City officials in Portland have done everything they can – openly and behind closed doors – to force residents of both the city and the surrounding area to accept fluoridation, though the citizenry has obviously been getting along just fine without it.

A similar battle was being waged much further east, in Wichita, Kan., but the voters there put a stake through the heart of that effort on Election Day, voting to reject fluoridation of that city’s water supply.

There, 59 percent of voters soundly rejected the initiative, sending a message loud and clear that they aren’t prepared to allow city officials to force such a dangerous substance literally down their throats – despite concerted efforts by pro-fluoridation groups to confuse them. Voters similarly rejected a fluoridation effort in 1964 and 1978, local radio station KAKE reported.