Editor,

On Jan. 12, the extremist Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve group conducted a planned rant to the Island County Commissioners.

Outrageous statements and lies included, “Commissioner, you are weak,” “don’t have a vision beyond military welfare,” “only service jobs in Oak Harbor,” “when jets fly, like a group of bullies urinating on my church alter,” “not national defense — it is contempt,” “holding you personally accountable,” “for the children,” “no balls,” “it’s like living in Iraq,” and “military arrogant entitlement.” Amazing and tragic.

This summer, their expensive lawsuit was completely dismissed by a federal judge — so soundly, that they have not appealed. Their only recourse is to whine to county officials with the same quack science.

One of COER’s key points is that Growler noise causes heart disease when, in fact, state data shows a 26 percent improvement in Island County’s heart disease mortality rate since the Growler introduction.

Moreover, flights at OLF decreased 60 percent since the 1980s. COER has no case and they know it. Then, we have our favorite, former Al Jazeera reporter, Dahr Jamail, who wrote yet another hit piece in the fringe “Truth Out” website.

This time, Jamail bashes the SEAL community and the potential plan to train on federal and state properties. His piece is titled, “Navy uses U.S. citizens as pawns in domestic war games.”

Tragically, it is the SEAL community that suffered many losses as they defended America — including while taking down Bin Laden, who orchestrated the deaths of 3,000 Americans on 9/11.

Tragically, COER is sponsoring Dahr to speak on Whidbey Island and have labeled him an “award-winning reporter.”

The three small, fringe groups –—COER, STOP and Jamail — will stop at nothing to remove all military presence from Puget Sound. The good news is that no one listens to them, whether federal judges, congressional leaders or the 99 percent of Americans who support the Navy who go into harms way for us.

Scott Smith

Oak Harbor