I know that I said I would avoid talking politics in my writings but damn it, I’ve just about had enough. There is so much one person can take with all that is going on. Do you think I’m talking about the Presidential election? No, I’m talking about all these election signs covering people’s lawns and lining all the streets where I live. Does having a yard sign really make someone decide how they will vote? I guess I should be worried about the future of our country if it does.
“Martha, our neighbor just put up 24 yard signs supporting John Doe for Congress. I know nothing of this John Doe guy and none of the signs are helping fill the void of knowledge I have concerning this guy who wants to shape my future in Congress. I guess I’ll be voting for him because I like the colors on his sign and the letters are really big.”
Really, does a 18” by 24” piece of cardboard really help get people elected? I don’t think so. It is just a sign of support by someone who has made up their mind already and is happy to tell the world about it. The signs went up months ago and besides covering the person’s yard, they are starting to look tattered. Guess he should have shut down the sprinklers for a while. The lack of water might starve the weeds that normally dominate his yard and that will help improve his curb appeal once the signs come down…8 months after the election is over. Did I tell you I hate yard signs?
The amount of political signs popping up in a community depends on the laws set by those local municipalities. I have moved several times in the past 20 years and the rules on signage are quite different in each city. One community has no limit on signs and, as you drive through it, there is no empty space on any fence near a street corner. It is so bad, it is hard to tell what the signs say. First, most of them are red, white and blue and tend to blend into each other. Second, they are overlapping and it is hard to read the candidates’ name properly. I once went into the voting booth ready to vote for John Martha Ramirez O’Donnell Smith Jones. I thought that was one guy. Turns out that was all the candidates for a certain city council seat and I had to choose two. The slogan “Vote for our future” was the same over and over so I just assumed it was one person.
I have a theory that these political yard signs are actual living things. It always starts as one sign, then begins to multiply. Kind of like Tribbles (for those of you who have never seen the classic Star Trek episode, look it up on you tube…and may God have mercy on your souls). I go to sleep one night and the next morning, one sign has turned into three. The next morning, into six signs and so on. As the signs mount, the grass recedes due to the lack of sun reaching the lawn.
The community I now live in does have strict restrictions on how many yard signs you may display in your yard…and the people ignore them. So the guy with “Law and Order” as his slogan is starting out on the wrong foot.
Since we are already talking about politics, I have a few words to say about the commercials that have clogged my television screen. I realize it is a freedom of speech thing, but how many times must I see the same commercial for or against a certain ballot issue. When they talk about how much money is being spent on “Ad Buys,” they don’t mean multiple commercials promoting a certain issue, they mean running the one ad they created over and over again until I want to scream. It has been going on for months. Do they have this problem in dictatorships? We may find out soon.
The commercials for and against candidates are another thing. One minute I’m watching a commercial for a candidate showing how thoughtful they are, talking to firemen and policemen or helping distribute food at a homeless shelter. The next commercial is showing the same candidate and there is always a splash a red across their picture as if they are the devil. We are being told by an announcer with a really scary voice that, said candidate, will eat our children if elected. This is followed by two commercials about the competing candidate with the same M.O. When it’s done, my brain hurts. I think the scary voice guy used to warn us about the first candidate is the same voice used in the commercial berating the opposing candidate. Hey, I guess voice actors need to make a living during a pandemic.
Thank goodness it will all be over tomorrow. I have some concerns about that. If it wasn’t for all those political commercials, I think many of the television stations and networks would have gone out of business because of the deepening recession caused by the pandemic. I guess we’ll get back to feminine hygiene product commercials. Not sure, that may be even worse. At least they’re not telling me the world is going to end if I don’t buy their product.
Wait, I just looked at the calendar and it’s the beginning of November. The traditional beginning of the Christmas season and endless Christmas commercials for two months. I just saw one where the guy with the scary voice told me I better buy a diamond, tennis bracelet for my wife. Yes sir, Santa.
©2020 BBRiley.net
bbriley.net 