Lily Philips- Couple Fined for Giant Beto Sign

On October 14, the Houston couple, Shannon Bennett and Mathew Duffy, painted a very large 'Beto' sign on their lawn. Their neighborhood homeowners' association told them they had to get rid of the sign. If they didn't take it down by October 30, the organization would remove it for them and the couple would need to pay a fine. The call for removal was apparently not for political reasons like the homeowners thought but for the disregard of HOA's bylaws. There were definitely disagreements made between the two parties, and Bennett and Duffy think they have not disobeyed state codes. However, HOA claims they are not following section 202.009 of the Texas Property Code which is about political signs being attached to plants. 

This article is published by The Dallas Morning News on October 20, 2018 and written by Lloyd Brumfield. It is not very recent, considering it is November 4, 2018, but I feel this is still relevant to us as Texans who are getting ready for midterm elections on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. This event happened in Houston, Texas; however, The Dallas Morning News feeling it was appropriate to write about it here, shows the elections growing importance. The audience of the article are the people of Texas, and it is making them aware of the stakes of the upcoming midterms and the increasing interest in this particular election. It is important for the citizens of a country to participate in their government and be conscientious of political affairs. This can be connected to individual's rights and the first amendment about people's freedom of speech. 

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas/2018/10/20/giant-beto-sign-stays-houston-area-couple-tells-hoa-officials-want-gone