Letters are replaced and reorganized on the Hamilton billboard Wednesday, June 3, 2020.
Once again, people are petitioning to remove the Uncle Sam billboard at Napavine that has shared conservative viewpoints to passers-by near Interstate 5’s Exit 72.
It’s not the first time the two-sided billboard on the Hamilton property has been challenged since turkey farmer Alfred Hamilton first erected it in 1971 farther north on the west side of the freeway between Centralia and Chehalis. It’s unlikely to be the last.
Most of the messages criticize liberal actions of Democrats in Olympia and Washington, D.C. I agree with its patriotic statements. Sometimes I laugh aloud when I read the messages. Other times I shake my head in consternation.
Have some of the offensive messages been racist? Probably at times, which is a shame. We don’t need racism in this nation. In any form.
Although some people contend it reflects poorly on Lewis County, efforts that have recently garnered nearly 80,000 signatures on a petition to remove the sign are pointless.
The billboard stands on private property now owned by Mike Hamilton, Alfred’s grandson. The U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment guarantees the right to free speech — even if you disagree with that speech. That amendment protects the Hamilton billboard just as it protects the Black Lives Matter protesters.
Only when people’s speech spills over into criminal behavior does it merit action by the courts or the police.
Criminal behavior — like setting fire to private property as someone did earlier this month with the Hamilton sign, or burning businesses, trashing buildings, and looting during what should be peaceful protests.
The First Amendment protects freedom of speech, press, petition, assembly and religion.
Bans on religious gatherings in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, albeit designed to protect the public health, ventured close to treading on the First Amendment. People criticize Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and others for bias, but they can’t shut them down, thanks to the First Amendment.
People opposed to the new comprehensive sexual education package approved by state lawmakers afforded themselves of federal and state rights to petition by circulating a referendum to place the issue before voters in November. Whether voters approve or reject it, at least opponents of the measure have guaranteed a public vote.
Our government works.
The Second Amendment protects the right of people to keep and bear arms and notes that right “shall not be infringed,” which is the primary protection keeping the government from removing weapons from citizens.
People who object to the messages on the Hamilton sign are free to purchase property along the freeway to share opposing views. Free speech is free speech — whether conservative or liberal.
After Alfred Hamilton died in 2004, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer editorial stated, “We thought the billboard’s cranky but worth looking at. That billboard is what makes America better because it celebrates a founding principle of our nation, the First Amendment. We completely disagree with Hamilton’s view of the world but praise his discourse.”
People can disagree with the sign all they want, but I hope and pray nobody will ever remove rights preserved by the Constitution.
Sheriff Rob Snaza
Last week I quoted local law enforcement officers about their reactions to the George Floyd death and subsequent protests throughout the nation.
Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza responded last week with his thoughts over Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin’s kneeling on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes, 46 seconds and preventing him from breathing.
“What happened to George Floyd set us back 10 years in building community relations,” Snaza said. “It’s regretful. It’s hurtful. You can do 99.9 percent good stuff in your community across the nation, one incident happens …”
While encouraging peaceful protests, Snaza said he doesn’t like seeing knee-jerk reactions by politicians that hamper the ability of law enforcement officers to do their jobs. He noted seeing a law enforcement chief lying on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back.
“We don’t use chokeholds, only if someone is trying to harm you or incapacitate you,” Snaza said. Rather, he said deputies try to de-escalate situations by talking with suspects and learning about mental health issues.
“We all have biases,” he said. “Can we do better? Always.”
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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, can be reached at chaptersoflife1999@gmail.com.
