallies in Southwest Virginia that day, nor have there been in recent memory.
Johnson was taking his stepson to school early Friday when he caught a glimpse of the vandalism out of the corner of his eye and said, “Oh my gosh.” His stepson looked up and read the words, too.
“I just saw the terror in his eyes,” said Johnson, who asked that his family members not be named.
He and his wife had heard Obama speak earlier this summer in Bristol, Va. When the Democrat visited Lebanon, Va., on Sept. 9, Johnson, his wife and the 8-year-old were there, too.
That’s about the time the sign went up.
“It’s disgusting, a real shame,” Johnson said. “My stepson and I were shocked. We made this sign together trying to teach him something about civics and involvement in the process and this is what we get this morning when we wake up. It’s so upsetting and angering.”
Johnson, a criminal defense attorney, said he is a staunch defender of the First Amendment and noted he represents the 11 protesters charged with trespassing last week on the Wise County site where Dominion Virginia Power will build a $1.8 billion coal-fired plant.
“If you disagree with Obama and what he says in terms of his platform and agenda, that’s fine,” Johnson said. “If you hate my sign because you hate black people, that’s fine. People are free to be ignorant and stupid. If you go out and destroy signs in the middle of the night, you’re an ignorant coward.
“It’s a blight on our whole community.”
| (276) 645-2513
Staff writer Debra McCown helped report this story from Abingdon.
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Reader Reactions
If ‘G.O.D.‘ really does exist he would have ‘smote’ ole Tommy Jefferson for raping Sallie Hemmings….mulitple times. Ole Tommy, like all politicians, knows there is no god so they don’t worry about paying for their raping of the American People. You all must come to terms with the fact that man is just another animal on this planet. No better and no worse than the snakes that crawl at our feet.
I don’t care for either of the duopoly candidates.Stupid is as stupid does. Pathetic, juvenile, racist. He/they were trespassing & vandalizing private property & infringing the FREE speech of the owner. Justice for them.
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that His justice cannot sleep forever.“ - Thomas Jefferson
Stupidity is stupidity, regardless of socioeconomic class, race, creed, or gener. Hate is learned, not born, and ignorance is the same way. Those who run around vandalizing posters with symbols of hate are those who are truly ignorant and stupid. They want to bring others DOWN to their level because they refuse to acknowledge others who are more intelligent than they are or could ever hope to be. The key is EDUCATION, of the mind, body, and soul. To remain ignorant is to encourage and spread hate.
Funny, I was always taught that one cannot preach that they espouse religious beliefs on one hand, yet spread bigotry on the other. Last time I looked, one is not a synonym for the other. In fact, last time I looked, it was, in fact, being a hypocrite.
I disagree with those of you who don’t think this story deserves attention. I am glad to see this story reported. I have been astounded recently to hear many people claim that southern Virginia isn’t any more racist than other parts of the country. However, it has only been in the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina that I have ever heard educated people casually using the “N”-word, talking about “those people”, assuming that all people present are okay with that kind of sentiment. A local historian, Gary Walker, who denies the horror of slavery, was even allowed to peddle his repulsive children’s book recently on the lawn of the Fields-Penn 1860 House Museum in Abingdon without public outcry. Racism is alive and thriving in our area. Ignoring the ignorant and violent tendencies of our neighbors legitimizes their actions.
Yes I was reading about people talking about the behavior of these children. How do you reckon we got to this point as a society? I have one or two reasons. First of all the reason I believe these children are running a mock is because these children are being left at home alone unsupervised. I for work part-time while my children are at school and I am home when they get home and do not work weekends. I believe if we want children that they should be our first priority other than God. I understand if there are single parents out there that have to, but if you are not one of these you should put your children first not all that you can obtain in this greedy world already. There are two reasons America is failing and if these smart so called educated people would study history and their bibles they would know. It says when a nation fails God and promotes all wickedness it would fail. Wake up people!!!! one of the first reason we failed is when we took God out of our schools and these children did not learn God’s law… Love one another, do not steal, do not kill, etc. we would not have these children that you call punks running around now would we?
Seeing people do that to a sign, is the obvious fact that retarted people still live in our area. I am a lower middle class white man, and all of my friends are poor as well, and as the election gets closer, I don’t see any of them voting for Obama due to the fact he is black. Most people I know think he is a muslim terrorist. All I can tell people is take a second and read, get off the liquor and weed, come off of your 1800’s soap box, and try to educated your self, but sometime I guess you have to blame the whole family. People that think this way, I am sure thier whole family is a bunch of idiots sitting on a stump yelling “by god I will be damned if a negro takes office, boys get out there and shoe em who runs the south” Some may laugh at this, some may get pissed because I said negro in this, but the truth is the truth. McCain is white, and that is all that matters to some of these dumb people that live among us. But it goes to show the ignorance of history as well, they do not even understand why white people started hating African’s. It has nothing to do with the civil rights movement,MLK JR. or the riots in the cities. So read up you fools, your hate is all in the wrong place, and if your family thinks like you, do us a favor, jump off a bridge, not a small one, but a large one, with a highway under it, not a river.
I would like to respond to jules1962. You speak of children who are raised to hate and kill I see this in both races. I have heard music about killing cops, killing each other over who’s corner is who’s, drugs etc… The only difference is one gets paid for it, Once again double standards.
yes i would like to add to my earlier comment. I did want to say it is up to the person who they campaign for we all should have that right. I know what the kids wrote on the sign is disturbing and uncalled for. Remember what I was talking about double standards before? I ride in traffic everyday and read many bumper stickers calling people in government Idiot, baby killers.And that is one that really gets me you call our military people baby killers but yet you want to elect men that allow women to kill everyday. You all are nothing but self- serving hypocrites. So don’t act so appalled by peoples behavior when you help promote it.
The irony here is that the people that do this kind of cowardly act also question other people’s patriotism on something as stupid as flag pin. One would hope that something as ignorant as racism would be more or less obsolete this day and time.Sadly, this is not the case.
I see political signs that I don’t agree with all of the time, but I would never vandalize or damage someone else’s property. I am proud to live in a democracy where we have the electoral process. While the process is far from perfect, it is exceptional compared to most of the world. One would hope that other people would think about this before they react by doing something so irrational.
As far as hate groups like the KKK, I hate to lump them all in one group and stereotype them but they are uneducated,ignorant,and basically very low class. I would think that it would be hard to find one member with a decent education or average or above i.q.Hopefully these people will be exposed for the dregs of society that they are.
This country needs to change from the status quo politics of old. Our country needs to better it’s reputation in the world. Hopefully,this will happen in January 2009.
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