Unusual no trespassing sign raising eyebrows in Bellingham
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- A no-trespassing sign posted across the street from a local middle school is raising eyebrows in Bellingham, but police say it is completely legal.
The sign, which was posted on private property across from Fairhaven Middle School, warns "semi-literate thieves" that four different types of guns are on site four days a week.
Some parents and residents in the area say having a sign that hints at gun violence so close to young children sends the wrong message. One resident says she noticed the sign go up the same week as the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.
"We were already crying because of all of the children that had lost their lives and the teachers," said Pat Briggs-Yazzie, "(and then we) noticed the sign. Just infuriated me that somebody would be threatening to shoot people across from our middle school."
"I think it's terrible. I think there's too many guns in this country and it's too violent," added Paul Hammond, who is originally from the United Kingdom. "To me, yes, people kill, but if they didn't have the guns they couldn't use them to kill and guns near schools. It's wrong."
Despite those complaints, police say the sign is completely legal. Officers also say they were called the property back in December after $400 worth of scrap metal and materials was stolen from the site.
"It's a no trespassing sign. It's posted on private property. There are no threats being made on the sign," said Mark Young of the Bellingham Police Department. "It's a legal sign on private property that does not violate any laws that I'm aware of."
The landowner who posted the sign didn't want to comment on it, but some in the area say they understand Second Amendment rights can be displayed in a First Amendment way.
"I work in the construction industry and I know about getting break-ins on job sites, and it's frustrating," said Jeralyn Conrad, whose son is a 6th grade student at Fairhaven Middle School. "I don't have a problem with the sign at all. If I found out he was carrying an arsenal there across the street, then I might have a problem with it."
A Bellingham School District official said the property owner has talked with a school leader, but has no plans to remove the sign.
"We do not support this advertisement of weapons," added district spokeswoman Tanya Rowe in a statement, "but the sign is not on our property and we have no authority on the issue."
The sign, which was posted on private property across from Fairhaven Middle School, warns "semi-literate thieves" that four different types of guns are on site four days a week.
Some parents and residents in the area say having a sign that hints at gun violence so close to young children sends the wrong message. One resident says she noticed the sign go up the same week as the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut.
"We were already crying because of all of the children that had lost their lives and the teachers," said Pat Briggs-Yazzie, "(and then we) noticed the sign. Just infuriated me that somebody would be threatening to shoot people across from our middle school."
"I think it's terrible. I think there's too many guns in this country and it's too violent," added Paul Hammond, who is originally from the United Kingdom. "To me, yes, people kill, but if they didn't have the guns they couldn't use them to kill and guns near schools. It's wrong."
Despite those complaints, police say the sign is completely legal. Officers also say they were called the property back in December after $400 worth of scrap metal and materials was stolen from the site.
"It's a no trespassing sign. It's posted on private property. There are no threats being made on the sign," said Mark Young of the Bellingham Police Department. "It's a legal sign on private property that does not violate any laws that I'm aware of."
The landowner who posted the sign didn't want to comment on it, but some in the area say they understand Second Amendment rights can be displayed in a First Amendment way.
"I work in the construction industry and I know about getting break-ins on job sites, and it's frustrating," said Jeralyn Conrad, whose son is a 6th grade student at Fairhaven Middle School. "I don't have a problem with the sign at all. If I found out he was carrying an arsenal there across the street, then I might have a problem with it."
A Bellingham School District official said the property owner has talked with a school leader, but has no plans to remove the sign.
"We do not support this advertisement of weapons," added district spokeswoman Tanya Rowe in a statement, "but the sign is not on our property and we have no authority on the issue."
Guns are how the witless seek empowerment. Good luck with that!
I have a sign that says "trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again". I find it amusing.
This is stupid. First off, making any connection between this and Sandy Hook, is dumb. It is totally unrelated, and if you are so dumb as to think that a trespassing sign is a further blow in that tragedy, you need to rethink how you view the world.  Secondly, the sign only mentions brands of guns. If children see this, and understand what it means, then they already know about guns enough to know the brand names, and should be old enough to understand the whole idea behind 'trespass and be shot', and why it is different then regular "gun violence". Thirdly, Grow up, People (in that neighborhood). It's a damned sign, and is not the least bit offensive. Their are many more serious things in the world to worry about then the words on a no trespassing sign!!
@Josh
I had planned on going off about the news artical.... then i saw your post. You took the words right out of my mouth. whew thanks.
HEHEHEHE! I love it! Very creative and, I would assume, it will be effective as well.
"Some parents and residents in the area say having a sign that hints at gun violence so close to young children sends the wrong message." Sounds like the right message to me. I may be wrong, but it sounds like the message is stay the hell off my property!
Whatever happened to the idea of a junk yard dog?
 @BCH mom PETA... Liberals...
I once saw a sign at an auto parts store "guard dog is a pit bull with aids"
imaginative sign,it made the point.maybe people will think twice before entering.
Get over it Pat Briggs-Yazzie.Â
Sounds like a good opportunity for schools and parents to teach their kids about respecting private property.Â
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 e@Playanekes Why don't we just arm the kids, that will teach them all about the 2nd amendment!
 @deejm2112  @Playanekes Sounds good to me!! I know of a perfect course That starts with kids as young as 4 years old. The Eddie Eagle firearms training series. But since this is Portland I doubt very much if any of these liberal chuckleheads here in the city have even heard of it.
