The Vail Trail has a long piece on the Democrats' efforts to intimidate Republican voters in Colorado. Here are some excerpts:

The most starkly sinister anti-Bush messages are the large 4-by-8 foot torched and blackened Bush/Cheney sign that still stands near Wolcott, and the two back-to-back signs with their centers sawed out, located in Avon off the I-70 exit overlooking Wal-Mart.

Whether one sees the political mayhem going on hereabouts as an ominous attempt to suppress free speech, or as “harmless civil disobedience” to quote Vail Daily writer Matt Zalaznick, has been a hot topic in the county newspapers’ editorial pages.

But for some, the issue has become all too real.

Virginia Rose, an octogenarian who’s been a county resident for 27 years, likes to socialize with her friends at the Senior Center in Eagle where she’s been hearing some pretty disturbing talk lately.

“Somebody with a Bush bumper sticker had their car window broken out,” she says, “and now others are saying they’re afraid to have signs and stickers for Bush.”

The cars of Eagle-Vail resident Gunther Schmidt and his daughter had their Bush-Cheney bumper stickers scratched off, but he just stuck new ones right back on. Originally from Germany, Schmidt knows well the history of Hitler’s fascist movement and says the analogy fits.

“It starts kind of slow and easy with little things but can escalate into something more,” he comments. “I can see people being threatened by it, and becoming afraid that someone will do something to them. I thought we lived in a free country where you could express your opinion in a nonviolent way, without being punished for it.”

Schmidt advises standing firm and defying the attacks. “I would say to continue to show your support for whoever you are supporting – don’t give up because we can’t allow this country to go backwards.”

On the national level, the sign destruction has amped up into the trashing of Republican offices, physical attacks on Republicans, and even hails of bullets through the windows of campaign offices.

[Eagle County Bush-Cheney co-chair] Henri Stone got a powerful message that her views could be hazardous to her health when the couple returned home from a short trip to find the French doors to their bedroom shattered. Nothing was taken, indicating to the Stones that more menacing motives than larceny were at work.

“I wonder if this was a statement that we can come into your house and get you anytime,” she says. “We were only gone 24 hours, so somebody had to be watching the house.” Stone reported the break-in to the sheriff’s department, and says the incident won’t deter her from speaking out.

The article also tells the story of a local woman who spoke out against illegal immigration, but stopped after she got an email from La Raza which threatened to "come to my door and pay me a visit," and her daughter was threatened in school.

ONE MORE THING: It occurs to me that as this low-level violence becomes more and more prevalent, the Second Amendment will take on increasing importance.

Posted by John at 03:47 PM  |    |  

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/mt/mt-diespammers.cgi/8351

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Voter Intimidation in Colorado:

» More Violence from the Left from Unlearning College
Geez, how many does this make now? I lost count. Clearly, this violence... [Read More]

Tracked on October 24, 2004 04:05 PM

» A Call to Signs from Editors in Pajamas
There should be an asserted effort by supporters of the President to saturate their yards and windows THIS WEEK with signs in a show of strength and resolve. To show those who would try to intimidate us their efforts ARE in vain. [Read More]

Tracked on October 24, 2004 04:50 PM

» The Democrats' Vitriol Backfiring? from Dean's Journal
Update: Immediately after I posted this article, I looked at Powerline. They have two back-to-back stories on their site, which I believe are in a way linked. Their first story refers to their continued coverage of voter intimidation, this time in Co... [Read More]

Tracked on October 24, 2004 05:28 PM

» Endorsement from TacJammer
For those of you who may still be on the fence with regard to your selection of a candidate in this presidential election, I'm going to elucidate a few of the reasons I support the re-election of President George W.... [Read More]

Tracked on October 24, 2004 06:36 PM

» Sometimes It Sucks Being Right from Hold The Mayo
This story repeated on Powerline and many other similar stories I have read over the last few days only serves to confirm to me the unfortunate wisdom of my choice not to put up a Bush/Cheney sign.... [Read More]

Tracked on October 24, 2004 06:51 PM

» Leftist Indecency watch -- Escalation from Darleen's Place
Hindrocket of Powerline posts the latest and scariest report of voter intimidation in Colorado. Although, after reading the reports, that description is too mundane. These are terrorist threats (in the legal sense of California's Penal Code § 422*). H... [Read More]

Tracked on October 24, 2004 07:27 PM

» Name that trend from INCITE
First a rise in European antisemitism, now this. Sure, they don't seem related on the surface, but there's definitely a theme shared in common. [Read More]

Tracked on October 25, 2004 09:39 AM

» Promote your candidate the right way. from Election Hell
More sign vandalism with a side of threats in this rather lengthy article. (Source)(h/t Powerline) In my opinion sign vandalism is the dumbest way to express your dislike for a candidate. I can think of at least 3 other constructive... [Read More]

Tracked on October 25, 2004 07:56 PM

» Promote your candidate the right way. from Election Hell
More sign vandalism with a side of threats in this rather lengthy article. (Source)(h/t Powerline) In my opinion sign vandalism is the dumbest way to express your dislike for a candidate. I can think of at least 3 other constructive... [Read More]

Tracked on October 25, 2004 07:57 PM

» Eggs and Nasty Notes at my place from Blog Espen
Powerlineblog has an example from Colorado: http://powerlineblog.com/archives/008291.php Here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I ended up taking my Bush/Cheney yard sign down at night because of the incidents of eggs thrown at our car in the driveway and... [Read More]

Tracked on October 26, 2004 09:35 AM

» Eggs and Nasty Notes at my place from Blog Espen
Powerlineblog has an example from Colorado: http://powerlineblog.com/archives/008291.php Here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, I ended up taking my Bush/Cheney yard sign down at night because of the incidents of eggs thrown at our car in the driveway and... [Read More]

Tracked on October 26, 2004 09:36 AM

» One-Fingered Salute from LilacRose
This anti-Bush site apparently has the vapors because President Bush, when he was Governor of Texas, once used a naughty... [Read More]

Tracked on October 27, 2004 11:58 PM

» One-Fingered Salute from LilacRose
This anti-Bush site apparently has the vapors because President Bush, when he was Governor of Texas, once used a naughty... [Read More]

Tracked on October 28, 2004 03:46 PM

» online poker from online poker
In your free time, visit some information dedicated to online poker texas holdem phentermine [Read More]

Tracked on February 11, 2005 11:34 PM