After reading your front page article on Mr. Steinsiek, the “Drop Bush, Not Bombs” street corner protester, I drove down to observe for myself. There were four anti-war protesters on the corner, surrounded by a much larger number of “Support Our Troops” demonstrators. Sadly, none of them were Mr. Steinsiek.

I asked each of the four if they had a voter registration card. One informed me that he did not. Another gentleman and a woman I presume was his wife, informed me he was not registered to vote in Washington as he had been serving his country. I asked them if they were registered elsewhere, they said yes. I asked if they had heard of absentee ballots. They did not answer.

The fourth young man informed me he was registered and that he had voted. I asked him whom he had voted for. He said the lesser of two evils, Al Gore. Then I asked him who Gore’s vice president was. He could not tell me.

So, we have four protesters, three didn’t vote and one can’t remember the name of the vice presidential candidate they cited for. By the way, none of the other three knew his name either.

I told all four of them that they have the opportunity to “drop” President Bush or any other president every four years. I also informed them that the best peaceful protest takes place every two years at the ballot box.

Sig Harbak

Oak Harbor