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I'm back a bit early from the trip to Oklahoma's Ouachita Mountains.

A combination of weather, equipment, and other problems led us to abort the backpacking trip, but we got in about 8 miles of hiking total, which was good. The Ouachitas are gorgeous this time of year, with the hardwoods in brilliant shades of red, green, and yellow, contrasted with the evergreens. If it hadn't been foggy, hazy, and rainy so much of the time, I might have snapped some photos of it. But photos probably wouldn't have done it justice anyway.

While we were driving lots of backroads in the country, we kept noticing signs to "Vote No on State Question 687 -- Protect Your Freedoms." I wasn't sure what the question was, but figured the LeftWingNuts were trying to impose some goofy tax or gun control or Outcomes Based Education measure on the good folks of Oklahoma.

But no. The countryfolks are up in arms because a group managed to get enough signatures to hold a referendum on the legality of cockfighting in the state, after the legislature effectively punted on the issue.

Yeah, Oklahoma is one of... 3 states, I think, that still allow the practice. And I'm sorry, but I just don't see such barbarism as one of John Locke's precious natural rights. I generally don't like to see government solutions to so many (non)problems in society, but I don't see it as a huge surrender of freedom that Oklahomans are going to vote on whether it's a good thing for folks to get all liquored up, gather around a pit, and wager all sorts of hard-earned cash on which bird will cut the hell out of the other one.

Call me a squishy libertarian if you will.

In any case, I was surprised to see the strong sentiment in rural eastern Oklahoma on this issue. I would have guessed people would have more important things on their minds.

[Posted at 22:19 CST on 10/27/02] [Link]