California Man Puts Names Of Democrats On Tombstones For Halloween Graveyard Display
It’s not uncommon to see homeowners decorate their front yards with fake tombstones, usually with goofy made-up names or cleverly spooky messages, in celebration of Halloween. However, a Newhall, California man reportedly received flak for etching the names of prominent Democrat politicians in some of the headstones in his mock graveyard.
According to Business Insider, the graveyard featured assorted Halloween decorations and tombstones that paid tribute to late musicians such as Michael Jackson, Prince, and Tom Petty. However, a number of other tombstones were reportedly spotted in the man’s front yard, with the names of California Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Gov. Jerry Brown, and former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton written on them with corresponding messages.
“HILLARY CLINTON WE’RE WAITING B***H”
“INSERT NANCY PELOSI HERE”
“GAVIN NEWSOM 1967 — This [November]!”
“JERRY BROWN DIE”
As further noted by Business Insider, the man also included a fake tombstone that read, “REPUBLICAN PARTY SHOULD HAVE BACKED TRUMP!” CBS Los Angeles specified that yet another headstone in the man’s front yard mocked North Korean leader Kim Jong Un by placing his name over a mushroom cloud.
Speaking in defense of his Halloween display, the Newhall homeowner, who declined to appear or be identified on camera, told CBS Los Angeles that he only put up the tombstones for fun, just as he had been doing for the past eight years without complaint. He added that anyone who has an issue with the display should “lighten up.”
Resident defends Halloween decorations with Clinton, Pelosi, Brown, Newsom on gravestones https://t.co/a5KJ4mrj2c
— CBS Sacramento CBS13 (@CBSSacramento) October 31, 2018
In an interview with CBS Los Angeles, Santa Clarita City Council Democratic candidate Brett Haddock expressed his disappointment with the messages displayed on the Newhall man’s fake tombstones and stressed that he disagrees with messages of that kind, regardless of whether they are aimed at Democrats or Republicans. Haddock also clarified that did not bring up the issue for publicity, but simply because he felt it was “the right thing to do.”
“It’s really kind of sad to see that type of language used to describe a position on something — use violent rhetoric,” said Haddock.
Meanwhile, some of the unnamed man’s neighbors appeared to be fine with the tombstones and the messages they conveyed. John and Rhonda Boone, both Republicans, told CBS Los Angeles that they saw the mock graveyard and weren’t offended, as they live in a “country of free speech.”
Another neighbor, Pat Mill, also admitted seeing the display and taking no offense. Mill, who identifies as a Democrat, said that she feels Haddock is making a big deal of the issue “for publicity,” despite his statements to the contrary.
