This is a community blog operated by Oklahoma progressives dedicated to taking back this state for the people. A courageous band of true patriots, we fight right-wing tyranny in one of the reddest of red states. Do you want to help by keeping a diary here? Do you want traffic back to your blog? Register to the right, but keep it to the left. If you need help, contact Kurt, kurt.hochenauer@gmail.com.
Beth Forsythe at News OK Online (a student at Edmond Memorial) gets it only partly right when she says that young voters will make an impact in the 2008 election.
"Four years ago, young adults were supposed to vote in droves.
Hoping to swing the election in favor of Sen. John Kerry, MTV's Rock the Vote ran a multi-million dollar ad campaign; Kanye West and 50 Cent hosted huge hip-hop summits, and Paris Hilton wore a "Vote or Die" T-shirt on national television.
When all was said and done, young voters did not come out in enough force to secure victory for the Democrats. And Paris didn't vote."
Today the Democratic Senators in the Oklahoma Legislature showed they do have a backbone, after all. They voted to effectively kill Senate Bill 1150, known as the Voter ID bill.
This is the last term of the session with a 24- 24 split among Democratic and Republican Senators. Under rules negotiated at the beginning of this session last year, a bill must receive 25 votes to be approved. Democratic leader Danny Morgan (Stillwater) did not vote, relieving Lt. Governor Jari Askins of breaking a 24 - 24 tie vote. The measure failed 23 to 24.
The Voter ID Bill is a 21st century version of the infamous 'Poll Tax' that was used to deny blacks the right to vote in the South decades ago.
Open hearts, open minds, open doors addresses a pastor's prospective on the events that took place last week at the national United Methodist Convention where clergy ascended on the alter covering it with a black cloth.
In an act of witness in front of delegates to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, more than 200 people declared that the denomination's policies and practices against homosexuality are "sinful" and that "sexuality is a gift from God."
Demos is hosting a great conference this week that will address some of the economic concerns that new workers are facing in this unpredictable, unstable, and darn near frighting economy.
A Better Deal: Reclaiming Economic Security for a New Generation will be May 8-9th, 2008, at The Liaison Capitol Hill in Washington DC. While this is a schlep for many folks there are scholarships and stipends available for need based folks interested in this topic. It would be wonderful if I could attend but ... alas... I cannot. The good news is that Mike Connery at Future Majority will be live blogging the conference and I'm sure there will be helpful multimedia available after the fact.
Many years ago I lived and worked in northwest Arkansas. This was during the Clinton years in the Arkansas Governor's mansion. I was proud of all the things both Bill and Hillary did for the state. Bill Clinton and Winthrop Rockefeller did more for the state of Arkansas than all the other governors, added together. I was always vociferous in my defense of these two and was proud to be FOB by "two degrees."
Twitchy McBush came to OKC with his pathetic paw grasping for bribes in a fundraiser for a whopping $2300.00 dollars per plate. Best be some damn fine vittles is all I have to say. Simultaneously, local Democrats had an event for $2.30 a plate, featuring hotdogs and whistle fruit (beans). Sounded more my speed, so I fired up the pickup truck in search of camaraderie in a red state.
Lot's of cars in the lot meant a good showing. Probably 200 people or more showed up on very short notice. Jeri Askins was there, and was looking very good. After a brief visit with the vittles, it was time to get to business. Some lady grabbed the microphone and set the tone by requesting the song "Celebration" as a conga line formed.
Retired Army Colonel, Ann Wright, former US diplomat turned activist is visiting Oklahoma City on Friday, April 25th. Wright is promoting her new book: Dissent: Voices of Conscience: Government Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq. The visit is sponsored by OCCC, Barnes & Noble, Veterans for Peace and OK Code Pink.
12 noon: Oklahoma City Community College
Rm 3NO (Main Bldg, 3rd Flr) 7777 S. May Ave., OKC
1:30pm: Walk for Peace and Justice, OCCC
6pm: Book Signing With Ann Wright
Barnes & Noble, 6100 N. May Ave., OKC
Contact: Somjai Grice, 405-843-9300
7:30pm: Lecture by Ann Wright
Mayflower Congregational Church
3901 NW 63rd, OKC
"Senator Obama is also a person of sound and good judgment. He had the good judgment more than five years ago to warn against our involvement in this tragic and costly war. He also understands the need to repair our partnerships with other nations and to more effectively use diplomacy to serve our national interests."-David Boren
David Boren's recent endorsement of Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is an oasis of hope for the state when compared to Oklahoma's growing national reputation as a right-wing, intolerant haven for gay bashers and immigrant haters.
