Anonymous letter, tomatoes create political tension in Vancouver
VANCOUVER, Wash. - An anonymous letter and a load of rotten tomatoes has created a political minefield in the East Minnehaha neighborhood.
The letter was left on mailboxes Sunday morning in a three or four block area. In it a group of people claimed to have bombed one house – a house with an Obama sign out front – with tomatoes.
There's not much to go on in the letter to show who's responsible for the threat. It simply says "Welcome Wagon" at the top and is addressed to friends, motorists and the good citizens of East Minnehaha. It also says some of "us" threw tomatoes on a house with an Obama sign in the yard.
In front of one home several Obama campaign signs with several tomatoes lining the front yard could be seen Monday.
The letter goes on and on about the high price of gas and blames the Democrats. But at the bottom it asks for help with what is called a "project."
It tells people they can sign up by leaving a porch light on during the hour before sunrise, and they will be contacted. A couple of people did just that to see what might happen, but they said Monday they hadn't heard from anyone yet.
"I think it's a little of an extremist view," said independent voter Ted Marx who received a letter but no tomatoes. "Obviously, the political system isn't perfect. But it seems to me that's why we have a vote. If I disagree with a guy, I certainly shouldn't have to worry about getting my house tomatoed."
Some of the people who got the letter laughed it off and didn't take it very seriously. Others, however, contacted the sheriff's department fearing the situation could escalate into something more serious. Deputies are looking into it.
In the meantime, several people said this is exactly why they don't put political signs in their yards or on their cars. Others, however, said nothing will make them take down their signs. One voter, a Democrat, who didn't have an Obama sign in her yard, said she plans on putting one up now.
We first learned about this case through a news tip. If you see news happening where you live let us know by sending an email to newstips@katu.com. Your tip goes straight to our newsroom.
meh, I want a Romney sign... Hey what happens if a person has 2 signs, one Obama and one Romney?
Poor Tomatoes! Obama 2012!!
Poor tomatoes!  Romney/Ryan 2012 !!!
For All You Tomato Throwers -   Another Tomato, another Vote for Obama!!   Keep Em Coming!!!!!!!!
Y'know, I can't help but wonder: Â If the Repubs were so determined to make Obama a "1-term president", why-oh-why didn't they offer up a decent candidate for the 2012 election?!? Â I can't think of anyone right off-hand, but I'm sure there must have been SOMEBODY out there that might have been a decent choice to counter Obama's bid for re-election...Â
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I just wish we-the-voters could collectively muster up the courage to give the Repubs AND the Dems a resounding "NO!" to BOTH of their choices... Â These 2 "primary parties" have a stranglehold on the whole country, and it's killing us.
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I definately think we need to get rid of the electoral college... that might have been necessary at one time, but that was a long time and a LOT of technology ago... We don't need bought-and-paid-for "delegates" doing our voting for us. Â Â
@margay1
What you say is worth considering but I should point out that there are valid reasons for the electoral college that have nothing to do with "bought-and-paid-for" delegates. For example, the electoral college system allows small states a bit more weight (relative to population) in Presidential elections than large states (it's a side effect of the small-state, large-state compromise that resulted in the Senate system wherein all states have equal power.)
Personally, I think that element is rather important to anyone who doesn't want California to completely dominate our nation.
I want to know who died and told folks it is alright to try and bully others into voting their way? More then once I have been approached in a nasty manner on this very board by those who try to bully & insult into voting for their choice.. BS! Its illegal and its no ones right to chose who or what I vote for..    I'm more then capable of reading or making up my mind on these matters and researching things if I want and choose to do so, and in most things I do including candidates.  As for sign's, I don't need them or want them cluttering up my yard, and the tomatoes only shows how childish and nasty some of these folks are. Great job, it only serves to make folks turn the other way!Â
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@Khre'Riov Ael i-Mhiessan t'Rllaillieu I agree this behavior is childish and stupid. It is, however done from freaks on both sides of the aisle though. I once had my car keyed w/ the word "neocon" for having a support the troops ribbon. Pretty messed up huh.
