herman's personal blog

These are strange times we live in today. People of a certain political ideology cannot handle any opposing views whatsoever.

Our business is located in downtown Bel Air, MD which has housed Jesse Bane for Sheriff Campaign headquarters. We did not like to be silently lumped in with something we ideologically disagreed. So, I got in touch with Norm Cochran for Sheriff Campaign and requested some signs. Mrs. Cochran was kind to bring them to us. God bless her, she was terrified when she realized where she was. We were excited to see her and invited her in. There would be a diversity of political opinions in our building now. We were surprised at how quickly the communistic nature of our neighbors asserted itself.

A little background, I immigrated from former Soviet Union's Russia thirteen year ago. I know communists when I see them. The only difference here is that we live in America a civilized country of law and justice. Otherwise we would have met the certain fate of the soviet minority party whose members had to flee, were hunted and eventually were all assassinated one by one.

So we put our signs up. It's sad to say that our neighbors quickly became quite angry. We watched Mr. Bane's volunteers walk around our windows, panting, shaking their heads and folding their hands in frustration. We were amused at their reaction. What's the big deal? It's just a sign. But they wouldn't dare talk to us. If they had just talked to us maybe we would have put up few of their signs :) with a note attached "These people paid us," or something :). It's ideology, not a war. On the third day, angry landlord rushed into our office. He made us take the signs down. And it was not the only time he expressed his outrage in the next few days. Next morning while we were in a meeting, Mr. Bane walked in. He looked like a scared puppy with its tail tucked between its legs. He kindly thanked us for taking the signs down, bowed and walked out. I wonder if this is how Mr. Bane plans to fight crime in Harford County by unleashing landlords on the criminals.

In all of this, our neighbors never deviated from the way their party in general fight their political battles these days. They never confront their opponents in the arena of ideas and try to win them over. But they attempt to outlaw their ideology and destroy them on a personal and not on ideological level.

# posted by hermanstrom @ 9/08/2006 12:55:00 PM