Personal Gratification at the Enterprise

I was more than a little put off by the comment, almost an aside, but very telling in July 17th's Oconee Enterprise editorial, “Voters make good decisions at polls.” The paper said, “Personally we are gratified that all those restaurants and, let’s face it, bars sitting on go for hooch are in for four dry years.”

The meaning of that statement is, of course, that the paper's editors are somehow gratified that the citizens of Oconee County will be denied an expanded selection of dining opportunities for another four years because the will of the few (17% of the county voted in the Republican primary), but well organized, has been expressed at the polls. Rather than each person exercising his and her prerogative to dine where he/she pleases, and refuse to do so at places that serve things to which they object, there is somehow a gratification at preventing others from exercising that prerogative in their home county.

I grant that the anti-alcohol forces are very well organized, and clearly turn-out well when called upon. Their votes are further amplified by the partisan nature of our local elections, and by the countywide election of our commission. I also know that this time around they found common means with those who had other problems with the current commission, though to completely different ends. But why that is all "personally gratifying" to the editorial board, I cannot divine.