Editor,

To whomever has been stealing the anti-Growler yards signs in Coupeville, your petty thefts are pretty pathetic.

Do you really think that by stealing our signs you will silence us?

The signs cost us $3 each; you aren’t putting any financial pinch on us. We can afford to keep putting them up, and we will. Mine is already back up. But think about how small and impotent this makes you look.

You can delude yourself into thinking that by trying to silence the opposition you are being patriotic and a good Navy supporter. In reality, you are being anti-American.

The First Amendment to the Constitution guarantees free speech for all, not just Navy supporters. America was built on the basic premise that ideas should be free to compete and that the best ideas shall prevail. Childishly yanking your neighbors’ yard signs out of the ground doesn’t enhance your position, it weakens it.

It shows that you are afraid to debate the Growler noise issue face to face and instead have to slink around in the dark of night to do your mischief. Shameful.

Your neighbors on the other side of the issue never went around stealing your pro-OLF signs. We make our arguments in the light of day. What are you so afraid of? If you love the “Sound of Freedom” so much you should also support the “Signs of Freedom.”

Paula Spina

Coupeville