His endorsement also could be read as a wake up call to academics in the state. In a statement related to the endorsement, Boren, pictured right, president of the University of Oklahoma, said, "I am joining Senator Barack Obama's advisory team on foreign policy and national security because I believe it is my duty as a citizen to do all I can to help our country at this critical moment. Our strength is declining. Eighty-one percent of Americans believe we are heading in the wrong direction. We must act quickly to meet and overcome the challenges we face."
In other words, the country's political systems are broken. Oklahoma academics, using Boren as an example, should get involved in this presidential election as citizens "at this critical moment" in history no matter whom they support and that includes the Republican presumptive nominee John McCain. There needs to be real debate and dialogue among Americans about the country's direction. Now more than ever, academics are crucial in starting and maintaining this debate. A real debate will not be fostered by mainstream media outlets, which are stuck in tabloid-like rhetorical frames, a lazy, laughable "gotcha" flag pin reporting that has very little meaning in today's world. The recent ABC "debate" hosted by Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopoulos represented a new low in meaningless, tabloid television.
"The weak report fueled already mounting recession fears and is likely to keep the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates further when it meets later this month."
According to the federal reserve you can often spot a recession when you see interest rates drop because the Fed "acts to reduce interest rates during recessions, in order to stimulate economic activity."
"Job growth appears to have weakened across nearly every industry with the exception of health care and government," said Keith Hall, the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which prepares the jobs report, testified Friday before a congressional committee." CNN says
Wages?
"$54,302 average income
$30,374 bottom 90% average income
$210,597 average income for the top 5%
$29,638,027 average income for the top .01%"
I wasn't a fan of Charlton Heston the actor. I didn't agree with his stance on gun rights. So, frankly, I didn't have more than a neutral regard for him -- until I found out something in his past that he humbly didn't mention, but maybe should have. That he didn't throw it in his critics' faces says something quite positive about his character, regardless of any of his other political positions or character traits.
Because Charlton Heston was a great American, and was willing to put his career and reputation on the line at a moment in our history when it really mattered and made a difference.
And one of those those moments occurred right here in Oklahoma.
Andrew Rice will join Rep. Kris Steele (R-Shawnee), Monty Collings, and representatives from the health care industry in a rally for Steffanie's Law (SB1521).
The bill, which would mandate insurance coverage of routine medical procedures for patients enrolled in a clinical trial, passed the Senate by a large margin. However, it is in danger of not being heard by the House Economic Development and Financial Services Committee, and therefore not having a chance to go to a floor vote.
Please join Sen. Rice, Rep. Steele, and the family of Steffanie Collings (for whom the bill is named) to encourage the House of Representatives to set aside partisan games and allow this important legislation to be heard.
The following was posted on Pro-Choice Oklahoma, a relatively new and obscure blog that covers reproductive choice issues in Oklahoma (duh). Anyway, this so important, I'm taking the liberty of copying it here in full. (I don't know who runs that blog, or I'd ask permission. I've been unsuccessful in previous contact attempts -- if anyone knows the blogger, please have them get in touch.)
I heard news that right-wing groups were organizing a pro-gay-hate rally in support of Rep. Sally Kern this week (more info here and here, so I started digging around a little bit online and guess what I found. . .
Peace activists across the country will be marking the sad milestone of the 4000th US combat death in Iraq with vigils and other displays of sorrow and rededication to bringing the troops home as soon as possible.
In Oklahoma, a "virtual vigil" on the Web has been created where anyone can post a message and have a "candle" added to the page.
There is no charge or requirement for participating. The site includes links to other sites where news and resources about antiwar activism can be found. A separate page on the site offers the opportunity to sign up for an email list for Oklahoma peace news and action alerts.
MIDWEST CITY - A U.S. Marine Corps reservist may have broken the law when he crossed a protest line to defend the U.S. flag, but he will not be punished for it, city officials said.
Midwest City Assistant City Attorney Randal Homburg said he thinks there are grounds to prosecute Ray Adam Modisette, 20, for an act of civil disobedience. At the request of the local police department, Homburg said he's declining to file charges.
Modisette, of Shawnee, was arrested Friday afternoon on a complaint of interfering with official police process. He told The Oklahoman he was reacting to a war protester who was stuffing an American flag down her pants.
. . . June Parsons, 73, of Stillwater said the incident brought back bad memories of anti-military sentiment during the Vietnam War. Her husband was killed fighting in Vietnam, she said.
"If I was there I would have wanted to do the same thing and probably gotten the snot knocked out of me," Parsons said. "I'm proud of that young man for standing up."