 @MacNCheez It sure is! And I agree, it is both sides doing these things, not just one or the other. My friend got a phone call once wanting to now who she was voting for and the guy was flat rude and nasty and she told him it was none of his dang buis.. This happened way back when the political calls where rampant and obnoxious! Â
Liberal bias again.....if this was a Romney sign....it would not have been reported.
I wonder if the tomato throwers are Romney supporters or just hate both candidates like almost everyone? I mean both candidates are awful and both are going to make this country worse. A giant financial collapse cannot be avoided.
It is amazing how tv brainwashed and nieve people seem to be to believe that you really have a valid choice in the rigged elections between puppet A and puppet B. Corporations,banks,wallstreet and the 1% choose thier puppet, the rest of us get a propoganda show.
 @theytriedtocensorbut-I'MBACK! EXACTLY!! Amazing these so-called rational people can't even see that. Crazy!
Some people say that the ones who did this have also put out a muslim video...Â
Well congratulations âyou are terrorists! Violence against others because of differing political beliefs. One of the very definitions of the word.
Tomatoes are better than watermelons
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I don't put any signs in my yard. The left wingers would trash my house and yard if there was something on my lawn they don't agree with. Same with bumper stickers.
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Suppression of free speech is one of the largest agendas of the left unless that speech is acceptable to them.
 @RalphCramden And some folks live in a world devoid of fine detail and governed by gross generalizations. Â
 @RalphCramden Can't really agree with you on that one ralph!
 @RalphCramden Still trying to impress by making generalizations you could not possibly prove, and using words which you don't know the meaning of (e.g., "percentile"). Just more NONSENSE.
@RalphCramden I don't put signs in my yard anymore either. In 2004 (the last year I posted yard signs) I had to fix my signs every morning because the people who didn't agree with my political views would trash my signs every single night. None of my neighbors' signs supporting Democrats were ever touched though. I decided that I didn't want to take the risk that they wouldn't stop with just trashing my yard sign. I definitely won't put a bumper sticker on my car either. I don't want it to be keyed.
 @MattyPDX Â
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Taking down private political yard signs should be a felony. Once folks start trying to suppress contrary freedom of speech that is intimidation.
 @RalphCramden  You are so right â they prattle on about freedom this and freedom that, well unless you have a differing opinion from theirs that is.Â
 @RalphCramden Oh that is so one sided. Don't even go down that road.
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First off I am neither right or left side so don't even think I am taking sides. Second both sides have there own "agendas" as you would put it to suppress things, show there perspectives and get there point across.
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This is not one sided at all, or even two sided if you take all the factors into consideration.
 @Insurrection Â
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"...to suppress things,..."
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I am not talking about suppressing "things". I am talking about suppressing SPEECH. Democrats want to suppress free speech that doesn't agree with their beliefs. They do this by shouting down those they oppose, trying to pass laws making some speech illegal to prevent those they don't agree with from speaking out, trashing public figures who don't agree with them with lies and smear tactics, and will trash vehicles with bumper stickers on them they don't like (my buddy got 3 folks arrested for breaking his windows on his truck because he had a Bush sticker on it. He got them on video).
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Granted the Republicans try to suppress other "things" as you say but don't seem particularly interested in suppressing free speech.
 @john  @No_Conservitards  @InsurrectionÂ
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If you wanna vote then go get your state issued picture ID. Problem solved.
 @john  @RalphCramden  @No_Conservitards I never mentioned anything about picture ID's being needed for anything in any of my comments or referred to them in any way. Not sure where your getting this from or how your associating it to me.
 @RalphCramden  @No_Conservitards  @Insurrection " In order to do any kind of business these days you will need picture ID "
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gee. What if you don't want to do any business? Â You just want to vote because you're a citizen? Â
 @RalphCramden  @No_Conservitards Um what? Did you put your reply to someone else in the wrong place?
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picture ID? What the heck are you talking about?
 @No_Conservitards  @RalphCramden My side? That is funny. And what exactly do you assume my side is?
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You think I am for Republican's? That is funny but here is some advice. Don't make assumptions.
 @oodathunked  @No_Conservitards Â
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Ya, and now Holder is being taken to task in emailing a left wing 0bama supporting organization to help him fight off criticism of his handling of the Black Panthers intimidation at the voting booths.
