JUST SHUT UP!!!!!

            Election season is here, campaign signs abound, vote for t-shirts everywhere, and in this country it is called “free speech.”  This precious freedom, like a prized orchid, must be handled with care, tended to, and protected from harm.  Today, sadly, I recognized just how naive I was in the need to protect this right and freedom.  I, like hundreds of citizens across the county, have been out campaigning for the candidate of my choice.  Our freedom of speech gives me the right to publicly state my view and convey facts, or so I thought. 

            Yesterday, March 17^th, I chose to hold my candidate sign, Matt Schellenberg, and an additional sign with facts about the opposing candidate at the South Mandarin Library early voting site.  At 6:00 PM I parked my vehicle in the library parking lot gathered my signs and proceeded to the street, San Jose and Orange Picker, to sign wave.  I placed my candidate sign in the ground about 35 feet south of the intersection and began waving my other sign.  The city ordinances that relate to the statements on the sign are 2008-555, 2010-557, 2010-216, 2010-446, 2010-554, and 2007-838.  There are likely other related ordinances as well.

Once on the sidewalk, I spoke with a Webb supporter for several minutes and though we supported different candidates we had a pleasant conversation.  As she walked back to the corner, Mr. Youngblood, another candidate in the same race, walked over and we began talking.  While Mr. Youngblood and I were talking, a white double cab truck pulled up and three men jumped out.  It wasn’t until they walked through the bushes between the parking lot and the sidewalk that I noticed it was Jack Webb, Peter Kelley, and Anthony Hemmerly.  Mr. Webb headed, like a bullet train, directly towards me with his signs waving and attempted to stand directly in front of me.  I then stepped into the street to avoid his aggressive stance.  Mr. Webb, my city council representative, then stated, “It is illegal for you to stand in the street,” I replied, “O.K.”  He followed with “I am going to call the cops” I replied “Go ahead,”  He returned stating “Don’t you know I am the city council president!”  I said, “I know.”  

Freedom of speech, as I previously stated, must be protected.  Mr. Webb and his thugs, three men harassing one woman, will NOT intimidate me for it is my DUTY as an American citizen to stand guard on the wall to protect our freedoms!

            Apparently my refusal to acquiesce infuriated Mr. Webb as he began shouting at me stating, “Lady, You don’t know the truth, “Do your research,” and “You never called my office.”  Ironically, I have done the research and cited the ordinances, I had spoke to Mr. Webb on several occasions at South Mandarin Republican Club meetings over the past two years, and as the Abigail Adams Project representative I contacted Mr. Webb to participate in our candidate survey last December.  So, Mr. Webb had no recollection of ever speaking to me as his constituent and chose not to respond to a survey request from his constituents. 

            Next, Mr. Webb, Mr. Kelley, and Mr. Hemmerly stood directly in front and behind me as to obscure my signs.  Since I was the ONLY Matt Schellenberg sign waver out there, I found it troubling that they would go to such aggressive extremes to silence my free speech.  In addition, I would ask of these men, I will not call them gentlemen, how would they react to their wives or daughters being treated as such?

            For this reason, I chose to move about 20 feet or so south of the men.  Seconds after I placed my sign in the ground, the three men were once again on either side of me aggressively trying to obscure my signs; no freedom of speech on this corner it seems.  This Chicago style politics had me concerned so I used my cell to call a friend and stated loud enough for the men to hear, “Jack Webb’s group is not acting graciously, I need help.”  Subsequently, as quickly as these men had appeared, they disappeared and once again I was standing alone on the street.

            Without a doubt, the abhorrent behavior of my “city council representative” and his cohorts demonstrated a level of deviance, I thought, did not exist at the local level.  My friends, our freedoms are under attack on every front and we must make a choice to stand firmly on that wall to guard them or acquiesce to the intimidation and thuggish behavior of those void of integrity, morals, and honor.

Last night I filed a police report, as my duty, to report this unacceptable behavior; Report #215874.

MR. WEBB I, DEBORAH GONZALEZ, WILL NOT ACQUIESCE NOR BE INTIMIDATED BY YOUR REPULSIVE ACTIONS