What is confusing about it? the guy is warning that his items property is being protected by an armed person.if u do not like it then stay away.
The owner is weak. Â Should be had true belief he would be there, weapons at the ready, and deal with any pilfering should they occur on his property.
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Instead a frigging sign? Â That's like a macho post on the internet from the comfort of your chair at home. Â
 @Benjamin Schniffle Does your post have any meaning or are you just crying for attention?"Should be had true belief he would" what?!
 @Benjamin Schniffle Kind of like your macho post?
 @Reflect It's a post by a picture of a baby.  Who's the ironic poser now?
@Benjamin Schniffle @Reflect A baby who ironically has more supposed weapons than every gun owner on here.
They ought to put up a tower with search lights on the property and have an armed guard.
"I think it's terrible. I think there's too many guns in this country and it's too violent," added Paul Hammond, who is originally from the United Kingdom. "To me, yes, people kill, but if they didn't have the guns they couldn't use them to kill and guns near schools. It's wrong."
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Really we have enough stupid people like this in our country already do we have to let them immigrate??
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"We were already crying because of all of the children that had lost their lives and the teachers," said Pat Briggs-Yazzie, "(and then we) noticed the sign. Just infuriated me that somebody would be threatening to shoot people across from our middle school."
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Really Pat the owner is threatening to shoot someone stealing not a high school student unless he's stealing. if that's the case it's an occupational hazard for any age.
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@OrThinker Yes, the U.S. allows stupid people to move here too... Not unlike Piers Morgan. Please move here and tell us about the failed policies of your country.
 @OrThinker Meanwhile, King Richard III was killed by an edged weapon.
now there was a neat story; one of Shakespeares best plays
Amazing how many people pee their pants when they see the word "gun".
If this said "No Trespassing: Attack Dog on Site", then nobody would even care. But oh no! It mentions those scary guns! It's bad! Grow up, America.
 @HuskyKMA I'd definitely run from dogs.
Me too.
The media just had to get their daily anit-gun story in today! Whatever happened to the pro-firearm-2nd Amendment demonstration at the State Capitol today? I would have thought that would have been covered from stem to stern with the normal media balance.Â
 @jpk Was that today or Friday? No mention of it in the media whatsoever.Did you hear about the old man in Vegas who whacked a home intruder when he discovered a bunch of them in his house?
 @Playanekes  I believe the rally will be on Friday.
Thanks. I was sure it was gonna be the next day, when I read the Oregonian story on Tuesday.
The property owner in this story has already been robbed. At the time of the robbery, there were no Mounties about to stop them. The Mounties are armed with these same weapons, yet the theft still occured and the property owner is still the victim.
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Maybe he does not want to be a victim any more. Maybe he knows the Mounties won't stop the bad guy, let alone catch him and return his property. Maybe he's making a statement about gun rights. Maybe the students don't care anyway.
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He could have surrounded his property with a 9 foot fence and put fur coat razoarblades behind it. Yet, that seems so random in its defence of the property. The Glock in the hands of a man trained to wield it is much more discriminant; don't you think?
 @agateriver What? what???? Bellingham is NOT in Canada where Mounties are. It's in the US state of Washington.
@whirledworld doesn't understand the word Euphemism.You must speak plainly.
 @whirledworld  @agateriver Does it make any difference?Â
Well, we know where to go to steal some guns......
 @Mechanic Good luck with that....
Neat sign actually. He tries to get the message across to those that might want to attempt theft. Some day....just maybe, the thieves will slow down.
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@Just Lookin or get shot.....
They are upset because he wants people to stop stealing from his property. Â Maybe he should sit out front with an AK-47 instead. Â Or maybe surround his place with concertina wire. Â Since when is is not politically correct or socially acceptable to protect your property? Â Last I heard, it never was in this country.
 @Shadow "Maybe he should sit out front with an AK-47 instead"Maybe he has better and more important things to do with his life. FFS, is this what passes for thought now?
@Shadow OK when you are protecting people. Not OK for just property. If he actually shoots someone, he will probably be charged with "lying in wait." That's an actual felony.
 @Mechanic   Right...like the guy who goes into rob a bank and the security guards who are armed are just 'lying in wait'.  Get a life.
 @Shadow  The whole idea of 'property' is becoming non-PC.
Jeez! Some folks really need to grow a sense of humor. Everyone has become so hypersensitive to the gun violence issue that ANYTHING seems get a lot of folks a little crazy-paranoid.  Add that to our current culture that encourages people to take offense at just about anything printed or said, it causes folks to go off the deep end. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am an NRA member, a gun owner, have a CHL, and (gasp!) a Democrat, and believe it or not, support sensible controls on the spread of hi-capacity semiautomatic rifles and pistols as long as they are accompanied by increased penalties on those who use  guns to commit crimes.
I think it sends the perfect message to kids that are faiing to recieve it from those who should be handing it out. Don't do things you shouldn't, don't touch what's not yours, and respect others property. If you don't, there will be consequences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gklM1AiZX0s Signs Tesla
The US needs to post similar signs along the mexican border and take away the village idiots welcome mat offering free legal status, free education, the right to apply for federal jobs, free medical care and the right to take jobs from legal citizens.