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http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/18/emails-reveal-justice-dept-regularly-enlists-media-matters-to-spin-press/Â
@No_Conservitards @RalphCramden @Insurrection   What, like useing The Black Panthers at the voteing booths?
 @randola  @InsurrectionÂ
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We are a kleptocracy run by crooks who are out to get as much money as they can.
 @RalphCramden  @Insurrection The problem is that the right and left are run by the same people. They are all supressing whatever they want to suppress. The puppetmasters did a great job buying off the republicans to nominate romney rather than present a true clear choice like Ron Paul. That was truly the worst kind of supression of free speech there has been so far in this election sham. Make special rules so people can't even vote on him! Sheesh. It's all rigged Ralph.
 @InsurrectionÂ
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I agree that both parties are not operating in our best interests. It's just that the left seems more intent on stopping free speech that the right.
 @ShallowEnder  @InsurrectionÂ
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There is a difference between stating an opinion and shouting down those that state an opposing point of view.
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I can only hope that you can see the difference between the two.
 @No_Conservitards    @InsurrectionÂ
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How are conservatives stopping folks from voting? It will be interesting to see how you answer that and then shoot holes in your answer.
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If you are thinking picture ID that won't fly. In order to do any kind of business these days you will need picture ID and it is easy to get. So don't even waste your time with the ID thing.
 @RalphCramden  @Insurrection Other things like Voting, perhaps? when you can't get people to vote for your message, your side starts trying to remove democrats from the voting rolls, or even worse, tries to tell voters in blue voting districts that due to high turn out, some voters need to vote the following day. it's not fair, it's illegal, and your side does it. I am voting Obama, and I am proud to do so.
 @RalphCramden  @Insurrection You forget the chilling comment by then VP Cheney: "If you speak out or demonstrate against the president and his policies, you are supporting, aiding, and abetting terrorism." (Fox News, February 20, 2002) He repeated this assertion right up to the 2002 midterm elections.
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If that isn't a right-wing attempt to suppress free speech, what would you call it?
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Did you miss the organized efforts by the conservatives to disrupt town-hall meetings on the health care bill? Savage and Larson even published links to instructions on disruption tactics, including "shouting down anyone who doesn't agree with you".
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Generally, Ralph, I respect your opinions as they are usually thoughtful. But limiting this to one side is either naive or disingenuous.
 @RalphCramden Oh I am not disagreeing with you per say.
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I am just saying don't limit your opinions to one side, they all have there "quirks".
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I would have to disagree with Mr. Marx about the voting part. The US has a two party system.
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That means there are only two viewpoints to consider. Then when you get into each parties respective canidates views on different policies and laws it divides even further then two viewpoints but that is just bureaucracy and the way things work in the US.
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As for the behavior of those who did this, I would agree with the other comments. This is no way to behave in a civil manner or any other manner. It is just a individual or most likely a group trying to be the bully. Hope they are caught.
What a bunch of PUNKS!!!!
Want to know one reason the postal service is going broke? It because they still allow people to have mail boxes in front of their houses. Every time the price of a stamp goes up we are all paying so these people don't have to get dressed  to get their mail. End it now.
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 @BikeriderÂ
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How is big oil greedy when their percentage of profits is only 10-12% on average? Most other companies make a lot more profit than that including the tech companies that produce the computer and software you use to post your comments.
 @RalphCramden  @Bikerider So Ralph $9 billion in three months profit
And we Still give then government subsidies??
Really???Â
 @cptmac11  @BikeriderÂ
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What government subsidies? No one can ever point to any subsides that oil companies get that you or I could get.
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I will be expecting you to prove that oil companies get special subsidies that no one else gets.
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Oil subsidies are the biggest lie on the internet and is repeated without question by those who are incapable of independent thinking or to lazy to actually do any research on the subject.
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I will wait for your proof.
@cptmac11 @RalphCramden @Bikerider What subsidies do the "big Oil " companies get that aren't standard business deductions ? pleaase list
I think this is probably the work of some kids and/or mentally deficient adults intent on causing trouble more than any sort of serious political view... that being said, whoever did it needs a swift kick in the groinal region.
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 @danoseknows Does you wife Kay know you use her name like that ??