Let me get this straight. These students were using recycled materials that were not illegal and were appropriate for their theme, and they were required to take their art down because it offended one sore loser of a state representative?

The students and teachers collected discarded used lottery tickets, and cut them into geometric shapes to decorate a tree for the Oklahoma State Capitol. The theme they chose was "The Gift of Education" and they used lottery tickets because the public schools receive funds from the state lottery, and because the materials were free and would only go to the landfill if they didn't use them.

Representative Randy Terrill requested the tree's removal, because he personally opposes the lottery. It would seem to me that a state lawmaker would understand that an elementary school holiday art project is not the correct venue to try to make policy changes.

Perhaps the Representative needs a quick refresher in how a bill becomes a law? Now if the urge should strike him to rid Oklahoma forever of the lottery, he can pursue proper channels during the next legislative session.

And folks wonder why today's kids are apathetic about the political process. Would YOU bother if this is how your role models on Capitol Hill behaved?

Sorry, I don't normally blog about politics or the public schools, but this really irked me...