An Akinsdale resident said he feels “upset and disgusted” after he found his Michael Cooper election sign burned to the ground on his lawn.
Murray Olexan made a complaint to the police after he noticed the campaign sign in a pile of char while he was leaving for work Sept. 30.
“I was leaving for work, go to drive away and I notice our sign is missing. I thought, ‘What the heck?’ But I can see the frame is still there, and there’s stuff on the ground,” he said.
The sign in question was a small size plastic campaign sign for incumbent St. Albert-Edmonton Conservative candidate Michael Cooper. A neighbour’s sign across the street for Cooper was left untouched, Olexan said.
Cooper told the Gazette he condemns any vandalism of any election signs.
"It’s really impossible to know what the motivation was, but clearly the act that was perpetrated is wrong and is against the law," he said. "But again, it's tough to know what the motives are."
Olexan said he was “very disgusted” someone would think they have the right to burn his campaign sign just because he might have a different opinion.
This is not the first time someone has tampered with signs on Olexan’s lawn. During the provincial election in the spring, Olexan said he had a sign removed from his yard.
Olexan said he would not replace his Cooper sign until he can get more security cameras set up on his house, adding it is “kind of sad” it had to come to this point. He said he made a complaint to the police, who also suggested he set up more cameras.
The vandalism reveals a complete lack of respect for other people’s opinions, Olexan said, and is reflective of the times we live in.
“It’s become a scenario where everybody’s offended about something but yet there’s no acceptance of, hey we can agree to disagree,” he said.
Olexan said he is not a confrontational person, and if anyone has an issue with him he would rather that person confront him directly.
“If there’s an issue, let’s talk about it. Don’t destroy someone’s property,” he said.
“We live in a democracy and people have died to enjoy the life we have, and I’m sorry but this isn’t going to silence me from what I have the democratic right to believe in and to do.”
