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A Maine town finds itself an unwilling center of controversy after a resident placed an offensive sign on his front lawn that mocked the Black Lives Matter movement. A Boothbay Harbor man put up a sign that read “Black Rifles Matter,” and said  BLM activists should be flattered by his adoption of the phrase.

Linc Sample created the sign and claims he’s not bringing race into the discussion but rather created the sign in support of gun rights. His inspiration came via an ad in a local paper that supported and called for a ban on assault weapons.

Local outlet NECN reports:

“That’s really a trigger for me — the assault weapons ban,” said Sample.

He said he used the phrase “Black Rifles Matter,” a play on the phrase “Black Lives Matter,” to have impact. The BLM movement calls attention to police brutality in the U.S.

“If anything, they should be flattered I used the phrase,” said Sample.

Sample is protected by a town permit to put up the sign and by his First Amendment rights but the message the sign sends has still rubbed tourists and others the wrong way. The vacation destination has seen families cut vacations short due to Sample’s sign being displayed.

http://www.necn.com/portableplayer/?cmsID=393164841&videoID=JMTCJRDov3JC&origin=necn.com&sec=news&subsec=new-england&width=600&height=360

Photo: NECN screen cap