Arkansas Blog

Sounds like a job for a shotgun

I smell desperation.

How could one hotwire it with a dog fence?

Smarmy Heights kids jinking the well-meaning Central High commoners.

But I am reminded of an incident many eons ago when a cadre of raffish hooligans cruised the city scavenging Tommy Robinson campaign signs.

In those days, children, yard signs were affixed to wooden stakes. And let me tell you, a pickup bed full of those pine one-bys will make for a cheery little bonfire down by the river on a brisk October night, and brighten many a toast offered to the unwitting politician and his beneficent supporters.

If it's an electric fence, just run that hot wire right up the stake so they get a good grip on it. The other part of the circuit is the ground they're standing on.

If it's a radio fence, you'll have to get the collar on them first, but the results will be well worth it.

There's a pit bull with lipstick joke in here somewhere.

Republicans in training. Racist kids.

And, as always, I mean that in the most loving way.

Why -- DEAR GOD, WHY!!! -- is it never Democratic kids pulling up McCain / Palin signs from front lawns?

Oh.

Right.

Tripwire attached to claymore, or the less lethal motion- activated game camera available at all local hunting equipment stores (Ft. Thompson, Cabela, etc.)

I'm glad I waited until today to go pick mine up.

BB guns... and or take your sign in after dark.

I'm going to nip this in the butt.....I got a gallon of bright red paint and I'm gonna skip a wimpy yard sign and paint OBAMA across the front of my house in 8 foot tall bright red letters. Let the Republicans steal that! MFs! Think I'll paint OBAMA on the side of all our cars too! Yeah...that's the ticket!

And remember those of you elitists who have chain-link fences...a package of cheap Soho plastic cups will give you all the cups you need to spell out OBAMA or FK REPUBLICANS on your chain-link fence. We need to do more than just beat them....we need to humiliate them for what they've done to the country!

I can't believe this hasn't made it to the blog yet...

Clicky for heartwarming story of sign protection + badass 16 year old + guardian angels on the interwebs.

where can I get the bumper stickers and signs?

Want the last laugh? Take a spray bottle, fill with jalapeno juice, or tobasco and water, and spray all over your sign. Somewhere down the road the thief will have a blessing of his own.

(This works with dogs in your garbage bins also)

Of course it's them damn liberals!
We always said they were the hateful ones, not us.
Next thing you know, someone will be calling it a hate crime.

I'll take a drive to
Beverly Hills
Just before dawn
And knock the little jockeys
Off the rich peoples lawn
And before they get up
I'll be gone
(I'll be gone)
Before they get up
I'll be knockin' the jockeys off the lawn
(Down in the dew)

Frank Zappa

Short memory.

Republicans in training. Racist kids.
And, as always, I mean that in the most loving way.
Why -- DEAR GOD, WHY!!! -- is it never Democratic kids pulling up McCain / Palin signs from front lawns?
Oh.
Right.

Someone else may be able to recall more of the details. I think it was when Bush I was running a group of kids was repeatedly cruising and pulling up signs. One guy who lived in Kingwood had enough. When he heard the car drive up to steal his Bush sign for the 3rd time, he came out with a 30-06 and shot into the car, killing one teenage.

I think the shooter went into hiding for a few days but was eventually convince to surrender. I have no idea what happened.

Kids do stupid things, more dangerous than they realize.
Adults can just be idiots.

ARK. BLOG: This story is mostly correct as I recall. I think the person who was shot survived, but was seriously injured.

PS -- I have no doubt sign thefts occur on both sides.

WTG, Zatharus. Will that redeem us, Uncle Remus?

(I won't mention the jockey certain people liberated from a rural lawn out near Thornburg)

You'll be happy to hear... McCain / Palin signs are also "disappearing" from lawns.

Mudturtle -

Would love to have some verification of your story. Or did you just "hear" it somewhere?

I mean, a teenager was shot dead, according to you. Then the shooter hid out for a few days, then surrendered.

So this case should be on record somewhere.

When was it? Where was it? Where can we source it?

Thanks.

So how about it Max? Some live streaming vid in the center of the Website? Talk about uppin your web hits!

Norma and Mudturtle-

I remember the incident very well. I don't think that a kid was killed. He was paralyzed which may be worse depending on your perspective. Guy whose last name was Copping was eventually charged and pleaded out to some lesser included offense. He didn't catch much time if any.

Which seemed kind of odd for somebody accused of standing in the street shooting a .357 (as I recall) at a car as it was driving away. That ain't exactly retreating to the wall.

Funny, Max. There have been brash sign stealing from Republican supporters as well. Looks like both sides need to grow up.

Norma, Mudturtle's story is a little exaggerated. The irate homeowner was Tommy Copping on Rockwood, a member of the family that owns Coppings Liquor. He did not hit anyone, much as well kill someone. And he didn't hide out either. I think it also was Bush 2 or Dole, not Bush 1.

The ironic part is that a few years earlier he was playing golf at Rebsamen Park when then-President Clinton pulled up with his motorcade and borrowed Tommy's (left-handed) club to hit a shot.

Right about the paralysis.
Right about the golf.

Wrong about the serious injury

Not sure about the hiding out, but when the guy from CDI disappeard, I thought about it being the same thing.

Tonight the republicans are going to go around screwing up the alignment on dishnetwork dishes so people can't watch the Obama channel.

Since when is paralysis not a serious injury? In any event, I think one of the bullets struck the car, ricocheted and struck the kid in the back seat.

As I recall, they couldn't find Tommy for a couple of days after the incident. It was feared that he might have taken his life or was contemplating doing so. After a couple of days he resurfaced and turned himself in.

I had forgotten the Rebsamen story. Only in Arkansas.

I almost forgot I was reading the Times blog, Max!

"the devil's going to get them"

"job for a shotgun"

I thought only Republicans were allowed to use that kind of language.

And, EA is most certainly correct. Unfortunately, this sophomoric sign stealing is committed by supporters of both parties.

"Since when is paralysis not a serious injury? In any event, I think one of the bullets struck the car, ricocheted and struck the kid in the back seat.

As I recall, they couldn't find Tommy for a couple of days after the incident. It was feared that he might have taken his life or was contemplating doing so. After a couple of days he resurfaced and turned himself in."

Sorry my post wasn't clear. I was referring to several things.

I had been wrong when I said someone was killed. It was "only" paralysis.
I meant that the poster cliaming "No serious injury" was wrong.

I agree with your memory about the possibility of suicide versus fleeing the country

(I had driven by the car of teens about 5 minutes before the incident, and laughed as I saw them run back to the car with a sign.)

Hey, what's a little shoot-out among friends.

Copping got away with shooting that kid. I had to stand right behind him in line for 2.5 hours to vote at St. Paul's Methodist that election (it was 92). Very creepy. I never set foot in his liquor store again. Moved my business to Bullard's. They're nice folks with a store dog.

I think maybe just maybe Republicans are getting past the "Clinton did it too" stage. Now they just say "everyone is doing it" or "everyone's to blame."

Tommy ain't exactly standard issue.

Maybe these "Rethuglicans" are not desperate, right wing, racist kids at all, but instead democrats, and to the full extent of the meaning of the word. Maybe these bandits are relocating obama signs from an area of high concentration (fayetteville) to another location with a little more right wing residents. It would make perfect sense for them to do this, since 'crats have that tendency. I think I remember a quote that goes something like " its better for everyone if we spread the wealth around" some crazy guy that preaches this "change" message said that one. so if yall don't like it when someone swipes your sign just remember that those signs could be going to a neighborhood that needs them more than you do. Oh, and its not for you to decide who gets those signs, leave that up to the "rethuglicans"