Yard signs urge vote based on race

St. Petersburg, Fl. - Near the corner of 1st Avenue North and 63rd Street, Mike Williams makes it clear which candidate he's supporting for President, John McCain.

But there are also signs in Williams yard that urge people to vote white, and that's upset a lot of people who pass by here.

"To find this effigy is very, very sad, it feels threatening to me," said Sami Scott who lives in St. Petersburg.

"The tree that's cut down that has a sign above it that says Obama family tree, I basically look at that, it's just missing the rope and the noose. That to me symbolizes hatred. That just should not be allowed in our country," said Michael Cromwell who lives nearby.

It's especially upsetting to the woman who operates a day care directly across the street from Williams' signs.

Diane Brown says she's also worried about seeing Williams' signs on television.

"I have concerns that putting it on film would spread his message to more people than should see it, right now it's just the people that come by but if it goes on television everyone will see it," said Diane Brown, Director of the Pilgrim Child Development Center.

Mike Williams lives behind a locked fence and would not talk with us or answer his phone. He dropped a note over his fence that says, "This is the best it gets boys. No story here."

A couple of his neighbors we spoke with defend Williams' right to say what he wants.

"He's in his yard, he'd doing what he wants to do. I can't say it offends me," said Dennis Vizaro who lives down the street from Williams.

"It doesn't really bother me because I think it's good that somebody's stating their opinion and not being afraid to say something so I don't really mind it at all," said Rachel Kasper, a sophomore in high school who lives next door to Williams.

St. Petersburg police were called to Williams' home over the weekend. But a police spokesman says there's nothing they can do about the signs. It's a freedom of speech issue protected by the First Amendment.