The recent act of vandalism on the Obama Campaign for Change office in Elizabeth comes on the heels of incidents where local Democratic candidates have had to deal with signs being torn down and destroyed around the county and Obama-Biden signs being removed along Elbert Road.

We all know that Elbert County is a very conservative, Republican county but about one-sixth of its citizens happen to be registered Democrats. The lack of tolerance and the disrespect shown toward Elbert County Democrats is extensive. Beyond that, the smashing of windows at the Obama Campaign for Change office in Elizabeth is a clear act of intimidation; in fact, it is an act of American terrorism, designed to threaten those who would stand up and be counted in the American political process.

Those who perpetrated these acts ought to think again. They are attempting to deny local Democrats the very political rights that conservative Republicans are so eager to defend and promote in battlefields around the world.

I call on all decent Republican candidates to issue statements deploring these actions. I also want to gain the attention of those of you who are undecided or independent in the upcoming election. I want you to notice what some of your neighbors will do to stop you from noticing that you have a choice to vote for Democratic candidates in the upcoming election.

In addition, I encourage you to make note of the smear tactics and incendiary comments used by the McCain-Palin ticket. This approach has resulted in rallies that have inspired racial epithets and threats of violence against Barack Obama, with little or no repudiation from the Republican candidates. Perhaps that’s why we needed a Campaign for Change in the first place.

Arty Smith

Elbert