The Woodward County Commission is Kinda Sorta Pro-Veteran...But Only if it's Legal to be so...

Today, faithful blog readers, we examine how to recognize the best time to shut up!

I was up early this morning, sipping coffee and plotting the demise of gophers tearing up my yard.  I opened the online version of Woodward News to find a report on the Woodward County Commission meeting on Tuesday (they moved it from Monday because nobody showed up).  There was a brief blurb in the report about permits for boring water lines under District 3 roads…I live in District 3, someone could bore through the top of the roads out here and no one would ever notice.  It would simply be another hole in the road.

So the information about road boring took up maybe one-quarter of the entire article, but then…oh yes, friends…then there was more.  I had to put on another pot of coffee.  I could barely believe what I was reading.

The report of County Commission proceedings (aka, weekly shenanigans) then proceeded (proceedings proceeded…sometimes I crack myself up) to relate an encounter, the reverberations of which will likely be felt around the courthouse for a while to come. 

Seems that a citizen addressed the commissioners asking that the remaining (read as, unused) flag pole at the County Expo Center fly the POW-MIA flag as a show of respect for county veterans. 

Initially, one of the commissioners stated his belief that plans for the unused flag pole were for raising the flag of the Woodward County Fair Board flag …when they get around to having someone create one…after they get around to building a FRIGGING WEB SITE SO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS CAN FIND THE DARNED PLACE.  Guess we’ll be seeing all that in place (flag and web site) for the U.S. Tri-Centennial in ’76, but by then the flag pole will likely have rusted through and fallen over in a heavy wind. 

A Fair Board flag?  Really?  Let’s see, here I’ll help design it.  I envision a field of red (Red Carpet Country) with a large white circle in the middle (symbolizing the county commissions surrender) divided by crossed show sticks.  In one quadrant a show heifer.  In another, a jar of pickles.  In another, an overcooked corndog.  And, in the final quadrant a silhouette of a brave county commissioner who denied a veteran’s request to fly a flag that means something to veterans.

The commissioner’s best advice (and this was actually pretty smart) was that our concerned citizen (presumably a vet) take up the issue when the Fair Board next meets in mid-September. 

If he had left it at that, it would have been “jes’ fine” (to steal a quote from an old Pogo comic).  The commissioner had utilized his handy-dandy Oklahoma Politician Handbook, the basic theme of which is never do today what you can put off until next week…or make someone else’s problem.

But nooooooo…our intrepid county commissioner won’t let it go at that.  He then raises the question of whether or not that flag is legal to fly at a county owned facility.  Huh?

You know, that flag was first created during the first President Bush administration.  It’s not an Obama thing if that’s what he’s thinking.  The U.S. Congress authorized the flag.  How is it that it isn’t legal?  This, in a state that defies the U.S. Supreme Court and keeps the Ten Commandment monument on the State Capitol grounds?

Our intrepid commissioner then (after realizing he should have kept his mouth shut) quickly pointed out that he has nothing against the flag (or presumably, veterans), but he just wants to make certain it’s a “legal” flag to fly.  He then invoked the Oklahoma Politician Handbook and stated he would have District Attorney Chris Boring (notice how that word keeps popping up in here and not in the usual sense, like this blog is a boring read?) look into the matter. 

Now then…perhaps if they had just left it at that, everything would have been fine.  But nooooooo…the other commissioner present (one commissioner had the good sense to stay away that day) pipes up in support of intrepid commissioner and says that getting legal clarification from DA Chris Boring is a prudent move.  Second commissioner then echoes intrepid commissioner’s point that he has nothing against the flag (or, presumably veterans), if it’s legal.

Methinks thou doth protest too much…just sayin’.

I’m betting the County Commission is hoping to have their images put on the County Fair Board flag (the Three Amigos – ole’!) and have called dibs on that flagpole. 

Somehow, I don’t think this will be the last we hear about this.  Once word gets out, the commission meeting next week is likely to be flooded with veterans. 

Let this be lesson to all young people…learn when to shut up.

And by the way, County Commission…when you’re through pulling your collective feets out of your collective mouths could you please consider fixing the road here in front of the compound?  It’s become a minefield.