“What about organic?” she asks. “Two percent? Skim?” “Milk is milk,” an exasperated manager tells her. “We’ve got one kind. It was good for me. It’s good enough for kids today.” Education technology expert Richard Culatta recently shared that our public education system came to the U.S. via autocratic 18th-century Prussia. “Their purpose was as […]
Commentary
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Wherefore art thou, Democrats?
Democrats hold no statewide offices. They failed to file candidates for the two Corporation Commission seats up for election this year. Of the 24 state Senate seats up this year, Democrats filed for only 12. In the 101 state House districts, they fielded candidates in just 54. There are Democrats running for all five Congressional […]
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Women fared well in legislation
Although the topic of reproductive rights came up across the national political scene and appeared to take center stage in Oklahoma by way of the proposed personhood bill, there was much more that happened at the state Capitol worth sharing. For one, House Bill 2396, co-authored by Rep. Wade Rousselot, D-Wagoner, and Sen. Kim David, […]
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Handwritten letters make enduring gift
Jay Wilkinson My dad was Bud Wilkinson, one of the most successful and well-respected college football coaches of all time. At the heart of my father’s success — not only as a coach, but also in many other facets of his life — was his extraordinary ability to communicate with others. Dad knew success was […]
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Open carry is an embarrassment
Robin Meyers In almost every column I wrote, there was a singular refrain: Beware the triumph of the Christian right in the halls of power. Beware the lawmaker whose intolerance masquerades as faith, and whose fundamental distrust of women creates laws designed to shame them rather than to protect them. Don’t say that you weren’t […]
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Nonprofits owe much to Chesapeake
Deborah McAuliffe Senner Although these corporate partners provide significant financial support, these partnerships go much deeper. Many of these companies also encourage their employees to give generously of their time, talent and treasure to help build a stronger community and better place to live and work. Their employees are on our boards, working on our […]
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Get on the Sunday bus
Lauren Branch Mikayla Holden Incredible things are happening in every corner of Oklahoma City, but — despite the new restaurants, revitalized neighborhoods, art festivals and more — our community comes up short in one vital aspect of city life: public transportation. In my work as president and CEO of NewView Oklahoma, formerly the Oklahoma League […]
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Counterpoint: : Real reform is still wanting
But even in its beginning, the legislation’s reforms were modest at best. In its final version, HB 3052 is a reform bill in name only — more notable for what it does not do than for what it does. There is even the potential that it could dig us deeper into our current prison crisis […]
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Point: Overhauling criminal justice
The bill funds strategic crime reduction initiatives, requires post-release supervision of all felons and initiates several strategies proven to control prison growth and reduce crime. It’s a tougher, smarter fight against crime. This new policy was developed through the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, a nine-month, data-driven review of Oklahoma’s entire criminal justice system. Among the shortcomings […]
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Thunder has transformed city’s image
Some days you just think, “This can’t be happening!” We’ve become accustomed to seeing Oklahoma City on national telecasts. We’re used to seeing the dramatically lit shots of Bricktown and downtown Oklahoma City that play in and out of commercials during Thunder games. We’re even getting used to Charles Barkley saying there’s nothing to do […]