Commentary

Imagine, 10 years from now, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center announces it has discovered a cure for diabetes. A few years later, Oklahoma State University has discovered a switchgrass fuel that is a marketable, renewable and more cost-effective than ethanol and abundant throughout the world. How do we get there? Focus, commitment and […]

Imagine, 10 years from now, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center announces it has discovered a cure for diabetes. A few years later, Oklahoma State University has discovered a switchgrass fuel that is a marketable, renewable and more cost-effective than ethanol and abundant throughout the world. How do we get there? Focus, commitment and […]

Just for a second, before thinking about the fact that some athlete’s civil liberties are getting trampled, and before we get the American Civil Liberties Union on speed dial, maybe we should be grateful. Twitter may be taking over the world, but the newest rage is coaches banning it. Stifling a football player’s thoughts? Making […]

“He had the courage to be honest.” That was Henry Bellmon, remembered by the irascible Ben Blackstock, former executive director of the Oklahoma Press Association. Bellmon, elected the first Republican governor of Oklahoma in 1962, left a legacy of independence and integrity. As a father to the GOP in Oklahoma, his leadership transformed Oklahoma into […]

“He had the courage to be honest.” That was Henry Bellmon, remembered by the irascible Ben Blackstock, former executive director of the Oklahoma Press Association. Bellmon, elected the first Republican governor of Oklahoma in 1962, left a legacy of independence and integrity. As a father to the GOP in Oklahoma, his leadership transformed Oklahoma into […]

Lately, I’ve been intending to read some of Will Rogers’ writings. Not only is he Oklahoma’s favorite son, but he was a popular writer of cultural and political commentary in his day. Only 10 months into my own gig writing commentary, I’m hoping I’ll learn some things. This desire to develop my knowledge and skills […]

Lately, I’ve been intending to read some of Will Rogers’ writings. Not only is he Oklahoma’s favorite son, but he was a popular writer of cultural and political commentary in his day. Only 10 months into my own gig writing commentary, I’m hoping I’ll learn some things. This desire to develop my knowledge and skills […]

We Gannett editors in the 1980s were required to rank employees from most valuable to least valuable. (If you want to make friends and influence workers, try that sometime.) I know supervisors rate employees in their own minds, but forwarding the ranking to corporate seemed like a bosses-gone-wild episode. You knew what the brass would […]

Why in the world does Oklahoma lead the nation in the number of women incarcerated on a per capita basis? Do state leaders really want that distinction? The numbers tell a truly sad story: There are approximately 2,600 women imprisoned in Oklahoma, which reflects a rate of 131 per 100,000 residents. The national average is […]

Why in the world does Oklahoma lead the nation in the number of women incarcerated on a per capita basis? Do state leaders really want that distinction? The numbers tell a truly sad story: There are approximately 2,600 women imprisoned in Oklahoma, which reflects a rate of 131 per 100,000 residents. The national average is […]