LETTERS: Signs are free speech protected by law

I have heard reports of stealing and vandalizing election signs in our neighborhood, notably of progressive candidates.

This is serious as it disrupts our election just as any other illegal tampering with our voting process.

Our vote and jury trials are the only thing that protect us from the authoritarian tyranny that so concerned the framers of the Constitution.

The founders knew that their democracy experiment depended on an informed electorate so they prohibited any law abridging free speech.

Hence we have public dialogue in letters such as this, news publications, books, door-to-door campaigning, yard signs, marches, billboards and other venues.

Our election rules are spelled out in the Revised Code of Washington.

The punishment for messing with campaign signs as a misdemeanor is 90 days, $1,000 or both per violation.

I encourage all citizens no matter their political preference to report any attempt to mess with our election to the authorities.

They are most willing to do their job.

Bill Atkinson,

Port Angeles