# Would you object to these billboards in your area? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863 "2013-08-10T12:55:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Renifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@Renifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renifer)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/41 "2013-08-12T16:35:07Z")
Those just look creepy. They look like they belong in a grim dystopian movie, like _1984_ or _V For Vendetta_. “We’re watching you, and if you’re not doing what you should, we’ll catch you.” That it has an underlying nationalistic message seems especially creepy, because it’s too closely associated with the propaganda of Nazi Germany. I would not make an official objection, though. I’d be too afraid to. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/42 "2013-08-12T17:15:37Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That I don’t know. I’ve never seen such a thing, in Hawaii or elsewhere. I thought we were talking about billboard billboards, but I see now. It would not surprise me if Hawaii did outlaw them though. When I was last in Hawaii in (December 2012) , there were businesses skirting around the “no billboards” law by hiring these sorts of mobile billboards … and that pissed a lot of people off. And it opened a discussion of expanding the law to explicitly ban mobile billboards. ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/43 "2013-08-12T18:01:25Z")
> [@Small\_Clanger](#): > > But they aren’t phrased that way. They don’t say “Here illegally? Get amnesty and help returning to your homeland from the _nice_ party”. It is literally saying “GO HOME or we’ll throw you in prison!” With bonus bad punctuation. > > As others have said, it is really aimed at voters who might vote UKIP rather than Tory because the current Tories haven’t been nasty enough (particularly regarding gay marriage and foreign aid). If it was genuine it’d be written politely in Polish and Somali (or whatever, I don’t know where the illegal immigrants come from, but then the government don’t seem to either). You do understand the term ‘illegal immigrant’ because as much as I do think they should be treated with respect they are here illegally which makes them criminals. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/44 "2013-08-12T18:18:56Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > When I was last in Hawaii in (December 2012) , there were businesses skirting around the “no billboards” law by hiring these sorts of mobile billboards … and that pissed a lot of people off. And it opened a discussion of expanding the law to explicitly ban mobile billboards. I expect they will be banned sooner or later then. Hawaiian residents take this sort of thing very seriously. ---
**Author:** ![fanganga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fanganga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fanganga)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2013, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/45 "2013-08-13T23:57:36Z")
I’ve got a vague memory of there being some controversy over an advertising campaign that the previous government ran, supposedly to encourage people to report benefit fraud. The crux of the controversy was that people accused the campaign of being designed not to achieve its supposed goals of increasing reporting of benefit fraud, but to reassure voters that the governing party took benefit fraud seriously, and hence that the campaign was essentially party political material being funded by the taxpayer. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/46 "2013-08-15T19:21:07Z")
If it made even one illegal leave, it would be worth having such a sign. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/47 "2013-08-15T19:53:41Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Billboard encourages compliance with law. Doesn’t seem any differently conceptually from the “Click it or Ticket” and “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaigns in this country. Yes. Which is why I picked nuanced. I don’t mind a campaign that addresses the issue. I do not support “Go Home” as a theme. Here illegally? Come fill out a lot of forms and lets see how we can get you set up on the right side of the law. More than a few times I’ve had to explain that my opposition to illegal immigration is in line with my opposition to all things illegal. I am not opposed to immigrants. If the laws and processes can’t accommodate the needs of enough people who want to immigrate the system is flawed - let’s address changing that. I know even less about how critical a situation illegal immigration is in other countries than I do about this one. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/48 "2013-08-15T20:11:47Z")
Try putting them up in Northern Ireland and see what happens. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/49 "2013-08-15T21:12:51Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > If it made even one illegal leave, it would be worth having such a sign. Silly! Eagles can’t read, no matter how healthy they are. ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/50 "2013-08-15T22:50:56Z")
A lot of you don’t seem to understand that many illegal immigrants in the UK desperately want to leave which this billboard thing would help. Also many people seem to underestimate just how many of them can speak passable English. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/51 "2013-08-15T23:15:59Z")
I don’t think it’s xenophobic. It’s not telling foreign visitors, immigrants or their descendants to ‘go home’ - it’s telling illegal immigrants to go home. I don’t think it will be very effective. I guess it’s offensive because it takes an aggressive stance, but I don’t see anything ethically wrong with it. It reminds me a bit of the TV ads about benefit fraud - like [this one](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKWtife5BqA) - which I suspect were also not especially effective. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/52 "2013-08-15T23:25:14Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > A lot of you don’t seem to understand that many illegal immigrants in the UK desperately want to leave which this billboard thing would help. Also many people seem to underestimate just how many of them can speak passable English. So then why the harshly worded message and harsh imagery? I would think that would just scare off those already motivated to leave. I would guess a friendly looking image and words like “Here illegally and want to return home? Call this number for free legal help” would be much more effective. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/53 "2013-08-15T23:54:59Z")
I’ve only ever objected to one billboard in my life - and it was this one: (Spoilered for two clicks - it graphically depicts a man being pulled by a fish hook through his top lip - it’s an anti-smoking ad): [http://blog.solopress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/solopress-design-insight-anti-smoking-poster-nhs-hooked.jpg](http://blog.solopress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/solopress-design-insight-anti-smoking-poster-nhs-hooked.jpg) I objected because it caused my children (who were very young at the time) quite a lot of distress. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/54 "2013-08-16T15:19:48Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > I hate driving billboards regardless of what they’re promoting (I see jewelry sales pitches a lot), so I’d reject it on that basis alone. Pretty much, this. It’s a form of advertising that can’t be turned off, and it contributes no value to the media – in this case, the public viewscape – in which it appears. They’re banned or very restricted in most communities in my part of the state, and that’s a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/55 "2013-08-16T15:28:03Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > So then why the harshly worded message and harsh imagery? I would think that would just scare off those already motivated to leave. I would guess a friendly looking image and words like “Here illegally and want to return home? Call this number for free legal help” would be much more effective. Honestly!? There comes a time when you need to stop pussyfooting and introduce policies which actually do something to address the problem at hand. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/56 "2013-08-16T15:36:12Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > Honestly!? There comes a time when you need to stop pussyfooting and introduce policies which actually do something to address the problem at hand. These billboards aren’t that, though. They’re aimed at voters and not intended to do anything about the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/57 "2013-08-16T16:15:34Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > These billboards aren’t that, though. They’re aimed at voters and not intended to do anything about the problem. Well how do you think they could more effectively return illegal immigrants to their own countries? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/58 "2013-08-16T17:01:04Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > Honestly!? There comes a time when you need to stop pussyfooting and introduce policies which actually do something to address the problem at hand. I thought these immigrants were desperate to return. Isn’t that what you just said? ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/59 "2013-08-16T17:15:45Z")
> [@Longshanks](#): > > Well how do you think they could more effectively return illegal immigrants to their own countries? Almost anything would be more effective than putting up signs that say “we are coming to get you”. Cash payments come to mind. “We’ll pay your plane fare and give you 1000GBP in the local currency if you turn yourself in and name a destination.” Sure, you’re rewarding illegals. Also ridding your country of them for a pittance. ---
**Author:** ![Longshanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Longshanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Longshanks)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863/60 "2013-08-16T18:23:13Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I thought these immigrants were desperate to return. Isn’t that what you just said? That wasn’t a generalization. A lot do want to return home because they haven’t found what they were looking for, but you don’t have to be a genius to realize that there are also a lot who are quite happy working here illegally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-object-to-these-billboards-in-your-area/665863.md?page=4)