Q & A: The Man Behind the ‘Choose Insanity’ Campaign

You’ve all seen the bumper sticker magnets.

In all sorts of different ways, they poke fun or try to align themselves with the "Choose Civility" campaign, a slogan circulated since February 2007 to lead conversations about civility in politics, ethics, and this year, bullying.

The riffs in Columbia and Howard County are vast and creative: Choose Cycling. Choose Festivity. Choose Hostility.

“We love it,” said Howard County Library CEO Valerie Gross of the many iterations of Choose Civility. “We think that is the highest compliment that anyone can pay when they see a great slogan.”

Recently, Patch caught up with Gunther Miller, a 41-year-old quality assurance manager who grew up in Savage. In his free time, Miller sells “Choose Insanity” magnets to Columbia and Howard County drivers, a product he has offered for about two years.

Today, he lives in Severn. You can find more about the Choose Insanity stickers on his Facebook page.

The following is an edited Q & A.

How many magnets have you sold?

Gunther Miller: I’m close to 1,000. The price just went up. They are about $1. I marked them up 100 percent, which sounds impressive, but it’s only $2. I sell them for $3 online. … I sell more [stickers] in person than online. I hang out outside of after concerts, and things like , and when Ellicott City has their . … When I sell them in public, I do nothing but stand there and hold a sign with the magnets. I could probably sell more, if I said, "Hey get your 'Choose Insanity' magnet here, just $2!" People come to me. I’m not like your typical salesman who’s trying to sell everything he has.

Do you find the Choose Civility campaign to be annoying? Is that why you are selling these magnets? 

Miller: It’s not annoying for me. … I can tell you that most of the people I sell them to, those are the ones who are annoyed.

What do the customers say to you?

Miller: I can tell you the most repeated comment that I get is the people with the Choose Civility magnets on their car are the ones that can’t drive. The people think that the civility is synonymous with their driving, and they’re the ones who are speeding, cutting people off, talking on their phone—things of that nature. It doesn’t mean they are not civil, they are just not the best driver.

Have you experienced that?

Miller: Yes and no. I’m very courteous on the road. Of course, I have a magnet on my car. It’s nice when I use my turn signal around the "civility" people who may not. I have tried to get photographs of civility people driving on [Route] 32 at 70 miles, but I haven't gotten any. It’s hard to get, because you want to get your speedometer, along with the car in front of you, with the magnet. It’s not the easiest thing.

When I talk to you, I actually don’t hear a lot of deep resentment toward the Choose Civility campaign.

Miller: I think the Choose Civility campaign is a good campaign. There’s nothing wrong with the campaign. This is just an opportunity for me to poke fun at it. If I could afford it, I would not hesitate to live back in Howard County, and so it’s not like I have anything against Howard County or against the civility campaign. Some people think it’s political and there’s this big thing behind it. It’s really not. It’s me living out my little business venture.