Commentary

The current state legislative session has been a good civics lesson, reminding us that our democracy exists only if we participate in it.   Senate Bill 714, a bill that is bad for women, bad for physicians and nurses, bad for your health and bad for Oklahoma, almost became law last week.   The bill […]

There’s no time like the present to abolish the office of state auditor and inspector. It’s one of those obsolete state offices created 100 years ago that should have been eliminated when the offices of state mine inspector and the commissioner of charities and corrections were abolished.   The only authority the state constitution gives […]

The Art Buchwald quote too many cannot read or write, but they can multiply, sums up some of Oklahoma’s education situation. In spite of years of work and signs of progress to improve our public schools and higher education system, we are not where we need to be. Part of the problem is the system, […]

Oklahoma Republicans were disappointed when presidential candidate Mitt Romney canceled plans to be keynote speaker at the Republican Convention April 14, but the events of the convention itself more than compensated the delegates to the state GOP.   Gary Jones, who stepped down as party chairman a year ago to run unsuccessfully against the embattled […]

As the nation grieves the worst single act of gun violence in our history, there is one topic that the corporate media will not let us discuss rationally: gun control.   Less than 24 hours after the carnage, before a single funeral, as the bodies were being tagged in the morgue, FOX News already was […]

Addiction, it is said, often blinds those so afflicted to the moral and ethical considerations of behaviors intent on satisfying their habits. In our present oil addiction, we so fervently have embraced corn ethanol as one solution to our petroleum dependency that we have neglected to question the ethical and moral propriety of using food […]

Last year, the United States borrowed approximately $320 billion to import oil ” nearly $1 billion per day. Significant portions of these funds are used by hostile nations to finance and perpetuate hatred of the West and its philosophies. Therefore, it is critical that American leaders, policy makers and private industry search for ways to […]

Sen. James Inhofe caught lots of flack recently for his objections to plans for holding Al Gore’s Live Earth concert on the west side of the U.S. Capitol. The concert, scheduled for July 7, is intended to gain support for the fight against global warming. “There has never been a partisan political event at the […]

Will Rogers observed that “I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.” To watch our own state government in action of late, I expect that Gov. Brad Henry is thinking a lesser-known Rogers aphorism: “There ought to be one day ” just one ” when there is open season on […]

Once upon a time, a “straight-shooting” Texas oilman without a single accomplishment to his name decided to run for president as God’s chosen one. Proud of being a C student, and clumsy of speech like Moses, he would nevertheless lead us all to the promised land. He promised to “restore honor and dignity to the […]