I, along with several thousand Silverton citizens who did not vote for Trump and do not support Elon Musk or Make America Great Again (MAGA) enthusiasts, are fed up of the large banners glorifying them on the fence on Westfield by Safeway. These banners, besides breaking local political signage code, do not encompass the varied political views that Silvertonians hold. It is disconcerting to see our town become an open platform for individuals distorting our collective voice based on personal preferences. Additionally, these banners promote political figures who have been associated with misogyny, racism, sexism, fascism, and homophobia. This negatively impacts the inclusive culture we embrace in Silverton, and sabotages our reputation with tourists.

We believe in and support our constitutional rights to freedom of speech. The Silverton signage code allows political signage within its guidelines. However, these banners do not meet those guidelines and break several of our signage codes in terms of size, length of time up, and lighting. We are not asking this individual to not express their political beliefs, we are asking them to do it within the city's codes.

Silverton is a place of expression, diversity, and tolerance. We take pride in the varied perspectives and backgrounds of our residents, and these banners undermine the very fabric of our inclusivity by suggesting a unanimous political alignment which simply does not exist.

We want to remind our city officials that, statistically speaking, more than half of the votes in Silverton in the 2020 election were cast for a candidate other than Trump, making the endorsement of these banners a distortion of our political landscape.

As a responsible and inclusive community, we encourage our city officials to assert local political signage codes and respect the varied political perspectives within our neighborhoods. Let us not allow the voice of a few to over-echo the voice of the many. Let's protect the image and values of our beloved Silverton.

Please sign this petition to urge our city officials to call for the removal of these misleading and non-representative banners.