I don't want any burning crosses.

It's the political season. And that means politicians have erected lawn signs up and down my street. And they're all Republicans. Sad to say, I live in a Republican neighborhood. I'm the only socialist and Democrat sympathizer. I'm the only resident here that voted for Obama. Maybe it's a sign that I'm the least affluent. Everybody aroud here, except me, qualifies as rich. My lakeshore lot is worth more than my house. Two doors south of me are two swank, multi-million dollar mansions. Both are for sale. One listed with the prestigious international Sotheby's. My house, relatively speaking, is a shack. But it's home. Nice. I like the location. The lakefront. I'm facing west. So I am in perfect position to see the sunsets. And a mile or so straight across the lake from me is Forest Lake's Lakeside Park. From which, on July 4th, are launched fireworks. So I just sit out on my deck and watch the colorful splendour in the sky. My neighbors have mostly fleets of motorboats and pontoon boats. I just have a canoe with a little trolling motor and a couple of paddles. They also have fancy docks. I just wade out into the lake from the shore. We socialists live without the finer Republican luxuries. I've been thinking about inviting socialists and Democrats to put their lawn signs in my yard. But I'm fearful of a neighborhood uprising of Republican vigilantes. They might decide to teach me a lesson and burn a cross on my lawn. --Jim Broede