When Rita Padilla-Gutiérrez posted anti-Trump signs in her yard, Valencia County threatened her with criminal prosecution at the urging of a pro-Trump county commissioner. Rita, a longtime Tomé resident and community activist, refused to be silenced.
No one should ever be threatened with criminal prosecution for having a political sign in their yard. But that’s what happened to me.
After I hand-painted and posted several anti-Trump signs in my yard – including a Fuck Trump! sign – code enforcement officials showed up with a threatening code citation letter. The letter deemed one of my signs a public nuisance and threatened to criminally prosecute me if I did not take it down within 24 hours. I later learned that a pro-Trump county commissioner was behind the code enforcement threat.
I knew that being threatened criminally for my speech wasn’t right, so I wrote to the ACLU of New Mexico. The ACLU of New Mexico wrote a demand letter to Valencia County, explaining my First Amendment right to post political yard signs. Within a day of receiving the ACLU of New Mexico’s letter, Valencia County did the right thing and retracted the criminal prosecution threat. The county attorney also promised to review the code enforcement process to ensure that future enforcement isn’t politically motivated.
"It's important to me to express my opinion about this administration."
I have deep ties to Tomé, New Mexico, where I posted my signs. Generations of my family have lived here. My mother was the Tomé postmaster for 43 years. I think her experience and my father's dedication to the Town of Tomé Land Grant are how I became committed to public service – always giving back, always volunteering. My community and political activism also go back a long way. I’m a product of the 1970s. In college, I was supportive of the movement to advance Hispanic representation in higher education. Moving back home after college, when I saw something going on with the county commission or the school board, I was quick to write a letter. I’ve always felt good about sharing my opinion.
It's important for me to express my opinion about this administration. I come from a counseling background with a degree in social work and a master’s in counseling. I’m angered every morning when I hear about what this administration is doing – all the hatred, racism, and retaliation. Trump’s behavior is such an affront to my core values and background. I’ve always fought for the underdog. We have got to get back on the right course. We need to stop hating people and breaking up families.
People in Tomé know my commitment to the community. They also know me as someone who doesn’t back down when I see something that isn’t right. That’s why I’m proud to have my signs in my yard.
