Several things got me thinking about this topic.

First, I was playing catch with my nephew in the park this weekend, making small talk with the dog-walkers and noticed a man really scowling at me. Only later did I deduce that he might have been scowling at my Che Guevara t-shirt.

Then, I saw this "I had an abortion" T-shirt being offered (only $15!) by Planned Parenthood. Wait a minute, I thought abortion was all about privacy! Yikes. At least it's in trendy "old school" brown/baby blue color scheme.

Lastly, as it's election season, bumper stickers and pins are starting to appear, and I'm wondering if I should endorse anyone on my car, my office, my shirt, etc. I was in a meeting with a guy who had a Kerry button on his briefcase, and I kind of wanted to discuss the campaign, but it felt inappropriate at work. Political beliefs are personal for me, and I don't feel comfortable discussing this stuff with colleagues. Personally, not saying you can't or shouldn't.

Long-winded way of saying:

Would you / do you promote your beliefs on your clothing, car, front lawn?

Candidates, causes, or both?

Do your companies, schools, whatever have any guidelines about political materials appearing in your office or on your person?

I might place something like a banner in my yard. I might wear a shirt with a slogan. Nothing on my car cause it could be keyed while I am gone.
Candidates and causes.
Nothing at work is allowed unless you are friends with the boss(aint it always that way)

Personally I think the best I could do is argue the point or cause I was supporting so I might wear something to try get people to ask questions so I can convert the masses.


That abortion shirt is just plain sick. Although I support choice if I saw that shirt I might actually end up voting opposite in spite. As if something like that should ever be treated so cavalier a fashion.
Where I a smart campaign official I would use that shirt in my political ads.

see what I mean.

Would you / do you promote your beliefs on your clothing, car, front lawn?

Oh, definitely. It's how people at school know me-- that crazy dude will all those political shirts ! On the family van we have Kucinich and Kerry/Edwards stickers (both of which I slipped on in the middle of the night ). I just bought a Kerry/Edwards sign for the front yard. I have a veritable plethora of shirts, including the following:

Howard Dean shirt (which I'm styling in my profile pic)
Dennis Kucinich shirt
The Axis of Evil Shirt
A shirt with V.I. Lenin on it
Come See Iraq Shirt
Sunflower Green Party Shirt
One Nation Under Surveillance Shirt
ACLU Shirt
and
A First Amendment Center Shirt (no graphic could be found, but it has the First Amendment Center logo on the front and the First Amendment on the reverse)

And, considering they're all short-sleeved, I'll have to get some long-sleeved shirts now!

Candidates, causes, or both?

Both, as you can see.

Do your companies, schools, whatever have any guidelines about political materials appearing in your office or on your person?

Well, our school only bans logos that promote drug, alcohol, or sex; they also ban, but rarely enforce, Confederate flags. We can generally get away with wearing any political shirts we want-- although I'm the only person I've ever seen who's worn one.

TennesseeLeftWinger, you've inspired me. I've decided to add a few conservative T-shirts to the mix.

Under consideration - "Fry Mumia" , "John Kerry for President ... of France" and "I (heart) Halliburton." I'll let you know if I get my butt kicked!

Would you / do you promote your beliefs on your clothing, car, front lawn?
I have an anti-Bush shirt (Don't Censure Bush, Impeach the [bad word]) that I've been afraid to wear, and a "Kick Bush out the Door in 2004" bumper sticker that I'm afraid to put on my car. Why, you say? Because Bushies scare the bejesus out of me and I wouldn't put it past them to attack me or my car. So, I'm a wuss. I put up political cartoons in my cube...one other guy and me are the token liberals here.

And I just have to say: TennesseeLeftWinger, YOU ROCK!!

Do your companies, schools, whatever have any guidelines about political materials appearing in your office or on your person?
I'm not sure. They don't mind stuff in the cubes as long as it doesn't fall into the realm of offensive (a la sexual harassment and the like). I wouldn't wear a political t-shirt unless it was pretty tame.

Would you / do you promote your beliefs on your clothing, car, front lawn?

yes. in fact, it is my favorite shirt. it's a CCCP shirt. I believe in the ideals of communism though and do not condone all of the soviet unions actions.

I don't have a yard so I don't put any signs on it. If I did have a yard I wouldn't either. I also don't wear political paraphernalia or put it on my car. I would fear a noocular family war if I had anything other than Bush for President.

Seriously that is part of the answer but even if I didn't have a noocular threat I wouldn't do it either. I think of my politics (so this covers cause and candidate) as personal and don't feel comfortable wearing my beliefs on my sleeve. I would have to feel especially passionate to do it and sadly that hasn't happened so far.

Now as for work, well I work from home so if I wanted to I could decorate my entire office area with all the political paraphernalia I wanted.

Right around the time the invasion of Iraq began, our family had T-shirts printed up:
In our essentially conservative community, the shirts have gotten noticed, but we received no criticism from the pro-war folks. Seems like when the Big Guy is directly quoted, it's hard to argue with in a religious community.

