Aaron Bernstine

State Rep. Aaron Bernstine, R-10th, pushed back last week after vandals spread garbage and what he said were human feces on his driveway.

Bernstine, a freshman member of the state House of Representatives who ran on a platform of fiscal conservatism and shaking up the status quo, said Monday that he found the vandalism on Aug. 22 when he went outside that morning. He said he found boxes, trash and underwear with what appeared to be human feces in them, as well as feces dumped on his driveway.

“It looked as if someone took a bucket and dumped human excrement on my driveway,” he said.

Later that day, at about noon on Aug. 22, Bernstine posted a video to his official Facebook page showing him participating in a firearm training exercise, with the hashtag “CastleDoctrine,” referring to a state law that allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves against intruders in some circumstances.

Bernstine, who represents Slippery Rock borough and township in Butler County, said it was clear to him that the vandalism was an attempt to “intimidate and discourage” him from continuing his political work in Harrisburg, where he has been a strong advocate for cutting state spending amid the ongoing debate over how to fund the state's $32 billion budget.

“I wanted to make very clear to the perpetrators that should they take it further and attempt to harm me or my family there would be serious repercussions,” he said. “I'm a husband and a father first. I have to defend my family.”

The online response to Bernstine's video in the days since he posted it has been overwhelmingly positive, with many people thanking him for standing up for conservative ideals in Harrisburg and expressing condolences over the vandalism.

Bernstine said that the family did not file a police report on the vandalism, but did alert law enforcement that it had occurred. He said the family also has added “additional security measures” on their 107-acre farm in Lawrence County.

He said incidents like the vandalism show how far American politics has fallen from the ideals of civil discourse and respect.

“I think a lot of this hyper-politicized environment going on right now is disrespect for open dialogue,” Bernstine said. “You can disagree with people on issues, but that doesn't mean they're bad people. We're all in this together, to try and improve lives for ourselves and for our children.”