Who’s right? — Toilet patriot or town with taste

A lawsuit has been filed against Winslow Township by a resident who just wants to be left alone. Well, that's not all he wants. He wants to be left alone with red, white and blue toilets and confederate flags, a Trump sign, doll parts, an Uncle Sam statue, and a plastic vulture skeleton strewn all over his yard. That's just a partial list by the way.

He calls it art, and himself a patriot and a Trump supporter. The town calls it trash and they charged him twice last year with failure to remove the debris. His conviction for that was overturned in Superior Court and the judge there said the township violated his civil rights.

The man, Michael Speece, has filed a lawsuit against the town for malicious prosecution. So we're to accept that you can make your property into what any sane person would regard as an unsightly trash dump and be okay with it? Perhaps legally Winslow has to accept this. Anyone recall the recent story of a man so at war with his town in Vermont that in the end he erected a giant middle finger statue on a pole as his constitutionally protected message to town leaders?

Legally is one thing. Imagine the person who has the misfortune of owning property next to Speece. What's this doing to that person's property value should they try to sell? Lots of luck getting a fair price with what looks like a nutjob living next door. Yet their property taxes certainly won't reflect the loss in value.

If you want a better idea of Speece's 'artistic expression' check out some photos here. Then take our poll and give us your opinion.

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