My drive between events my sons were involved in recently took me from downtown toward the west side of Fayetteville. Weaving through the Wilson Park area, I spotted several Tom Terminella for Mayor signs. Someone had spray painted a couple of the larger ones. It looked like the "artist" didn't attempt to do anything other than deface the campaigns signs. If the paint represented any symbol, it was unintelligible.
But the message wasn't. It was one of political opposition. Nearby signs for other candidates had not been painted. I saw no evidence of generalized graffiti on other structures. Terminella's signs were the targets. On his social media, he reported at least 30 signs were damaged by vandals.
Terminella is challenging eight-year Mayor Lioneld Jordan, as is resident Ron Baucum. Baucum seems the odd man out in a race I think most would agree is between the incumbent and the aggressive businessman and Fayetteville native Terminella.
"It is time my opponents call on their supporters to act in a decent, respectful way. This is exactly why I am running for mayor -- we need new leadership that does not promote only one voice being represented in Fayetteville," Terminella said in a online statement.
Terminella did what plenty of political campaigns have done over the years -- turn a negative into a campaigning positive. He paints a picture that conjures up an image of someone wearing a "Lioneld for Mayor" T-shirt buying up spray paint cans to pass out at the next campaign meeting.
Is it fair to suggest Jordan's supporters are willing to break the law in the effort to keep their man in office?
No, it would be patently unfair.
Last week, the Rev. Robb Ryerse wrote a column in this paper declaring "They don't speak for me" as he outlined a host of issues in which his interpretation of Christian thought didn't jibe with that of other Christians he sees interviewed on television. Hopefully, there's some Christian commonality. Otherwise, someone's misapplying the name.
But the frustration is understandable. We all want to be evaluated on our own merits. I'm sure Terminella doesn't want to be tainted by the poor practices of some less-than-ethical developers, and it would be unfair to for anyone to make such assumptions.
In politics, there's been a great effort to paint all of Donald Trump's supporters -- the Deplorables, as Hillary Clinton described some of them -- as ignorant, racist, homophobic, xenophobic thugs.
It's societal shorthand, and it's too generalized to be of use in anything other than manipulation. Americans are becoming less discerning and more divided, and it's a sorry condition for the future of our country.
I'd venture both Jordan and Terminella find value in judging people on their own merits, not because they can be linked to someone else who did something beyond the bounds of good behavior.
Those who care to behave ethically have to recognize, however, that their poor choices will be used to judge larger groups, more so than their good choices. Most cops do their jobs with honor and care. Most people marching for social change want to drive progress, but not provoke violence. Most teachers will protect their students rather than see them as sexual prey.
Whatever groups we care about will be promoted or diminished by our association and our behaviors. When we fall short, it won't be covered up with a coat of paint.
Commentary on 10/24/2016