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Man Ordered To Take Down 'Racist Romney' Sign Or Go To Jail
A Ventura County man was ordered to pull the plug on his flashing neon anti-Mitt Romney sign in his front yard today or go to jail.
Steven Showers, who first put up the sign last August in front of his home in Newbury Park, said he intends to comply with the order issued by a Ventura County Superior Court judge. According to the Ventura County Star, Showers has until 5 p.m. today to take down the sign or he'll be facing up to 45 days in jail.
Last week, a jury convicted Showers of eight misdemeanor code violations. Showers, 60, represented himself at the trial.
Showers insists he has a First Amendment right to display the sign, which says "Romney's Racist Heart Dotcom. Save the GOP." He installed it back when Romney was still running for president, and refused to remove it even though the GOP candidate lost the election.
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His issue with Romney is that he's a Mormon. As Showers said to the Ventura County Star last year, "I was stunned to find out that the Mormon religion is a white supremacist, anti-black, racist ideology."
A neighbor told KCAL when it first went up, "It's obnoxious. It's an eyesore here. I wish it was gone."
Showers built the neon sign himself for $2,000 and was also selling a smaller version for $800. No word on whether he had any takers.
He wore a full-length brown monk's robe for a photo shoot with the Ventura County Star, which he said symbolized God's love as the best way to fight racism.
Related:
Man's 14-Foot Neon Yard Sign Calls Mitt Romney Racist
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