Anti-government signs are torched

When a local man publicly expressed his opinion about the direction the country is going, things got hot.

Several homemade anti-government signs displayed on the Slippery Rock Township property of Jeff Wright were destroyed by fire around 10 p.m. Monday.

Nobody witnessed the torching, but Wright and his wife, Peggy, spotted the flames from their house, which is located above the family business — Jeff Wright Electric — in the former Deinert’s Country Store building on Route 422.

Wright said the perpetrator might have been burned during the incident as he dropped a lighter, a gas can and ran out of his flip-flops while getting back to his car. Wright said the gas can was on fire, too.

“He’s probably got some singed eyebrows.”

Wright said slogans were painted on 4-by-4-foot sheets of plywood, held up concrete blocks.

The Slippery Rock Township fire department and state police were called to the scene. Lt. Doug Humble said state police were investigating the incident.

“I just want people to know what’s going on,” said Wright, 48, who moved to Lawrence County in 1970 from the Washington, D.C.

He has been putting up protest signs on his property for the past two months. Wright said thousands of cars drive past his business on Route 422 every day. He said many have stopped to pose for pictures with the signs while others honk their horns in support.

Wright believes the current administration is lying to the American people.

“The main criteria that you support for any president is to uphold and defend the Constitution,” Wright said. “But it is being shredded and thrown away like a document that has no value. I was like most everybody else in not knowing what’s going on so I decided to look into it.”

Using the Internet, Wright said he began to research people in the administration and those in Congress.

“Most people don’t have a clue about all the stuff that is going on,” he said. “Unless you have an issue that exposes the corruption, you just accept what they tell you.

“I’m not against anyone personally, but I am against their ideology. This government subverts the Constitution and implements backdoor policies.

“Do I just stand silent and let it take its course?”

One of the destroyed signs read, “Obama is a liar. Pelosi and Reed are thieves.” Others said, “Your country is being stolen” and “Prosecute and exile this administration.” Another said “traitors” in large letters with names of politicians written on it.

Wright said the country is equally divided.

“I’m not trying to convince anyone that they are wrong, but we had better have something to agree on and that should be the founding documents of this country.

“We need to put all the ideology and personal preferences aside and at least agree on the Constitution.”

Wright said he doesn’t get upset when he sees signs that supports the current policies, he just disagrees.

He plans to replace the signs, but using tin instead of wood.

“I’m exercising my First Amendment rights,” Wright said. “But apparently it made somebody mad.”

http://www.ncnewsmedia.com/archive/2009/09September/Obama_Guy/story1.htm