Fourth in a survey of editorial letters to the
Daily Oklahoman, the previous episode being
The Sort of Still Hate Us in Oklahoma
Insofar as letters to the editor are concerned, Oklahomans appear more concerned with abortion than euthanasia (or prevention of same), saving social security than keeping Teri Schiavo's soul imprisoned in a dungeon of useless, decayed flesh, for restraining religious groups' usurpation of politics rather than enabling it.
Regardless, there are always the nutjobs.
We're not through cleaning up after the Republican duststorm in Oklahoma. Not just yet. :)
Monday, March 21, 2005
Step toward liberty
Good news at last! Senate Bill 11, which makes finger scanning voluntary, has passed the Senate and will pass the House if enough of us call our representatives to urge its passing. God bless Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson (and others) who have taken this step toward liberty. The web of government intrusion into our lives has been woven bit by bit. If each of us promotes reforms such as SB 11, the people can undo every unconstitutional and dangerous law that threatens American rights.
Claire Ann Crawford, Elgin
SB 11 is pending in the House Rules Committee.
Pause for Wow: Wow. I did a little digging; Sen. Wilcoxson appears to be a good egg, by and large, highly focused on safety and education issues for the most part. Oh -- she's also Republican. She also proposed a bill to raise funds for treatment of dyslexia in Oklahoma schools -- the bill was defeated twice. Read can just the kids fine.
Limits Not Needed
Term limits are wrong. We vote people into office because we believe they can do a job for us and about the time they get a little experience, they are gone. If we don't like them, we can not vote for them next time they run for office. We need experienced people in our offices, people who know what's going on. Term limits need to be done away with.
Judy Earnheart, Idabel
Pause for Hmm-Hmmm: It's not as flagrant as declaring for a perpetual Dubyocracy, but it's good enough for government work.
Personally, I'd love a "Big Dog v. Shrub" match in 2004...but I do not think it would be good for the country. The job of President has too much power as it stands, without adding unlimited tenure to its portfolio.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
No crisis for members of Congress
Some members of Congress take the position that there's no crisis in Social Security and no action is needed at this point. There is no crisis -- for them. Members of Congress have their own plan that basically lets them draw the same pay for the rest of their lives after retirement. This is great -- for them. For example, West Virginia's Sen. Robert Byrd can expect to draw $7.8 million over his expected lifespan. This amount will actually be higher due to cost-of-living increases. Byrd's wife will draw $275,000 a year if she survives him. The cost to the Byrds? Zero! They pay nothing into this program; taxpayers foot the bill. I wonder how fast members of Congress would come up with a solution if their golden fleece were jerked from under them and they were included in Social Security, supplemented by an IRA to which they would have to contribute, just like the rest of us.
Tom Moore, Newcastle
Pause to Check Math: Hey, Tom. Republican Congressionals are drawing pay, too, and most will leave considerably more years than those remaining to the 87 year-old Byrd. Per the 1997 Life expectancy tables, the Senator from West Virginia can expect another 4.85 years of life.
His term ends in 2006, so he'll have 3.85 years to collect...let me get this straight...$7.8 million in pension.
What gets me is that actuaries are by and large a conservative bunch, and insurance companies are heavy Republican contributors.
You'd think someone would have checked the GOP quacking points a bit more carefully. :)
Simple solution
We can solve Social Security problems simply. Let's remove the taxable income limit cap and lower the tax rate to reach the desired revenue level. If raising the cap to $160,000 (from $90,000) would generate $52 billion a year, this would more than solve the problem. Let's push for this instead of "individual accounts" as part of Social Security. This solution would give a tax decrease to more than 80 percent of wage earners and would make the wealthy pay their fair share of the Social Security burden.
Troy C. Humphrey, Moore
Pause for Applause: We've heard the anecdotes, how rich Pubs like Rush Limbaugh go stone cold when asked why they begrudge the relatively few crumbs of SS contributions from their income that slip free of their fat, grubby biscuit hooks.
You go, Troy.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
No tolerance for illegal steroid use
There are ways to ensure that our beloved pastime of baseball can once again measure up to this long-ago Little Leaguer's idea of truth and the "American way." This country's foundation of fairness is built upon the concept that cheating isn't the door to self-pride and a sense of accomplishment. The "boys of summer" have been cheating us for too long. It's time to clamp down on players, coaches, managers, owners and commissioners for the apparent rampant, illegal use of steroids by athletes.
The most effective way to stop players from using steroids is to put them in jail and fine them heavily -- not unlike the way we deal with a common crack-cocaine user. Any sports records should be nullified, and convicted dopers should be banned from playing for life. The best way to stop owners from looking the other way or perhaps even promoting this insidious and illicit drug habit is for Congress to suspend baseball's exemption from anti-trust laws.
Max Dennis, Tipton
Pause for Question: Last I checked, steroid use in major league baseball was unseemly, not illegal. Am I off base here?
I think, Max, that perhaps the crystal meth labs in Oklahoma are worthier targets for your wrath than the state's favorite export -- baseball players.
Sad commentary
Contemporary, elitist liberals staked their claim to legitimacy through the civil rights movement. That cause came about because of true inequities in voting rights and educational and job opportunities. But modern-day liberalism has mutated to the point that a litany of peevish causes has become their justification for protest and intervention. These elitists, while still claiming to be populists, have little respect for a process where social and political issues are resolved through a vote of the people or by their elected representatives. Their standard ploy, whether the inequity is real or alleged, is to move the arena of judgment to the media, to the activist courts or to the tenured halls of higher education. It's a sad commentary on their version of democracy.
