“As Putnam County joined the nation in celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4, a large replica of the Declaration of Independence displayed outside our Historic Courthouse was intentionally defaced.

The County’s replica was unveiled during our Putnam County Heroes: Battle the Redcoats reenactment, where hundreds of children, parents, residents, my family and I included, proudly signed it as a symbolic affirmation of our nation's founding ideals. It was later displayed during the return of the restored Sybil Ludington statue and remained on exhibit throughout Independence Day.

On the afternoon of July 4, local law enforcement learned the display had been defaced with political graffiti. Our County Historian’s Office promptly removed the display to preserve history and the matter was referred to law enforcement for further investigation. Security footage from law enforcement personnel, along with surveillance cameras monitoring the Historic Courthouse and County complex, do exist and are being reviewed to help verify the identities of those responsible.

The Declaration of Independence is our nation’s founding document. Regardless of political beliefs, it deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Every American enjoys the constitutional right to free speech, but intentionally defacing a public display created for families to celebrate our history and heritage is not an act of civic engagement; it is an act of gross disrespect.

The overwhelming majority of those who visited the display participated exactly as intended, with pride, gratitude, and appreciation for the freedoms secured by our Founding Fathers. Hundreds of residents proudly added their names to the Declaration as intended. Those responsible for defacing it did not.

Putnam County will not allow the actions of a few individuals to overshadow what was otherwise a meaningful and successful celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

Fortunately, this story does not end with the vandalism sought to spoil the anniversary of our nation’s independence. My administration has already secured a new replica of the Declaration of Independence, and it will be available for residents to sign during the Putnam Lake America 250 Parade this weekend and at the Putnam County Fair later this month.

I encourage everyone who shares our love of country and appreciation for our nation’s founding ideals to stop by, add your John Hancock, and help demonstrate that respect for American history will always outweigh those who seek to diminish it.

In Putnam County, we remain proud of our history, grateful for our freedoms, and committed to ensuring that America’s 250th anniversary is remembered for patriotism, community, and unity, not the actions of those who chose disrespect over celebration.”