When the Majority Cannot Rule

Leonard Pitts
Leonard Pitts has written an exceptional essay explaining the wrong done by Oklahoma's amendment to the state constitution banning the use of Sharia law in court decisions. The implementation of the amendment was blocked by federal judge Vicki Miles LaGrange. Entitled "America Losing It's Mind", Pitts points out

The goal of terrorism, you see, is not to make a nation bleed but to make it fear.

Oklahoma’s nonsensical law suggests our enemies have been successful in that.

Our fear has caused us to act unjustly.

There have been many letters in the local newspaper condemning Judge LaGrange's injunction, which was based on the fact that the amendment clearly is hostile to Muslim citizens in the state. In their defense of the amendment, many writers mention the fact that the amendment was approved by over 70% of those who voted.

Their argument seems to be that if the majority approves of something, that makes it somehow automatically right, that justice is created by majority rule.

This is a lie, the falsity of which has been demonstrated over and over in America. I wish those who feel that the majority makes right could revisit the example provided by the "Little Rock 9", the 9 African-American students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957. I am quite certain that at least 70% or more of the people of Arkansas in those days opposed the idea of public school integration. However, the majority were wrong.
Little Rock Ning being escorted to Little Rock's Central High School in 1957

The people then felt they had good reason for their opposition, but mainly, they were afraid, just as we in Oklahoma seem to be afraid, and fear causes large groups of people to commit large acts of injustice.

It's a Great Life, If You Don't Weaken

The Original Flag of the State of Oklahoma
Oscar Ameringer, Oklahoma social activist

(I gave these remarks as a part of the worship service at Mayflower Congregational Church in Oklahoma City. Every Sunday, one of the lay people give a brief message as a part of the "Prayers of the People" segment of the service. These were given the Sunday following the election in which Republican took over nearly all functions of the state government in Oklahoma.)

Prayers of the People 11-6-10

Some people, knowing who I am and what I am usually up to, have asked me about the election this week and why I think what happened did happen. My reaction is that our fears of each other won out over our love of justice for all. In other words, we are mighty afraid that someone is getting more than our fair share of the pie, and so we think that there should be no pie at all.

The next question I’m often asked is, “What in the world are we going to do now?” I’m tempted to say, “Well, Oregon is looking very good right now.” But to run now I think is rather weak. And as Oscar once said, “It’s a great life. . . if you don’t weaken.”

Oscar? Oscar who? (You ask rhetorically.) Well, Oscar Ameringer of course, Oklahoma Socialist. And yes, Oscar Ameringer, who nearly became mayor of Oklahoma City, was a real Socialist, unlike the Pseudo-Socialists you meet so often these days.

According to a biography written by my good friend and fellow union member, John Thompson, Oscar Ameringer came to Oklahoma from his native Germany right at the time of its statehood and helped to form one of the largest Socialist movements in American history. Ameringer fought for rights of the disadvantaged. He helped found the Oklahoma Renters Union to promote the rights of sharecroppers, and twenty-five years later his writings inspired the creation of the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. In 1910 he led the fight against voting tests that disenfranchised African American voters. The opposition he and most Socialists had to World War I was used as a pretext for the American government to largely destroy the Socialist Party in Oklahoma and the rest of our nation, Ameringer died in 1943 in Oklahoma City.
Ameringer once noted that, “Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect each from the other.”, a statement that runs as true today as it did then.

Oscar lived in tough times, in many ways tougher than what we face now. And I think his advice to us would run something along these lines:

It’s a great life if you don’t weaken.
Keep on fighting. Keep on speakin’
Let your truth shine like a beacon.
Cause it’s a great life if you

We Have An Ice Day Today

When I got to the school this morning, I found that it had been called off. Evidently, the district made the decision at the last minute. I was happy to work a little white at the school on my grading, but soon after I got there, we were told that the building was closing, so we had to go home.

People often make fun of us on the Southern Plains for how we handle winter weather. One thing that is often overlooked is the fact that our winter precipitation typically takes the form of ice, the worst kind of precipitation. Those who get theirs in the form of snow certainly have challenges, but NO ONE handles ice well, certainly not while driving.

Blizzard conditions on the Southern Plains

Looking out my front door
We're pretty well snowed in here. The airport reports 11 inches plus of snow.

Cat and I are safely at home with each other. Hope you are able to enjoy your Christmas wherever you are!

Merry Christmas!

The Banana Republic of Oklahoma

New Flag of Oklahoma?
The present Republican dominated Oklahoma legislature seems bent on seeing our state attain Third World status ASAP. Not only are they trying to give corporations blanket amenesty in personal injury lawsuits, they also want to inject politics into the Workmen's Compensation process, and strip public school teachers of any academic freedom and due process rights they might have.

It is all a part of the attitude that if we make the powerful more powerful, and reduce the working population to something akin to modern day serfdom, everything will be not only hunky but very, very dorry too. Once our betters are free from those bothersome obligations to respect the human dignity of those who service their needs, then we will obtain capitalistic Nirvana.

I really am having trouble giving my students a reason to remain in Oklahoma after graduation.

Back Home Again

My father singing "Marvelous Grace" during Jim Beal's memorial service. Jim had requested that the minister's present at his memorial sing the song. He wanted his memorial to be a celebration of grace.
It's good to be back home in Oklahoma. I'll write in more detail about my trip, but I'm very glad I went to Oregon to be with my family at this time.

