A man in Colonie, New York, is taking drastic measures to protect his yard sign supporting Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump after he watched five prior signs get destroyed or stolen.
Homeowner and prominent local businessman Robert Marini decided to illuminate the sixth sign with a bank of lights, sink the sign’s base in concrete, and build a wall of barbed wire around it.
“I don’t have enough time in my life to go around stealing Bernie Sanders signs or Hillary Clinton signs. It’s not something that I even thought about doing,” Marini told the Times Union newspaper. “Everybody’s got a right to free speech, right? At least we think so in America today. But some people on the left don’t believe in that, so they just take what’s not theirs.”
Marini is positive that his Trump signs have been targeted by some local leftist who hates Trump. He points out that other signs in the area for Clinton or Sanders have never been touched. The proud Trump supporter also points out he is the only one in the area willing to put a Trump sign in his yard, so his support of the candidate is a high-profile event.
Along with the barbed wire and lights, Marini also posted a warning notice to future thieves, reading, “DO NOT Touch The Sign. If you are reading this, you are TRESPASSING. You WILL BE PROSECUTED To The Fullest Extent Of The Law.”
The Trump booster said he has not called police on any of the five previous heists, but now that he has taken all these measures, he warns potential thieves he will call police if something happens again.
“I don’t want to bother the police with something like that,” he said. However, he added, “They steal this one, they’re going to get a police report.”
According to the state police, if anyone is caught destroying the sign, they might face a misdemeanor charge of larceny and could face a hefty fine if convicted.
This is not the first time a Trump sign has been attacked in New York. Recently, Sam Pirozzolo, a homeowner in Staten Island, had his oversized Trump sign set ablaze by a Trump hater.
After the arson, Donald Trump himself gave the homeowner a call to tell him he appreciated the support.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com.
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