Sign Thefts Bring Calls for Civility
A sign opposing Amendment One at the corner of Broad Street and Connecticut Avenue
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Representatives on both sides of the proposed Amendment One issue are calling for cooler heads to prevail as the May 8 primary approaches.
Southern Pines resident Rob Deucher said he is telling fellow local supporters of Amendment One to be civil as the the primary nears.
“We are trying to get the issue talked about,” Deucher said.
Opponents of Amendment One are taking a similar stand.
The calls for civility strengthened late this week after Pinehurst police on Wednesday charged a West End woman with stealing political signs opposing Amendment One and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Heidi Smith Thompson, 44, of Maplewood Lane, appeared before a magistrate Wednesday and was released. Her first court appearance is May 24.
Attempts to reach Thompson for comment were unsuccessful by deadline.
The Amendment One measure on the May 8 primary ballot would change the North Carolina Constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman only and declare it as the only valid union in North Carolina.
Police said Thompson admitted to taking three signs on April 18 after an individual observed her take them from an area near the intersection of Morganton Road and N.C. 5 and reported the act to authorities.
Pinehurst police have said the theft of political signs is common, but this is the first time they have brought charges against an individual.
Stealing, vandalizing, defacing or unlawfully removing a lawfully placed political sign in North Carolina is a Class 3 misdemeanor. The maximum punishment is 20 days in jail. Fines for Class 3 misdemeanor convictions can be as high as $200.
“It is a very unfortunate situation,” said anti-Amendment One supporter Michael Edwards. “But it has generated a tremendous amount of discussion and I think that is healthy.”
Earlier this week, a representative from St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Southern Pines reported someone came on church property and removed and vandalized signs. The most recent incident happened over the weekend.
Diana Wake, the church secretary who reported the incident, said eight signs were stolen and another damaged.
“Somebody wadded up one sign and placed it in the gutter,” Wake said.
She said someone is also picking up signs and laying them on the ground, or placing other signs to obscure the pro-Amendment One signs.
Wake said she thought that the charges in Pinehurst may help curb shenanigans from now until Election Day.
“I think it has probably put a lot of people in check, because they are saying, ‘I don’t want that to happen to me.’ It is a good thing this is all going to be over on Tuesday,” she said.
Deucher said he has had so many signs stolen on Broad Street in Southern Pines that “it isn’t even worth replacing them.”
Deucher said he was even stopped by Pinehurst Police at 4 a.m. when he was putting out some political signs before going to work. He said he allowed police to search his car.
In an email Deucher sent to supporters dated April 26, he outlined his position clearly.
“In particular, we commit ourselves to the First Amendment right of freedom of expression by not condoning anyone from removing or desecrating signage against the Marriage Amendment.”
The email was prompted, Deucher said, by a discussion with Moore County District Attorney Maureen Krueger, that urged political leaders to reach out to their supporters and urge them to support everyone’s First Amendment rights, and not break the law.
Deucher also hopes that everyone will remain calm at the polls.
“We don’t want to see the worst of humanity,” he said.
Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or tembrey@thepilot.com.
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Comments
Courseaire 1 year ago
"We have seen the worst of humanity and it is me" Author unknown
Courseaire 1 year ago
"We have seen the wurst of humanity and we prefer it smoked" Jimmy Dean
RmeMP 1 year ago
Whichever way this vote ends up going, I will be glad - glad that it will be over, and glad that every other story in the pilot can be devoted to something else.
But, then again, there will be appeals.... ARGH
teufelhunden 1 year ago
RmeMP-I totally agree. ARGHHHH
phstresident 1 year ago
I for one will be glad when this upcoming vote is over and all the rhetoric will die down hopefully. Regardless of which side people are on, you are all entitled to your opinions and free to vote however you want. I bet this will be the highest voter turnout ever for a May primary ballot!
katimae 1 year ago
I feel a little more confident that my AGAINST signs are safe until after the primary. Thank you Pinehurst Police department for following through on the information you received! It has been quite a whirlwind week for this debate. I am happy to remain civil in expressing my opinion, but I won't stop expressing it! Now is the crunch time - make calls, talk to your friends, get the vote out! Don't let this amendment become law because you were too lazy or busy to get to the polls and vote against it!
clarabelle 1 year ago
I always have to smile a bit when I read how people are so tired of a certain topic yet read every post!
proudHUSBAND 1 year ago
Its funny how the type of signs that were taken down from the Catholic Church and destroyed are never mentioned in this article. It looks like more people are doing this but it takes an act against the gay society to draw publicy!! Everyone is entitled to there own vote and I dont think taking three signs up is going to change your vote if you have any kind of convictions whatsever!!
Tom_Embrey 1 year ago
@proud Husband - stated that they are pro-Amendment one signs. And to reiterate again, the original story was written because charges were brought against someone who was observed stealing signs. It would have been written if those signs were pro-Amendment One, or for any particular candidate. As I have done before, I will extend you and your wife the opportunity to talk about the issue. All you have to do is get back to me.
Courseaire 1 year ago
So proudHUSBAND, you admit your wife is in a heap of trouble for nothing. Bet ya'll wish you'd thought about it a little more before acting.
clarabelle 1 year ago
seems "proudHUSBAND" has little to be proud of.
