Most graffiti artists seem content merely to make their mark for posterity.
But the one who struck a 10-foot-tall image of Aberdeen?s former mayor this week waxed philosophical.
“The law of identity does not permit you to have your cake and eat it too,” read the spray-painted black letters next to the face of S. Fred Simmons, State Farm Insurance salesman and, until Nov. 6, Aberdeen mayor.
The phrase alludes to author Ayn Rand?s objectivist philosophy, often cited by Simmons when touting that he did what he promised while in office.
“The law of identity,” the assertion that “A equals A” and nothing else, is a tenet of Rand?s philosophy.
A worker replacing the sign north of Aberdeen said it marked the fourth time the Route 40 billboard had been defaced since September, when Simmons? likeness sprouted an Abe Lincoln chin beard and the phrase, “Who says insurance can?t be fun?”
Wednesday?s well-read vandal appeared to be taking a shot at Simmons? loss in the Nov. 6 municipal election, though Simmons interpreted it as a rebuke of Aberdeen?s voters.
“I found it an appropriate message,” Simmons said. “You can have your cake or you can eat it, but if you eat it, then you don?t have it.”
He says he?s been inundated with messages of support and disappointment after his ouster, but adds the voters got what they wanted.
The tough-talking Simmons? two-year tenure had been peppered with Rand references: Signs in his first campaign asked “Who is Fred Simmons?” ? a twist on the phrase “Who is John Galt?” repeated in “Atlas Shrugged.” A statue of Atlas sat at the center of Simmons? desk, matching a tattoo he got on his bicep in his last month as mayor.
“People who come up with political graffiti are going to be pretty aware of political issues, and expect other people to be, too,” said Kent Norman, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park.
But the message can go over most viewers? heads, as was likely the case with the reference to the mayor?s philosophy, Norman said.
The worker replacing the advertisement said it would be moved from southbound Route 40 to a higher billboard near Churchville, and a public-service announcement would be put in its place.
