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She’s a sign of the political times
BRENDA HAWKINS / Staff
Betsy Ross, 51, gives the thumbs-up to a supportive passerby. She said the attitude of many people is a disturbing indicator of what the future may hold.
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She’s been spit on and had things thrown at her from moving cars. Some people blow their horns in support of her cause; others lift a finger in opposition. One man parked his car, ran at her, threatened to hit her and ripped a sign to shreds, having misunderstood what she had written, but all this hasn’t stopped Naples resident Betsy Ross from exercising her right to free speech.
“My purpose is not to sway Democrats, Republicans or Independents. My purpose is to remind everybody else that there’s going to be a vote, and it’s gonna happen soon,” she says.
Ross, a registered nurse, is on a one-woman mission to raise awareness. She has spent every spare minute of the day for the past eight weeks holding political signs, most referencing conservative views, at various intersections throughout the county.
For Ross, it’s been a learning experience.
She learned the hard way you can’t tape signs to public structures within the city limits. That got her a $150 ticket from the Naples Police Department. She’s observed that response to her signs varies, depending on the day of the week and location and that it’s best if the signs aren’t too wordy.
And Ross says she’s also learned a lot about human nature.
When one woman became verbally abusive, she invited the woman to make her own signs and stand beside her.
“That’s what it’s all about,” she says. “If she feels that strongly about her candidate, she has the right to bring her butt right down here and do what I’m doing, but so do I. It’s our right to have free speech.”
When the election is over, Ross says she will be happy to rejoin her husband on the golf course, but meanwhile, she urges people to think carefully before casting their ballot.
“I am so fearful for my country. I’m not a party activist. It’s how I feel,” she says.
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