Had Our First Big Tornado Warning Today

It was shake, rattle, and roll in The Village today. The warning sirens were going for a couple of hours as a big line of thunderstorms packing 70 plus MPH winds came through our neighborhood. There was no damage at our house as far as we can tell, but other places, it seems, weren't so lucky. In Bethany, several buildings were damaged by straight line winds. A funnel seems to appeared over on 39th and Rockwell and damaged some businesses and some of the athletic facilities belonging to my alma mater Southern Nazarene University.
Damage reported throughout Oklahoma County
Funnel brings moments of terror to Bethany

New Oklahoma AFL-CIO Union Hall

Last Thursday, we had our monthly meeting of the Oklahoma Central Labor Federation at the new AFL-CIO state headquarters so we could see a video about health care and the coming election.

Central Oklahoma Labor Federation Meeting
Oklahoma Labor Hall of Fame: Woody Guthrie
Oklahoma Labor Hall of Fame: Peter Hanraty, OK Territory United Mine Workers President and V.P. of the Oklahoma Constitutional Convention. Labor Omnia Vincit ("Labor Conquers All Things") is the state motto of Oklahoma.

Dusty Day in OKC

On Thursday, we had a major dust storm in the city on Thursday. The wind was blowing around 30 mph with higher gusts. Not as bad as the Dust Bowl days but certainly a reminder that those days can return if we are not very careful. What the sky looked like. The reason for the dust. The sun in the afternoon. Here is the kind of dust storm my father knew as a child growing up in western Oklahoma during the 1930's. Dust Storm 1930's

DUST BOWL LORE

-in just Spring, Oklahoma Style

State Tree of Oklahoma
Redbud
Hyacinths
Our Redbud tree is in bloom along with some of our Hyacinth flowers. It was in the upper 70s today. Spring has definitely come to the Southern Plains. It reminds me of my favorite poem about springtime by the poet e.e. cummings.

in just-

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and
the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

e.e. cummings

Our Trip to Pete's Place

Pete's Place

Today, we decided to take one of our mini-road trips. We went to the town of Krebs in southeastern Oklahoma near MacAlester to visit a restaurant called "Peter's Placw." It's an Italian style eatery that goes back to 1919. Pete worked in the mines that were around that part of Oklahoma till a mining accident crushed his legs. He started the restaurant and also started brewing "Choc Beer". Choc Beer at Pete's Place That created a problem.
Cat and I at Pete's Place

Oklahoma was the only state to come into the union with Prohibition as a part of its Constitution. Not till 1959 was alcohol legal in the state. So Pete's brewery was a bootleg orperation. The "Choc" in the beer's brand name comes from "Choctaw" the Indidn tribe who is supposed to have given Pete the receipe for his brew. With no government regulating its production, Pete was free to brew as he wished as long as the local authorities didn't step in. Choc Beer became famous for its strength as much as its quality.

Inside a Pete's Place

We very much enjoyed our meal there. Everyone at the eatery gets an individual dining room. The food is served family style. And Choc is a very good, and now legal, beverage to go along with it.

Display at Pete's Place

On our way there we stopped at The Grape Ranch near OkemahThe Grape Ranch They had a very good selection, we carried home a couple of bottles of their Country Rose.
They also make a "Festivus" wine though they had taken down their aluminum pole when we visited.

Inside The Grape Ranch

Cat and I tout Oklahoma wines. There are several quite good ones in our state. We serve Oklahoma wines at our parties and give them away as gifts. Oklahoma still has several archaic holdover laws that make being a vinter or brewer more of a challenge that it ought to be. For one, you still cannot buy wine in the supermarket and the only beer than can be bought has to be 3.2% alcohol or lower. But if you know how to find them, Oklahoma wine and beer is a real treat (used in moderation, of course).

Cat and I at The Grape Ranch

Been A While

I've neglected my blog for several reasons, but I hope now to get back into the swing of posting and writing.

We took a car trip down in Southeast Oklahoma. Everything is flooding due to the excess rains we have had in Oklahoma during June and July. Here are some pictures I took.


Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma

Holy City of the Wichitas

Holy City of the Wichitas
Tomb
Memorial
Another interesting feature of the Wichita Refuge is "The Holy City of the Wichitas" Where each spring they do a Passion Play.

More Pics from our Weekend Vacation

Cat and Tooter

Pics from our Mini-Vacation

Medicine Bluff Creek
Medicine Bluff Creek
Medicine Bluff Creek
Mt. Scott
Mt. Scott
My wife and I took a "mini-vacation" down to SW Oklahoma to see the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Along the way, we stopped in the town of Medicine Park and saw that Medicine Bluff Creek is about 6 feet above normal. We had a restful time. Only 3 weeks left in the school year!

Pictures from the Oklahoma Democratic Party CD 5 Convention

Cat and I had a great time at the Oklahoma Democratic Party Congressional District 5 Convention where I delivered my Eulogy on Workers' Memorial Day (see below).

Kelly Haney Statue "Standing His Ground
Seminole Color Guard
Delegates at the Convention
former State Senator Kelly Haney addresses the delegates

It's Been A Beautiful Spring

Fruitless Pear Trees

It has turned colder lately. Spring has a way of doing that here on the Southern Plains. We had some very warm weather and then it got down below freezing. Even had some light sleet and snow. But we're on the way back.

Oklahoma Flag
Oklahomans need to get over an inherent inferiority complex. I wish we would stop our "Texas" fixation. All our politicians want us to be "like Texas" in our tax structure and our economic system. Yet Texas has some of the poorest people, worst crime, and worst pollution in the nation! If we want a model, let us look to states like Iowa or Minnesota where they are dedicated to improving education and health care, not to states where robber barons are given free reign.