Municipal candidate Jeremy McCall expected some of his signs to be vandalized when he threw his hat in the ring to run in London’s Ward 11.
What he didn’t expect was that they would be defaced with slurs against persons with disabilities.
McCall’s wife was driving home from work early Sunday morning when she spotted the sign with black markings all over it on a neighbour’s lawn on Baseline Road. She removed the sign and left it in the garage for her husband.
When McCall inspected the vandalism later he quickly determined it wasn’t just scribble, but hateful, disparaging words scrawled across both sides. On one side, his name had been crossed out and replaced with “Jimmy McTard”. On the other side, the words “autismaloid” and “broken” were written with his eyes blacked out and what appeared to be a razor blade and line drawn across his neck.
“It was a little bit surprising and mostly disappointing,” said McCall. “It’s the fact that it was specifically targeting people with disabilities in an aggressive, insulting, and threatening manner that is really the heart of the issue for me. I’ll be fine. I’m a big grown guy, it isn’t going to scare me personally. But I know multiple families on that stretch of Baseline Road where they have children in their home who have autism and they deserve to feel safe.”
McCall reported the vandalism to London police and officers are investigating the incident.
Since the municipal campaign began, McCall has put up 120 election signs around the south London ward. Some have been stolen, others have been kicked down.
“The vandalism of signs is annoying and expected. People don’t realize that the price for signs has gone through the roof because of the pandemic and supply chain issues. Signs cost double what they used to,” noted McCall.
What he also finds troubling in relation to the anti-disabled vandalism, is that 48 hours after going public with it, current elected official in Ward 11 Councillor Stephen Turner, who is not running for re-election, has not spoken up against the language used.
“When we cross that line and we start harassing people for race, gender or disability status or sexuality that is way too far no matter what. That is the point where we really have to draw the line and stand up as leaders and say ‘this is wrong,’” said McCall.
Ward 2 Councillor Shawn Lewis and Thames Centre Deputy Mayor Kelly Elliott have condemned the vandalism.
McCall added that he has been directing people reaching out to him to offer their support in light of this incident to donate to the London Chapter of Autism Ontario.
