Rethug Sign Stealers Caught in Mich.

[phlyphisher]

Four sign-stealing Cornerstone students apologize

Friday, October 15, 2004
By Steven Harmon
The Grand Rapids Press

Four Cornerstone University students were caught stealing three dozen Kerry/Edwards signs off lawns in Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids early Thursday.

<snip>

Judy Thocher, the mother of the driver -- Cornerstone student Benjamin Thocher, 19, -- said by phone from Minnesota that she was not happy when he told her of his escapade.

"He's never done anything like this and should know better," said Thocher, whose family moved from Hart to a small town 50 miles north of Minneapolis a year ago. "He'll be home next week and his father will have a talk with him. He needs to live up to what he did. It's just not the way he was raised."

Benjamin Thocher could not be reached for comment.

Cornerstone University is a conservative Christian college that hosted President Bush as a candidate in 2000.

<snip>

I don't know if agree with not pressing charges. We've had three signs stolen in the past three weeks. Good ol' conservative familiy values at work! *rolleyes*

[tabasco]

1. Good Old Christian Values

Trespassing Theft Vandalism

I see Cornerstone U. is producing some fine young American fascists.

[southpaw]

2. Press charges, damnit!!!

Make a national example of these little rethugs! :grr:

No mercy!!!

[fugop]

3. Way to be Christians!

"Thou shalt not steal," right? Oh the humanity!

[Steelangel]

4. ol' good karma

[michigandem2]

5. ahhh I am so proud to live in Grand Rapids...

man..this is so typical...the church goers preaching values...but nobody can speak their mind...

[tom_paine]

6. Only Seventy or Eighty Thousand Brownshirts left to go...

Hey, at least all they are doing (that we know about) is stealing signs.

Kinder and Gentler Nazis.

[Shoeempress]

7. So is the conservative Christian college expelling them? if not,

why not?

[MADem]

8. Everyone in the area should put up a sign

saying "MY KERRY EDWARDS SIGN WAS STOLEN BY STUDENTS FROM CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY...Good Christian Values at Work: THOU SHALT NOT STEAL SIGNS OR ELECTIONS!!!"

What a bunch of fucking punks. I would press charges, get their names on the police blotter. Even if you never went to trial, and allowed them to settle and make proper restitution, get it ON THE RECORD.

[Bluebear]

9. Onward, fascist soldiers!

[Mizmoon]

10. I'm glad they are not pressing charges

They are kids. They did something wrong, they've been caught, and shamed. Plus their mothers know all about it.

Chill out.

[lumpy]

13. 19 year old 'kids'?

We have 19 year old 'kids' putting their lives on the line in Iraq. Do you really believe these 'kids' who stole signs feel any shame? Let the punishment fit the crime. A slap on the wrist isn't punishment.

[The Magistrate]

14. Charges Should Be Pressede, Ma'am

At the most basic level, if you are going to do something like this you should be at
"Kill one, warn one hundred."

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

[davidjhorrell]

11. Can you imagine the spin against us...

if charges had been pressed? How good would it look? Most people don't see political signs as on the same level, property-wise, as other things.

[Joe Chi Minh]

12. Surely,

if she is sincere, she promised that she would make him re-rect the signs in the people's gardens and yard. It's called restitution; not a specifically Christian act, but at least a token of sincere contrition.

[0rganism]

19. What do you think the monetary value of ALL the stolen signs is?

My Kerry HQ was short on signs a few months ago, wanted a $5 contribution for the sign. I'm not saying that every sign is costing voters nearly that much -- hell, they probably cost around $.50 each if you count printing, manufacture, shipping, distribution, and the opportunity cost of the time it takes to put up the sign. Let's not even consider the emotional distress that having one's RIGHT to political speech violated might be valued in a civil court.

At $.50 each, those cornerstone kids stole $18 from the voters of Michigan.

At $.50 each, the hundreds of thousands of signs stolen across the nation are adding up to a substantial dollar amount.

So don't kid yourself: it's a REAL crime with a REAL cost and REAL consequences for REAL people. Republicans need to own up to this fact, and if it takes putting their kids in jail to do it, so be it.

[Dzimbowicz]

15. I just went by my local Democratic HQ

to obtain another Kerry yard sign; mine was stolen this past weekend. I was told that there would not be any more yard signs until Wednesday because of this theft problem.

[Supersedeas]

16. a Conservative Christian college???

[evilqueen]

17. community service in the scariest neighborhood in Detroit...

that'll teach 'em.

[Dinger]

18. Stealing Signs Is Not Legal; They should be fined

Here in Wisconsin, there is (at minimum) a $100 fine. If there is any damage to property, it's more serious than that.