Mike Chase, a reserve deputy with the Oklahoma County sheriff's office, was among about 150 people who showed up Friday to demonstrate against the church group. Chase, who lost his son, Lance Michael Chase, in January 2006 in Iraq, said he could relate to both the emotions expressed by Modisette and the reaction of police. . .
There was an interesting piece in the Fashion section of the NYTimes this Sunday that is a little weird but it gets into some pretty fun stuff.
The piece follows a kid from Brooklyn who is hell bent on becoming an organic farmer. Trucker hats, Carhartts, and Pabst were the fashion but now some are putting the heart behind the fashion and finding the funk in farming.
"The Billyburg scene has changed, said Annaliese Griffin, who contributes to a blog called Grocery Guy. "Having a cool cheese in your fridge has taken the place of knowing what the cool band is, or even of playing in that band," she said. "Our rock stars are ricotta makers."
The same is true for Sarah Love, an Oklahoma University political science graduate and sometimes young Clay Pope a former DC staffer turn conservation lobbyist who have formed an organization that helps farmers become more environmentally friendly and companies to offset their carbon emissions.
Rep. Sally Kern's recent recorded condemnation of the so-called "gay threat" has attracted nation-wide attention due to the fact that, unbeknownst to her, someone recorded it and made it a popular Internet download. Many have condemned the speech, and others have wondered what the big deal is all about. After all, wasn't Sally simply exercising her right to free speech by expressing a personal opinion?
In order to understand problem with Sally Kern's speech; let's put the shoe on the other foot for a second. Suppose a gay politician got up and said that the "straight agenda" was a great threat to America than terrorism. Or that "straight people are trying to "indoctrinate" our two year olds. Or straights had "infiltrated" our city councils. Surely, people would think that they are listening to a nut who deserves to be ignored and certainly should never be trusted with a public office. Well, now may know how gay people feel when someone sees them as a "threat" for asking for the same human rights we all enjoy.
One might say, though, that while the speech might be offensive, it would not constitute threatening "hate speech." Straight people might be insulted or angered by such talk, but certainly not threatened. True, but then again straights are in the majority in our society. So let's change our hypothetical situation a bit.
Now imagine that a white couple, living in some country where they are a definite minority, say some place like Zimbabwe, hearing a recording of a black politician from that country expressing similar views to Kern's except that this time instead of using the words "gay" or "homosexual", he used the word "white." Now "white people are greater threats than terrorists" and "white people must not be allowed to indoctrinate our children" or "the white agenda" must be rooted out and opposed by all available means. Wouldn't in this case, the feelings of this couple go beyond merely being offended? Wouldn't the fact that these words might incite someone take direct action against this "threat" cause them to feel what gay Americans feel when they hear a politician in Oklahoma make these statements?
I think they would, and this is why Rep. Kern should realize that words have consequences, especially when they come from someone involved in serving all the people.
Community Protest Rally - Friday, March 14, 5:30 to 6:30
Memorial Park - Classen sidewalk, NW 35th St at N Classen Blvd, OKC
Join Us Friday with a large group of LGBT community people and supporters to protest the outrageous remarks of State Rep. Sally Kern - and the refusal of the Speaker of the House to denounce her! Oklahoma is in the national spotlight, but now for an ugly side. By Friday we'll also know the fate of proposed hate crimes laws. O.G.L.P.C. is a sponsor, with many other community groups. Come make your voice heard!
Sally Kern is unworthy to represent the good people of House District 84. Her recent ravings about the "homosexual agenda" being a bigger threat to America than terrorism reveal a woman who has a sick soul. As far as this writer can tell, gay Americans want the same things all Americans want: liberty of conscience, freedom of speech, equal economic opportunity, and security for their lives and property. I wonder which of these rights enjoyed by all Americans does Kern find threatening? Which of these would she deny her fellow Americans? And since she specifically condemned Islam in her speech, how many other Americans would be denied their human rights in Ms. Kern's world? The Americans in Kern's district should be the ones feeling threatened by Ms. Kern's agenda. They should deal with that threat by removing her from office.
Sally Kern was once a social studies teacher at Northwest Classen High School where my wife is currently a teacher. Students frequently complained that their grades often depended on whether or not they agreed with Ms. Kern's political viewpoints. One student in particular found herself at odds with Ms. Kern because the student was Jewish and did not go along with Kern's fundamentalist views on American history and culture. The student's mother had to intervene on behalf of her daughter; otherwise, Kern's grade would have seriously impacted the student's GPA.
Subscribe in a reader
