Oklahoma Observer

BY CONSTANCE N. JOHNSON The Senate Rules Committee’s decision to ignore Gov. Mary Fallin’s nomination of Jim Roth to the State Election Board represents a failure in legislative leadership and representative democracy. For Sen. Rob Johnson to question Mr. Roth’s capacity, as the State Election Board’s Democratic representative, to be objective of those seeking elective [...]

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The Vienna Sausage Brigade

May 16, 2012 | No Comments

BY KENNY BELFORD It’s now official. Gov. Mary Fallin, winner of the “Sheeples’ Choice Award,” has now signed into law the open-carry bill. It’s now legal, perhaps even socially acceptable, to get your six-shooter and boldly strap it on your hip before you head out for some errand running. At least according to state Sen. [...]

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Carlos Fuentes, RIP

May 16, 2012 | No Comments

BY RICHARD L. FRICKER It was very strange to hear about the death of Carlos Fuentes. Frankly, I hadn’t read anything of his work in years. But there must have been some comfort just knowing he was there. I actually met him once, very briefly at a lecture he was giving in Fort Worth. Funny [...]

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Saving OETA

May 15, 2012 | No Comments

BY NORM ROURKE An open letter to Sen. Roger Ballenger, D-Okmulgee, and Rep. Steve Kouplen, D-Beggs: I won’t insult your intelligence with a litany of the benefits of OETA. I know you’re both well aware of them. Instead I will plead with you to fight for the continuance of OETA [Oklahoma Educational Television Authority] as [...]

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The Greediness Of Brain Drain

May 10, 2012 | No Comments

BY RALPH NADER The phrase “brain drain” used to mean, in the 1950s and ‘60s, the flight of professionally-trained people from dictatorships to find opportunity in the U.S. and other Western countries. Now “brain drain” is used in American media to mean an active U.S. government policy to attract foreign entrepreneurs, scientists, physicians, nurses and [...]

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Truth And Testing

May 02, 2012 | No Comments

BY SHARON MARTIN In my reading classes, I rely on tests. I start most units with a pre-test; I need to know what students already know. I give quizzes and writing assignments throughout the unit to check understanding, and the post-test tells me if something needs to be revisited. I believe in tests, but I [...]

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