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Posted: Jul 15, 2020 1:36 PMUpdated: Jul 15, 2020 2:32 PM

Crafted Biden Sign Vandalized in Bartlesville

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Garrett Giles

A sign made by a local Bartian that showed her support for former Vice President Joe Biden's run for president was vandalized over the weekend.

Laura Stanfill and her husband live in the 4000 Block of Tuxedo Boulevard in Bartlesville, and Laura said they were home when someone came into their yard in the night to stomp and destroy their sign supporting Biden. Laura said she felt as if the act was disrespectful.

All individuals like Laura have beliefs. Laura put her sign in her yard to express her beliefs; she wanted to make a statement. However, someone else wanted to make a statement by putting their foot through the middle of her sign.

Everyone should exercise their first amendment right as they see fit and vote their conscience.  Laura believes this, but she also thinks respecting others needs to be strongly promoted in the current social climate of America. She said she is disappointed but not surprised by what occurred.

Laura went on to say that she would like to think the action was a juvenile prank and not malicious. She said she hopes this situation will help educate those who may not be aware of the criminality and disrespectful nature of their actions. She said it was disrespectful, not just toward her or the candidate she choose to support, but to the Constitution the suspect probably thinks they were protecting.

There are other ways to express one's self. Laura said voting is probably the best way to express one's opinion. She said she wanted to put out her sign to encourage people to vote, especially when the General Election rolls around in November.

Joking, Laura said the ultimate justice in this situation would be for Biden to be elected as President of the United States of America. But on a more serious note, Laura said she hopes the individual that stepped on her sign would come to realize that there is always another side; that respecting other people's rights and opinions is important. She said she hopes that the man or woman that vandalized her sign will exercise their right to vote.

The peaceful passing of power every four or eight years in America is what makes America great in Laura's eyes. Laura has never been politically active in the past, but for some reason she felt a need to express her opinion. She said there are good people on both sides of the aisle, and there are bad people. Regardless, Laura said she understands the anger and frustration in our nation today, but that we need to be better at exercising and educating others about good citizenship.

Somehow we are missing the mark when it comes to practicing good citizenship. That is the lesson that Laura wants everyone to learn. She said we can all be better American citizens.

There is optimism as well. Laura said they believe the sign will be fixed and back in the yard by Thursday.

Before the Biden sign was vandalized, Laura's sign had been out since President Trump's rally in Tulsa in mid-June. Laura said she believes the incident occurred late on Friday night or in the early morning hours on Saturday when she was at home with her husband. She said she saw an individual passing by their home on Friday evening after they returned home from the grand opening of Tower Center at Unity Square, but she does not know if that was the person that destroyed their sign or not.

Pictured below is the Biden sign before and after it was vandalized. A footprint can be seen in the middle of the sign in the picture to the left.

 


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