We also have a big floral peace symbol (with red, white and blue flowers) hanging in our picture window with blue wooden letters, PEACE, suspended above it. Nobody has said a word. Most of the homes in the neighborhoods have flags flying instead. We have an oak tree in the front yard that has a yellow ribbon around it, and there is a Blue Star banner in our upstairs dormer window. Yes, we have a son who serves and yes, we want him home safe and sound.

I saw a car that had two bumper stickers on it: "Peace is Patriotic," and one I love: "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention."

On our car we have "WAGE PEACE" and, of course, "AmericasDebate.com--Free speech for everyone!"

So far nobody has approached us in disagreement of our views. It seems the pro-war fervor has died down.

I did consider this bumper sticker featured on an Internet site: "Iraq: We told you so," but I figured it would be rubbing salt in some still-fresh wounds.

Would you / do you promote your beliefs on your clothing, car, front lawn?

Clothing: Issues, sometimes. I have a few AIDS awareness t-shirts (and U2's "Pride" EP cover with MLK, Jr. - if that counts), a "How dare you presume I'm heterosexual" pin, a few Disney "Environmentality" pins (which they release every Earth Day), and that sort of thing.

I haven't really worn political election-type pins since 1980. The Youth International Party (Yippies) put out a pin for the national election that year which said "SHOOT BUSH FIRST" (uh, yeah - I've taken a dim view of the Bush dynasty from the outset). Now that pin stimulated conversation. I wore the thing daily, before and after the election - until Reagan got shot. I kinda lost my faith in badges after that.

Car: Not at the moment. My last car had two bumper stickers: "Don't Blame Me - I Voted with the Majority" and "You Don't Have To Like Bush To Love America". My current car only has an America's Debate bumper sticker - and even that got keyed. I guess someone out there doesn't like free speech. Fancy that.

Lawn: Nope. I find things in peoples' lawns generally unsightly - especially if they're something that I have to read. I'd put a plastic flamingo in my lawn before a campaign sign.

I suppose if I were supporting a candidate who had a chance of winning an election on the basis of my sporting a pin or a bumper sticker, I'd probably do so. I don't imagine that a candidate that I actually supported having a chance of winning anything is likely to happen in my lifetime.

Do your companies, schools, whatever have any guidelines about political materials appearing in your office or on your person?

We have strict guidelines in relation to dress. No pins or badges of any kind - even tradition jewelry is discouraged (and restricted). In our cubicles, we can pretty much do what we want - so long as the language is inoffensive by Disney standards.

I have a few photocopied quotes from George W Bush like "Who cares what you think?" and his letter to the Salvation Army in which he makes the "firm commitment" to protect government-funded religious charities from hiring discrimination laws and other stuff like that (including another America's Debate bumper sticker). No campaign materials, though. Again, I'd have to actually support a candidate for that kinda thing to appear.

I have a Howard Dean t-shirt that says Arizona for Howard Dean on the front says "I want my country back" on the back. As far as issues goes I have a Peter Tosh "Wanted Dread and Alive" which express my problems with the criminal justice system and drug laws. I don't have a car or lawn so that makes it hard to put anything on them.

I have a ton of buttons, but I always feel kinda sensitive about wearing them. Esepcially around work. I wear my Kerry stuff with pride when I am wandering around the city, or hanging out with friends...but rarely when I am going in to work.

Just my two cents!

Yup, I do all the time.

Bumper Stickers currently on car: "God Bless the Whole World -- No Exceptions"

"Protect Wild Utah"

"No More, No Way" --with picture of nuclear tower on it

Current Lawn signs:

"Affirm Life -- choose non-violence"

"Vote Green! -- Diana Lee Hirschi for County Mayor"

Clothing:

T-shirt with photo of Western Shoshone sisters Carrie and Mary Dann who are fighting the U.S gov't to keep their land "Homeland Security -- Fighting Terrorism since 1492"

T-shirt "We Found the Weapons of Mass Destruction" with map of USA and the locations of our various WMD enterprises.

T-shirt "Green Party" with the Key Values of the party on the back of the shirt.

T-shirt "Regime change in the U.S. not Cuba -- Pastors for Peace"

T-shirt "Utahns say 'Nuclear Waste -- NO WAY!' "

T-shirt "CODE PINK -- Women for Peace"

T-shirt "There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people -- Howard Zinn"

T-shirt "Yucca Mountain is Not a done deal --- No Dump"

More buttons than I can count -- all dealing with progressive topics and candidates.




both



I'm doing the stay at home mom thing for a couple of years so it's not currently an issue. Most places I have worked in the past would be very much against any type of political clothing worn to work.

I mostly wear my shirts to events that correspond -- peace t shirts at peace vigils, planning meetings and marches. Nuke shirts to educational events and rallies on nuke issues, etc.