Controversial Billboard Causes Stir In Maryland County

ChatGPT
Here’s a copyright-free version of the text:

Note: This story, originally reported in May 2021, is being republished.

A billboard located near the intersection of Route 4 and Bowie Shop Road in Huntingtown, Calvert County, has ignited controversy.

The billboard features caricatures of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris within a cartoon context, accompanied by a message that reads, “DON’T BLAME TRUMP! YOU ARE STUCK WITH THESE TWO (expletive) HEADS!!!”

Jeanette Flaim, chair of the Calvert County Democratic Central Committee, expressed her dismay, stating, “It’s highly offensive. School-going children pass by it daily, and parents are compelled to explain it. We believe children should not be exposed to such content.”

According to reports from the Calvert Recorder and Southern Maryland News, county commissioners indicated limited options in response, citing the 2015 Supreme Court decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert.

Buddy Hance, president of the Board of County Commissioners, remarked, “County authorities are constrained when it comes to regulating content on lawful signage. Our nation cherishes free speech, even when its expression is contentious.”

However, Flaim argued that the issue transcends merely a matter of free speech. She noted a history of pro-Trump and anti-Biden billboards in the same location and emphasized her concern with the latest billboard’s language and imagery. Flaim called for public pressure to prompt the sign’s removal.

“We haven’t raised objections to other signs,” she clarified. “It’s specifically this one that we find detrimental to the community as a whole—Republicans, Independents, everyone.”

Efforts to reach the individual responsible for the billboard for comment have been unsuccessful.

Sources: Fox 5