The Big Irony Trucker Rap Festival

To the Editor:
 
   The Big Iron Classic strikes again. The website claims the event celebrates the “trucking lifestyle.” But I have far more respect for truckers than the stigma Big Iron perpetuates. I want to thank all the truckers and their families who showed up with respect. We respect you and appreciate your hard work.
Thursday night at 6 p.m. the ground began to shake and it didn’t stop until Sunday. Since when did trucker culture long to live out the sexual and chemical deviance of urban rap music? Do truckers now strive to bring the moral decay of the inner city to their honorable blue-collar lives? That’s what the ATVs and Semi Trucks blasting country-rap all weekend might make one think.
Late Friday afternoon was so loud in our neighborhood that one of the residents contacted the website number for the woman organizing the event. She explained she had children and there was a semi-truck in their back yard shaking the house with lyrics about “big rims, big weed, big -ss” and another big word that can’t be printed in the DCI. Our brave neighbor further inquired about the permits and noise ordinance, asking if the Big Iron Classic could limit the ground-shaking bass to the 9 p.m.-1 a.m. hours listed on the website.
The lady running the event became immediately hostile and defensive, declaring herself a virtuous and charitable servant of children.Anyone who raises any questions about the event is apparently “against charity.” This organizer boastfully told the mother that Big Iron makes the city too much money, so no one cares about her. “Good luck, honey” were exact words to a mother who was the just wondering how her family would sleep the next three nights.
The event organizer repeatedly called our neighbor a ‘Karen’ and would not answer sincere questions about the noise. She even threatened her with law enforcement saying she would send the cops (“Josh”) to her door for harassing their “charity event.” How unprofessional can the Big Iron Classic get?! Responding to sincere inquiries from community taxpayers with defensiveness, hostility, name calling, and threats? That’s just Big Iron Trashy.Last year Big Iron left the stadium lights on the entire night blinding the south side of the fairgrounds. Our newest neighbor called to ask about it. He told me he got the same treatment and was told “Sorry that us helping out kids bothers you so much.” He said she seemed most concerned with being woken up at 5:30 a.m. Imagine the hypocritical irony. The lady who organizes an event that keeps half the town awake for three days is upset she got disturbed at 5:30 in the morning with a legitimate inquiry?
He said he decided not to bother with it this year and left town for the weekend. When he got back, he came over to ask me about the green electrical box in his backyard that had been pried open and all the wires ripped out. He was seriously wondering if it was retaliation for saying something about the lights last year, or just random vandalism from the Big Iron. Other neighbors we know stay with nearby family to avoid the pounding bass. Another older couple has left the last three years in disappointment. They had set up tables at Marigold days for 14 years but say it’s no longer worth having to come back home to the chaos in NE Kasson.The city is rumored to be making money off of golf cart permits and rentals, RV permits, and getting envelopes of cash from the woman who runs the show… “for charity.” And let’s not forget the Municipal Liquor Store. Liquor, Liquor, Liquor. My friends on the west side of Mantorville Avenue are telling me their whole weekend was a nightmare. Nothing but buzzing golf carts going to and from the liquor store trailing weed smoke and belching inappropriate comments to their teenage daughters. I’m not trying to police anyone’s chemical habits until it leads to inconsiderate use of colossal subwoofers and the sexual harassment of minors. I wonder how much money the City of Kasson sells out its taxpaying citizens’ daughters for?Are the attendees really permitted to blast big-rig interstate subwoofers in people’s backyards for three days? What exactly do the permits say? Why can’t they have this thing outside of town like most music and camping festivals? I guess it’s all about the grift. Money, Money, Money. That’s all the Kasson City Council and Dodge County Commissioners care about.Again, I want to thank all the truckers and their families who showed up with. We respect you and appreciate your hard work. Unfortunately, some of the people who show up just want to be hick-hop rappers and have a place to go wild. Hee Haw!!! 
Terry Hawkins
Kasson