Forced Issue?

Last night, our family went to a benefit pancake and sausage supper in the town of Bessie, OK (8 miles South of Clinton).  It's kind of a family tradition -- we've been going for quite a long time.  Plus, it was my Mom and Dad's 30 Anniversary, so what better way to celebrate, huh?  It is highly recommended and it's the one time of year that the population of Bessie swells -- not just as much as the volume of people, but the volume of food consumed!

But that's not my rant.  My rant involves a little moment that occurred there.  Someone that was there was going around the table where we were sitting telling us (in a rather forceful way) that we should vote FOR a bond issue that is being decided today here in Clinton.  The $17mil issue is for basically "Extreme Makeover:  Clinton Public Schools Edition" -- adding classrooms, remodeling the Middle School auditorium (believe you me, it needs it) and several other projects.

What's got me going is is this particular person was, as I said, rather forceful in telling us to vote for this project.  One, last I checked, the beauty of us being Americans is that we have the right to choose.  Give us the lowdown on what all you need, how much it is going to cost, etc.  But going around telling me how I should vote is completely unacceptable.  Hey, Clinton needs this as bad as probably any other school district in Oklahoma...but you should not TELL me how I should vote.  I'll decide that on my own when I get to the polling place.

Secondly...again, last I checked, we were in Bessie, Oklahoma.  Bessie is not in the city limits of Clinton.  This person was way out of her jurisdiction to do that.  People who live in and around Bessie go to 2 or 3 other school districts -- Washita Heights, Corn Bible Academy or Cordell.  Do you think that they give a rat's tail on a bond issue in Clinton.  NO!!!!

I'm sure the person I'm "ratting out" is going to see this and accost me for it since we go to the same church.  Oh well.  She shouldn't have done what she did.  What we were doing last night was celebrating Small Town Western Oklahoma and continuing a family tradition.  What we didn't need was someone making a campaign stop.  (For the record, I do support the bond issues in question.  I just didn't get around in time to change my address so I can vote today.)