Mind Your Own Beeswax

To my dear Okie friends:

Voters in Montana, California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Vermont and Ohio recently told Republican lawmakers, basically, "keep your hands off our women folk bodies" by rejecting schemes to make it harder to pass initiative petitions, increase the percentage from 50%-60% to pass a state question, or efforts to affirm anti-abortion positions taken in those states' legislatures.

I know that sounds a little confusing, but in simple terms Republican lawmakers want to push their social agenda on their own constituents and their constituents in each state said, "Go play with yourself," because we want to retain our rights, our opinions, and not be dictated to by you right-wing Republican lawmakers.

Now, as for Oklahoma and Oklahomans, why are we like lemmings who just let our geniuses on 23rd street dictate to us such important matters as: A woman's right to choose; how we spend money on educating our children; corporal punishment applied to special education children; and other sensitive matters.

Are voters in those other seven states, both red and blue, more interested in the rules of the game in their states than we are in ours?

The answer, at least so far, appears to be yes, which is made even worse by the fact that our state turns out for elections at the lowest percent anywhere in the nation.

Don't blame me and don't blame thee; let's blame the guy behind the tree, as a famous politician from Louisiana once said. His name was Huey P. Long, United States senator. So, for my fellow voters: How long are we going to accept being the butt of jokes about us, both locally and nationally, and try to blame it on the guys and gals behind the trees?

Well, that's too long.