ThinkingMan 1 year ago
Interesting choice of pics for a leading story calling for civility from both sides. Not one sided at all.......
clarabelle 1 year ago
I wonder if you really believe these signs - or pictures" of these signs has any real bearing on the outcome of this vote.
fugitiveguy 1 year ago
"Interesting choice of pics for a leading story calling for civility from both sides. Not one sided at all......."
I'm with you but at least its not another picture of the guy with a bandaid on his ear
lakeview 1 year ago
RmeMP- I agree but I get the feeling that if this vote goes against the people "against" this amendment", we will never hear the end of it.
katimae 1 year ago
No, lakeview, you won't. Sometimes justice takes a while. If the amendment gets approved, a strong population will continue to fight against it.
HeelsHoopFan 1 year ago
There have been plenty of calls to various law enforcement agencies to report non violent issues. Rarely do they lead to an arrest or public notoriety. No matter what side of the issue you are on......this was obviously a sting operation initiated by a supporter of the sign. Justice could have been served by the police without an arrest. The damage done, now folks want to finger point. Let's not have cooler heads prevail....as it allows for public discourse and plain folks get to express their thoughts as long as they are non violent.
llbean 1 year ago
I do not see why there has to be a vote at all. Why does it bother people so much what others are doing if it does not involve them. Do I care if a person drinks Mello Yello or Mountian Dew? No. Do I care if a person is Lesbian or Gay? Why no! Do whatever makes you happy. Too much government control over pepole. If I am doing something and it concerns no one but me, then it is just my business.
cmptrepair 1 year ago
road clutter no less. anyone who thinks a sign will change anyones vote is mindless, mrs thompson and her husband are very good people, i think she had an overload moment and acted accordingly, one candidate didn't put out one sign and will probably lose the senate race, the only ones who will lose are th people of north carolina, i voted for tommy davis today and i know others there voted for him. one man said he was sick of the signs adnasium, what ever that means, vote for a non litterer tommy davis. good man.
clodfelter37 1 year ago
She was not setting much of an example for the children, "it's all right to steal and deface other's property." Wonderful home training. Won't the children be with it when they go to school?
fugitiveguy 1 year ago
I bet we will never see any pictures of the Thompson's children gracing the pages of the Pilot for criminal matters. You can knock religion all you want and I know its no garauntee but when kids and people in general had something to fear (speaking of he double hockeysticks) we didn't have crimes in the volume or the violent nature that we commonly do now.
clarabelle 1 year ago
"this was obviously a sting operation initiated by a supporter of the sign."
whew......... a bit paranoid .... are we?
okzsapt 1 year ago
Her husband has much to be proud of and one of her children has grown into a wonderful wife and mother, so yes, her children are "with it" already. She did not commit a felonious crime. What she is teaching her children is to stand up for what you believe in and sometimes you pay a price for that. You people have no clue who she is or what she's about and what does it make you to think you have figured her and her children out based on a one simple act. Wow, how arrogant. Stand up on your pedestals all you want, the fall is going to hurt. It was 3 signs...get over it already.
katimae 1 year ago
Fugitiveguy-humans have always been a violent species. Fear of divine retribution works for some, but not all. Fear of death has not stopped war in all the years we have existed. It is only when humans respect the right of other humans to live that violence is curbed. This respect can be taught, for it is by no means innate. Teaching children that they are more worthy of life than someone else is what keeps the violence in humanity. If all children were taught to respect life above all else, then perhaps they wouldn't grow up to feel they had the right to take life from others. It is respect for others that will carry humankind out of the violent muck it has been mired in for so many thousands of years.
hsthompson2 1 year ago
t
hsthompson2 1 year ago
Tom Embrey sent me a message that he would like to hear what I have to say I have sent him an email with what I would like to appear in the Pilot now lets see if he is a man of his word.
katimae 1 year ago
Ms. Thompson I believe you made a spur of the moment decision based on an emotional reaction. I have been tempted many times to do the same thing myself and believe me I don't always resist the temptation. People are not perfect and they aren't always right. You gave your child the impression that breaking the law is ok if you have a different moral standard-and that's where the law disagrees with you. Laws are in place to protect and to serve humanity. If you think a law should be changed then by all means fight to change it. I don't believe you are a bad person and you are probably a wonderful mother 99.9% of the time. You just made a mistake that you will have to pay for-and there is nothing wrong with letting your kids know that parents aren't perfect.
mcgal 1 year ago
A letter to The Pilot expressing your dislike for the "no"signs would have given you an outlet in which to share your views. We then would be having this conversation about what you had to say instead of what you did.
HeelsHoopFan 1 year ago
The obvious is overlooked quite often and in the end folks say to themselves "Why didn't I think of that? 911 dwi on 211: 911 I hear a noise in my back yard. 911 there's a person stealing political signs and I am chasing them down. Gimme a break!!!
"Paranoria is looking in your rear window and seeing a police car." Circa the 70s ............... Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
clarabelle 1 year ago
too funny - the pro amendment people all making light of this "non-event". I am certain if it had been the other side caught they would all be demanding jail time for this "heinous" crime.
greentara13 1 year ago
Funny, my Mother's church like to do what they believe in, and they spend many hours helping feed the hungry. I don't think they have enough time or energy to steal signs. Even if the signs (all of them) are ugly and could be considered trashy. We welcome Heidi and her daughter to come down and help us anytime!
antigayscaresme 1 year ago
At this link you may read the article 'HEIDI THOMPSON GAY BASHING CRIMINAL" http://tinyurl.com/7new73g