To the people of Seneca County:
I want to appeal to your sense of civility in this time of political campaigning. I know nasty things have been said by both sides. I know people have gotten riled up. I know people feel passionately about candidates and issues.
However, this does not give people the right to personally attack each other or vandalize private property, both of which have happened to me because I support President Barack Obama. After writing a letter to the editor of this very newspaper, I received an incredibly nasty letter in the mail. It angered me, but I threw it away because I refuse to spread the hate. I put an Obama sign up in my yard, and the next night someone spray painted it black.
I paid for the sign out of my own money because he is the candidate that I choose. People who oppose him are free to put up signs in their yards advertising other candidates. Our constitution guarantees this right.
One of our most important rights is the freedom of speech and personal expression. It allows people to freely debate issues amongst themselves without fear of reprisals from the government. It allows people to tinker around with ideas, hone them through discussion and make them better. It allows those same ideas to grow into actions that can change the whole world.
I would again like to appeal to people's sense of decency during this political season. Let us agree to respectfully disagree and put our childish ways aside.
Aran Reinhart,
New Riegel
