The political season is in full swing. We’re seeing more and more yard signs, news articles, and ads on TV and the internet. We have politically-minded friends forwarding emails of stories supporting their political views and candidates.

All this activity has one objective in mind — influencing who and what we vote for on July 31st. And as this date draws closer, we all know it will only get worse.

I am sure for some people, seeing things like political yard signs is a bit annoying. After all, these signs do not exactly blend in with the natural landscapes they tend to sit on. They clutter some of our busiest street corners, and on top of that, they are not very informative. At best you get a name, title, and a date.

However, I think the people who put up these signs and the people who allow them to be displayed in front of their homes/businesses do so because, not only do they believe in the candidates running, but they sense that the elections of 2012 are pivotal for the future of our county (and nation).

Some people view their vote as an affirmation of our county’s history and traditions. Thus, they vote for the people they believe will best represent these things.

Some people view their vote as a referendum on what they view as recent mismanagement of taxpayers’ trust.

Either way, I think it is fairly easy to predict that we will probably see more and more yard signs, commercials, and receive more mails and emails before July 31st.

But rather than be annoyed by the proliferation of signs and ads, I will endure the political season’s cluttering of our landscapes, because each sign is a reminder of one of the many things that make this country so great — political freedom.

And you know, truth be told, I am littering my front lawn with those pesky yard signs.

I figure a cluttered lawn for a few months is a small price to pay to avoid a 10-year tax that squanders our hard-earned money; and it is a small price to pay to support political leaders who will act with integrity and exercise fiscal responsibility.

[Bonnie B. Willis is co-founder of The Willis Group, LLC, a Learning, Development, and Life Coaching company here in Fayette County and lives in Fayetteville along with her husband and their five children.]