About Addison Antico

In 2016, I faced a life lesson. A lesson that would make me the person I am today. Junior year, I took a class called AP Government. This was a college-level" class teaching students about United States politics and how the U.S. Government works throughout our daily lives. However, since this was a time in which the 2016 Presidential Election was taking place, this topic flooded our class discussions. We would be constantly doing presentations on the candidates and also having open debates. It is important to understand the demographics of where my High School was. I lived in VERY liberal town that barely tolerated any type of conservatism, especially when it related to Donald Trump. 

So one day, I came home to my father and I told him that I was getting vocally beat up at my school and in my classes for showing support for then Candidate Donald Trump. So I asked my dad if we could place hundreds of Trump Campaign signs all across our yard (house was not as visible as most) to show our support and stand strong with our own beliefs. We did the math and it costed thousands of dollars, so it wasn't practical. So then I got a better idea...one big Trump sign facing the street. 


So that's what we did.

This was posted By President Trump's Facebook Account

We built a Trump Sign that was 14ft tall and 50 ft long built onto a wooden frame facing the main road. We even decided to get lights to display the sign at night with cameras facing towards the sign just in case someone decided to vandalize our 1st Amendment, and someone did try to. Another random member of the town decided to go to the Town Building Commissioner to have it taken down, but "the towering statement is in line with building code and is protected as political speech". 

Wicked Local

After a week of having the sign up, I faced a lot of criticism in school from teachers and students, but i stood my ground all the way to Election Day. The lesson I learned from this experience is that whatever you do in life, it will always disrupt a group of people and it is imperative that you stay true to your beliefs and stay strong, but respectful. If people show strong opposition towards you and your beliefs, that is okay, just don't let your 1st Amendment be violated. Nothing stopped anyone else from doing the same, but with a Hillary or Bernie sign. It is imperative to protect our 1st Amendment or else I wouldn't 
be the person that I am today. 

WSPN