In fairness, the first time I’ve ever seen this technique, it was when a Hillary campaign sign was electrified. I don’t think the technique is ipso facto “bullying”; it’s more that you have a sign that will provoke someone (good or bad) to pull it down.
(And when I defend this prank, I’m not defending a Trump sign per se: I’m mentally defending it from the point of view of electrifying a Bernie sign or an Emmet Till monument. Which necessitates that the Trump sign must also obtain.)
But, is it? You’re delivering a painful shock (that’s all) to someone who is committing vandalism on your property and deliberately inhibiting your political speech.
There are laws against setting potentially fatal booby traps against thieves
Yes, there are. And to the extent that this sign could trigger a pacemaker failure, I agree the homeowner is opening himself to this liability. This trap is not, however, a shotgun on a tripwire.
It’s dangerous sociopathic behaviour however you look at it. But, at the risk of sounding “uncivil” to the bothsides-ers, Biff’s supporters are much more prone to such behaviour than Clinton’s or Sanders’ supporters are.
Anyone who thinks that Sanders doesn’t have his share of arsehole supporters hasn’t been paying attention since 2016. They’re nowhere near as numerous as Il Douche’s arsehole supporters, but they’re there.
Yes. There are laws against setting potentially fatal booby traps against thieves and vandals. That painful shock could result in the death of someone with a pacemaker, for example.
From the first link above, relevant language highlighted:
A booby trap may be defined as any concealed or camouflaged device designed to cause bodily injury when triggered by any action of a person making contact with the device. This term includes guns, ammunition, or explosive devices attached to trip wires or other triggering mechanisms, sharpened stakes, nails, spikes, electrical devices, lines or wires with hooks attached, and devices for the production of toxic fumes or gases.
typically i don’t comment on articles. however, when i see boing boing promoting obviously fake material, i have to comment and attempt to set the record straight. but hey, if you think it’s funny to perpetuate falsehoods, you do you.
He doesn’t jump before he grabs it. I agree the camera moving shows it’s not a security cam: so what? If you’ll notice, the guy is wearing gloves: because he knows it’s electrified? (and tried to grab it previously?)
If this were fake, why would the perpetrator be wearing gloves? Why would the sign be electrified at all?
I’m no Trump fan, but I have to say this is pretty funny. I live in a red state and I have liberal friends who complain every election year about their signs for Democratic candidates being stolen from their yard. I may have to show them this video.
Because the r/InstantKarma reddit sub is used by people to generate karma. It’s like r/prorevenge is used by people learning to write stories in order to write good ones.
No-one is making excuses for vandals and thieves. And I’ll grant you that, in modern America, one man’s sociopathic behaviour in ignoring the law regarding setting booby traps is another’s “rugged individualism.”
Several months after the 2016 election, there was one house in my neighborhood that kept a huge Trump MAGA banner up, tied between two pine trees in their front yard. I had to drive past it every time I went to the grocery store, and I kept getting saltier and saltier about the election results. My county has ordinances about how long you can keep temporary electioneering signage up, so I submitted a complaint. Within a week, that fucking sign was gone.
i think booby traps are ok now thanks to stand your ground. all life is made of carbon. the sign was peacefully minding it’s business.
i try to remain ideologically pure, so if i’m ok with bernie sanders building an elaborate home alone style series of traps in the white house to reduce secret service budget, i’m also ok w/ electrified trump signs on private property. hurts less than a bucket of bricks!
that sounds unconstitutional but i get why you were frustrated, it’s nazi shit not just republican shit
reddit is a pretty broad site w some very esoteric and low traffic subs, it’s kind of a low blow to imply getting wonderful things from reddit is bad. what do you use? digg? hacker news?
i don’t like the 2000s or weirdo mra phrenology so i use reddit
I trash a bunch of political signs every election cycle. People put them on the common areas in my neighborhood, which is against the rules. If the sign is on someone’s yard, it’s fine. If it’s on common property and I see it, it’s gone.
I don’t care who the sign is for (although I can tell you that I still haven’t had to remove a sign for a non-Republican), I take it down.
We are both in full agreement that “deadly” booby traps, booby traps that cause “bodily injury” are bad. This sign is not a fatal booby trap that causes bodily injury.
In any case, for consistency, would you be solidly against the glitter/fart-rigged porch pirate booby trap from previous BB article?
