WEST CARLETON – A politically themed lawn sign has all five Kanata-Carleton election candidates in agreement – there is no place for threats of violence in this year’s election campaign.

Twitter is once again hot with Kanata-Carleton election conversation following a tweet by Liberal candidate and MPP Karen McCrimmon documenting a sign that reads “we shoot every third Liberal. Second one just left.

“Okay, I must admit to struggling with this, but I decided that by being silent, I would not do right by my team or by my beliefs that politics should be civil,” McCrimmon tweeted shortly before 6 a.m. this morning (Sept. 23). “When we see an example of intolerance or suggestions of violence, we must challenge them. I wore a flak jacket in Afghanistan to help secure the people there the right to vote. Damned if I would allow this to pass unchallenged.”

The tweet has been retweeted more than 481 times, liked more than 1,200 times and rising fast as of 2:18 p.m. More than 261 people have commented on it.

The tweet has divided the Kanata-Carleton Twitter community with many suggesting the sign is just a joke and should not be taken so seriously while others say threatening violence is never a joke.

The four other Kanata-Carleton candidates have all denounced the sign’s message.

Conservative candidate Justina McCaffrey says she has had her own election sign, prominently displayed in McCrimmon’s tweet, removed from the property.

“Couldn’t agree more with you, Karen,” McCaffrey replied on Twitter. “Threats of political violence have no place in our democracy. I’ve instructed my campaign team to remove our sign from this property.”

People’s Party of Canada candidate Scott Miller also weighed in on the issue on social media.

“I’m a huge free speech advocate but advocating violence against anyone, even in jest, crosses the line for me,” he tweeted. “I’d ask the sign be rephrased or I’d remove my own.”

The NDP’s Melissa Coenraad shared here opinions on the sign as well.

Even though the NDP and #TeamCoenraad are not mentioned in these signs, I do not condone any mention of violence even in a joking manner,” she said. “We are on different teams, but we are all woman who live, work and raise our families in Kanata-Carleton and deserve an election free from violence.”

McCrimmon says a report has been filed with Ottawa police, who say they and Ottawa By-Law are both now looking into the matter.