DEXTER, Mich. (WXYZ) — Half a dozen parents are standing strong after they say they've been the subjects of politically motivated vandalism. All of this because they have signs supporting their candidate of choice in their front yard.
In a video caught by a surveillance camera, you can see a red truck drive by and throw dozens of 2-inch nails into the front yard of one house.
"It was one thing to take signs off and throw them across the street, but this has really escalated. We want this to stop," says Karen Szymanski.
It's been over a month now, and the vandalism has escalated from throwing trash into the front yards to throwing broken glass and nails.
"Four times I had to go down and pick these up as I was leaving so I wouldn't get a nail in my car," says Karen Szymanski.
One neighbor tells 7 News Detroit that it makes his kids feel so unsafe they begged him to stop putting signs out.
"It definitely feels like an intimidation thing and yeah… my wife and daughters have definitely felt the brunt of that," says David, who did not give his last name.
All the residents say they aren't going to allow this to rattle them. They will continue to exercise their First Amendment rights, regardless of their neighbor's actions.
"We should be able to represent our views without being threatened or intimidated," says David.
"I don't want to take them down because I shouldn't have to do that," says Szymanski.
While they don't understand what the rationale is behind these attacks, they say they just want it to stop before someone gets hurt.
"It doesn't change the way I vote. It doesn't change the way I see my neighbors. It's the desire to want to be able to express your interests and your beliefs and not be harassed and intimidated for those," says David.
