As political campaigns heat up locally, so do incidents of vandalism.

Alex and Marcia McKinnon, of Oxford, posted a political sign on their 68-acre farm, only to have it defaced several days later.

Marcia, a former art teacher, created the political sign herself in an effort to express her opinion in regards to November’s general election.

“I thought I’m not going to remain silent, I’m going to post my preference for the candidate (of my choice),” Marcia said.

She created the sign using two sets of 18 foot flexible plastic gold rope lights arranged on a wire grid. The lettering was then secured to the grid with garden twist ties and sections of the lights were blacked out with electrical tape to spell out “TRUMP.”

The McKinnons had left to visit their daughter around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13. Despite having several signs reading “No trespassing” posted on the property, the couple returned to their home on N. Baldwin Road, in the early hours of Sunday, Aug. 14 to find the sign had been tampered with and the lettering had been changed.

The lights on the sign, which had taken Marcia nearly four hours to complete, had been twisted and bent to spell out another word.

According to Alex, the act was a blow to the very freedoms the United States was founded on.

“We are in a political battle for our freedom with this election. This is taking away my right as an American citizen to express my opinion on my own property,” Alex said.

Marcia agreed with this sentiment, adding that there are more productive ways for people to express their disagreement than through mischief.

“This is the equivalent of rear-ending a car because it has a Trump bumper sticker. I’d say put up your own sign in your yard. Everybody is entitled to a vote. You’re entitled to your opinion, I’m entitled to mine. I’m not gonna come to your yard and take down your sign. Voice your opinion there. Don’t go around and deprive other people of their opinions,” Marcia said.

In response to the incident of vandalism, the McKinnons agreed they will be stepping up security measures on their property and said they will be not be silenced or deprived of their right to express their opinions. They plan to fix and re-post the sign.

Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies are currently investigating the incident.