Richard Day, Nichols Hills
Pause to Look Askance at Television Audience: Ah...it's gems like Dick here that make perusing the Daily Oklahoman letters so enjoyable. And here I was about to get soft on the Okies for a string of fairly cogent, reasonable and diverse views.
Now I have to get to work...
Well, Richard, those 'contemporary, elitist' liberals that you excoriate have done you a fair turn...or twenty..., too, solving true inequities and injustices that were meted out to white poor (of which Oklahoma has spawned a fair number of in its day) with equal enthusiasm.
Voting rights were witheld with glee from Okie migrant workers wherever they went, but perhaps you are a newcomer to the state and have yet to acquaint yourself with the storied and checquered past of your new home.
Minimum wages, safe working conditions, overtime, weekends, job benefits, universal education, job training (and retraining) programs, small business loans to startups...you know, it amazes me what Pubs take for granted, and whom the Pubs abuse for the blessings of liberty that in many of the above instances were purchased by the blood of the best patriots of all -- the average American schmoe, just looking to make a living and raise a family, just looking for a fair shake.
You mention that liberalism is now 'a litany of peevish causes'...like human rights, like life sovereignty, like opposition to torture, and lies, and big government intervention in personal decisions, and election reform, and rule of law, and promoting the defense and prosperity of the United States...yeah, we're a chinzty bunch, now that you mention it. Thanks for clearing it all up for me.
Ah, it gets even better. Apparently, all matters should be decided by up-down majority vote, no matter who is in charge, and to hell with the judiciary and rule of law, and anyone who opposes mob rule needs to be crushed without mercy.
Sort of like what your friends, the Republicans, are doing over Teri Schiavo these days.
Premeditated murder
We are witnessing first hand the premeditated plot to murder a conscious woman by starvation, by her husband, his attorney and a judge. Has our legal system finally become so brilliant it's stupid? Have our elected officials become so callus that they've fallen for the tyrannical rulings of appointed judges just because they are judges? God help us. We are either too lazy or too stupid to stand up for the defenseless anymore.
Mark Brotherton, Oklahoma City
Pause to Cry out "The Redshirts are Coming! The Redshirts are Coming!" Mark, the only premeditated plot to murder related to the Schiavo case is a $200K (amount?) reward offered by a North Carolina Republican for the head of Michael Schiavo, and repeated calls for violent opposition, including kidnapping of Teri Schiavo herself, in order to keep her immortal soul imprisoned in its dungeon of useless, decayed flesh.
Just recently, the family of a judge was slain by right-wing activists sympathetic to your views.
Last I checked, that's called terrorism...or treason, one. And it's all by wingnuts.
Oh -- didn't a lot of Oklahoma patriots get obliterated by another right-wing activist a few years back, right in Oklahoma City?
Seems that happened about this time of year, a few years back.
Don't even dare talk of murder in my cyber-presence ever again, Redshirt.
Thursday, March 25, 2005
Raising interesting questions
Cal Thomas (Opinion, March 15) raises interesting questions regarding appropriate political involvement by religious organizations. He warns evangelicals against adopting a social agenda. Thomas closes with Matthew 6:20, admonishing us to attend to heavenly treasures. In Luke 18:22, Jesus said, "Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven ..." That is the original and official "faith-based initiative," a nonpolitical initiative requiring no public funding and no religious social bureaucracies to administer.
I wonder if Thomas would include school prayer as one of these "host of 'issues'" that interfere with the evangelical commission -- especially in consideration of Matthew 6:5-6, where Jesus instructs us how to pray in secret, not in public like hypocrites. When Thomas said, "Jesus is appropriated these days for all sorts of things with which he would have nothing to do," perhaps he refers to the hubris of anyone who attempts to limit or usurp the power of the Almighty by misidentifying one's personal political agenda as being the same as God's.
Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin agreed by advocating the separation of church and state as a fundamental principle of our democratic republic. Or perhaps Thomas is advocating a return to the traditional evangelical position, to remain free of the worldly entanglements of political participation.
J.M. Frazier Norman
Pause to Go "Whoa. Dude. Awesome!" One suspects that Norman (site of the University of Oklahoma) is going to produce a higher quality of letter to the editor, and in this instance, one is not disappointed.
While responding to a missive from two weeks earlier the timing could not be more germane to the Schaivo case.
Thanks, J.M! I really am starting to feel optimistic about Okies. :)
Evidence of glory
Cal Thomas (Opinion, March 15) misrepresents the beliefs of Christians who are compelled by the Gospel to minister to the world through service. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus tells those who would be his disciples that they are "the light of the world" and they should "shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven" (emphasis added). Thomas fails to acknowledge that demonstrations of God's love through service and works provide evidence of God's glory and grace. Instead, Thomas would seemingly have us believe that his words, unsupported by any evidence of love or compassion, are sufficient. I disagree.
James Rogers Oklahoma City
Quite clear
Before Lyndall F. Engrebretson (Your Views, March 7) quotes the Bible saying "Thou shalt not kill," he should read the Bible. It makes it quite clear, numerous times, what the fate of murderers should be.
Ben Gadd Oklahoma City
Pause for "Oh, well." That gush of "OK is OK!" sentiment was fun while it lasted. Apparently, accurate citation of Scripture is absent of compassion and love and Christ, per James.
And our good pal, Ben, overlooks the episode of the adulteress when contemplating righteous killings. I guess what Jesus says is of no account, for big Ben.
And that's all for this time around.