The Sliding Overton Window Has Landed in Sun City’s Yards
By Gary Hoover
The implicit permissions of the “new normal” in political discourse that allow previously impermissible statements and behavior (described by political theorists as “the sliding Overton Window”) might be manifesting themselves on your freshly-planted yard sign. It has been reported that yard signs showing support for James Talarico have been vandalized by the placement of stickers depicting the world’s most recognized symbols of communism – the hammer and sickle*. Obviously, this coincides with the effort by their political rivals to label democrats as communists. Given the nature of this activity, and the fact that yard signs are an element of the PDC’s “action plan” leading up to the midterms, it seemed appropriate to address this head on.
First, and most urgent, is that this is happening at all, but especially in Sun City. When did yard sign vandalism become ok here? The shift to incivility in American politics took the sharpest turn in my lifetime with the arrival of Donald Trump on the scene. I recall the Damascene moment very well. It was on August 7, 2015, when Trump told Don Lemon in a CNN interview following the previous night’s debate that moderator Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her wherever.” At that moment, Trump’s misogyny was on full display and I became politically homeless. Moreover, comments that were once outside the political norm became permissible in the eyes of many Americans, and the slide has continued since. Now, it appears it is okay to vandalize not only the U.S. Capitol, but also your yard signs.
As PDC’ers, we do not go on the “Sliding Overton Window Ride” with folks who apparently feel justified in defacing signs based on their content (let alone trespassing on private property to do so.) The reasons for this are obvious and don’t need saying amongst ourselves, but so our approach is public and clear to those whose ideas and behavior we oppose – in response to your misbehavior we will not be baited into ad hominem or reprisals. Rather, we will model civility. So, one of our Steering Committee members came up with a very cool jujitsu move in case your yard sign gets “tagged” by a sticker: we have obtained American flag stickers to apply over any unwanted stickers on your signs. If your yard sign gets defaced, please notify the PDC leadership and we’ll make sure you get one of the flag stickers.
*Ironically, the hammer and sickle, a symbol of totalitarianism and oppression, is being used by forces who are actually dismantling democracy in support of the most authoritarian president in our history.
