Dear Editor,
Monday, October 6 2008
I’m responding to Mr. Marten’s letter regarding election sign destruction that was published in the Cowichan News Leader on Saturday.
First, I thank him for helping our camp put up signs. I also thank all the volunteers from all the camps for volunteering their time.
Your readers may not know just how huge this riding is. From the Malahat Mountain Inn to Departure Bay, from Cowichan Bay to the West Coast to Claoose, there is a lot of ground for volunteers to cover.
All camps suffer from what I call “post party push-over” where signs are knocked over at night, here and there.
Sadly, however, there is a small group of zealot anti-Conservative activists who seem so angry and intolerant, they will go to great lengths to try and silence and instil fear in the public who support any other ideal other then their own.
These are not directives given by Jean Crowder or her Camp, but they are not doing Crowder’s Camp any favours.
This systematic pattern of “seek and destroy” Conservative signs needs to end because someone is bound to get hurt. For example, our large signs in Lake Cowichan were run over by a vehicle. If someone was behind the sign at the time they would have been seriously injured or killed.
All of our large signs in Lake Cowichan have been defaced, destroyed, or have disappeared all together, lumber and all.
The same has taken place on Gabriola Island. Every one of our large signs has been bashed down and many slashed with knives.
I am asking Jean Crowder and her team to appeal to her supporters and impress upon them that this anti-democratic tactic cannot be tolerated.
And to all the voters and campaign workers, don’t let bully behaviour stop you from getting involved. We cannot let a small group of anarchists hi-jack our rights and freedoms. Democracy is something to embrace and celebrate and in this riding, every vote counts.
John Koury, Campaign Manager, Reed Elley
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