We live in weird times. And in a very real sense, they are times of our own choosing.

It would be weird enough, you might think, that a billionaire real estate developer like Donald Trump could manage to spin his own reality TV show, then parlay his celebrity name recognition, personal wealth and media experience into a successful campaign for the U.S. presidency.

But apparently that’s not weird enough. Public opinion seems evenly divided whether Trump will be the salvation of America or its demise. The latest evidence of how evenly Americans are divided is this week’s congressional special election in Ohio, where a Republican candidate appears to have prevailed although officially the race is too close to call. While the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate holds a 1,754-vote lead, there are still 8,483 outstanding absentee and provisional ballots to count. Ohio law requires officials to wait 11 days before counting them, throwing the race into slow-motion chaos until Aug. 18.

Meanwhile, it has become pastime to shatter Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

A California man, Austin Mikel Clay, 24, is accused of vandalizing Trump’s star on Hollywood Boulevard on July 25. It’s just one of more than 2,600 stars on Hollywood Boulevard that collectively attract more than 10 million tourists annually.

Clay is the second Trump star-basher. The first, James Lambert Otis — an heir to the Otis Elevator Co. fortune — sledgehammered it during the autumn 2016 campaign. Otis called it an act of political protest, pleaded no-contest to felony vandalism and was sentenced to three years probation and 20 days of road maintenance work. He was ordered to pay $4,400 to the Hollywood Historic Trust and Chamber of Commerce. It cost nearly $3,000 to repair the star, according to reports.

This time around, the offender hasn’t inherited anything — except maybe the harebrained idea that it’s perfectly acceptable to destroy someone else’s property.

Clay equates himself with the Freedom Riders and other radicals. Here’s what he told the Mirror British tabloid:

“The rights of women and people of color to vote basically came from the blood, sweat and tears of real heroes who did more than voted, who did more than walk around with picket signs, who did more than tweet on the Internet. America would not be what it is today without people like the Freedom Riders, who faced violence from organized whites, or even anarchists who fought against private police forces.”

He told the Mirror that he endorses and believes in radical political action, “and I find it more important now than ever considering the political climate that we’re in.”

This stirs us to ask: what political climate is that? Who is taking the pickaxe and sledgehammer to private property in an act of political protest? What’s wrong with voting, carrying a picket sign or turning to social media?

And speaking of social media, it seems abundantly ironic — even hypocritical — that a radical political activist has set up his own GoFundMe account to finance his reparations. Martin Luther King never would have started a GoFundMe account. Neither would have Nelson Mandela, or Gandhi. The very idea is ludicrous.

Wouldn’t it be more constructive to register voters, feed the hungry, or get involved with one or more of any charitable movements in one’s own hometown? Damaging a tourist attraction won’t do much to change anyone’s opinion.