Letter to the Editor: Fair-minded People Agree: Stop Political Vandalism

In the Aug. 28 Letters to the Editor column, Mr. Epley wrote that “out of petty theft came a friendship.” I respectively differ with the description of stealing a political sign as petty. 

This past weekend, the Republican headquarters in Sturgeon Bay was broken into, vandalized and stray painted, and Trump signs were stolen. I, along with four neighbors on my street, have had our Trump signs stolen twice during the past two weeks. 

It is interesting that Mr. Epley – who thought it was a petty crime and surprisingly admitted that he had also done it himself in the past – called the police. If you focus only on the dollar value of what was stolen, it is a petty crime. 

I also called the police, as did my neighbors. What was our motivation? I can speak only for myself. I felt that my most precious gift of being an American – freedom of speech – was being silenced. 

I deeply hope that fair-minded people, regardless of their political persuasion, would agree that stealing/vandalizing political signs needs to be condemned and needs to stop now. Anyone who has information about who is doing this needs to contact the police.

Tom Rentmeester

Fish Creek, Wisconsin