Metro’s May 8 article, “Yard Signs Annoy Neighbors’ Compliments” struck a chord with me. First, I accepted the idea of the original patio sign, which I saw several yards away in my neighborhood (“In this house, we think black lives matter…”). Then I moved to the comments section online, where the most popular comment was the sentiment I agree with. Then I continued reading more comments and was horrified to see so many barbs.
After sleeping on it, I think the second sign–“In this house, we think simplistic platitudes…are poor substitutes for respectful, rational discussions about complex issues”–though perhaps is mostly in opposition to the inclusive and indulgent sentiments of the first sign (itself certainly a response). action against the MAGA Agenda), can also be interpreted as a reminder to those of us with liberal sentiments that concrete, tangible policies that can be effective in achieving our common goals are a real challenge to formulate and implement.
We’ve all probably heard examples of NIMBY-ism in the voting behavior of some of our neighbors and friends who have the first mark. Perhaps the second signal is to remind us to examine our political participation and electoral behavior to ensure that we are not hypocritical.
Jacqueline CollegeAnd Chevy Chase
