I get that they have a right to self determination but when did that start meaning others can’t have opinions about (perceived) short sightedness?

Am I allowed to think less of people who vote for stuff like mandatory prayer in schools, even if it is their community and their right to vote for what they want?

It's my community too. My opinion is worth just as much as theirs.

huh, seeing confederate talking points in this thread was not on my bingo card

A community is not a sovereign nation. I know that eminent domain is considered by many (and historically rightly so) to be a dirty tool, but sometimes it really is in the benefit of the country and its economy to build things even if the people living in or around that area don't like it, especially if their only reason to resisting is "I don't like it".