With only four weeks left until the Nov. 4 general election, voters are beginning to witness the actions and words of desperate campaigns. Even candidates who vowed not to "go negative" are releasing attack advertising that does nothing to further the debate on issues facing the nation.

Our advice: Take it all with a grain of salt. After all, negative campaigning is effective only because we allow it to be. And, at this point, there's nothing we can do about it.

But there is something we can control on the local level: Leave the campaign signs alone. That's right, somebody (or, more likely, multiple somebodies) has been stealing political placards right out of others' front yards.

Judging from the comments from both Ellis County Republican Party Chair John Pyle and Democratic Party Chair Glenn Staab, it's a bipartisan issue. Barack Obama signs are disappearing as quickly as John McCain signs. And neither Pyle nor Staab are happy about it.

Their frustration is understandable. Stealing yard signs is not an effective strategy for anybody's campaign.

But there's a bigger issue at play the sign thieves should consider. Even bigger than the theft against property that's being committed. It's the issue of constitutionally protected free speech.

The very document these unofficial campaign workers are hoping to get their candidate elected to protect and defend is being undermined by these actions. You don't like either McCain or Obama? Fine, don't vote for them. But don't strip your neighbor of a basic right that defines us uniquely as Americans.

We the people need to conduct our own campaigns civilly and civic-mindedly. Leave the negative stuff to the candidates.

Editorial by Patrick Lowry

plowry@dailynews.net