Statesman or Rogue: Elected to Serve

The right to vote is a sacred right of democracy. The perfect situation would be those who serve are representative of those who elected them. STATESMAN OR ROGUE opens this argument and challenges the reader to examine the democratic process in light of those who have been elected to serve. Like no other state among the fifty, Oklahoma was born of the pains of politics. Louis and Clark reported the land worthless, President Jefferson proclaimed the worthless area a dumping ground for Indians, President Jackson in defiance of the Court ordered the Five Tribes removed to Oklahoma resulting in The Trail of Tears, President Harrison opened Indian Territory to "white" settlement, and the Enabling Act providing for Statehood contained two unprecedented measures; Prohibited the sale of alcoholic within the former Indian Territory, and named the state Capitol. The Oklahoma founding fathers set in motion a constitution that has as its battle cry "Let the people rule." The people trek to the polls in unprecedented numbers to mark their ballots. The tally reveals the winner while service determines statesman or rogue. The nature of the Oklahoma agrarian culture accepts the adage "every harvest has burrs."