September 25, 2007

On The Cover

Down But Not Out: Beware Religious Right In 2008

By Frosty Troy

Some think the current First Amendment political uproar created by the Religious Right is a new issue. The truth is, Americans have never quit debating the separation of church and state.

What’s Inside

Frosty’s Notebook: Wither Democrats?

By Frosty Troy

Anywhere you go in Oklahoma, the question is always the same: What is the future of the Oklahoma Democratic Party?

Addictions Costing State $4.4 Billion

By Pam McKeown

Alcoholics Anonymous calls addiction “cunning, baffling and powerful.” This truth is evident in individual lives and also in the world of business, where untreated addictive disorders cost Oklahoma businesses, governments and families an estimated $4.4 billion annually.

Rightwing Senator Hits Appeals Court

Outrage and disappointment ought to be the reactions of Oklahomans to Sen. Jonathan Nichols’ attack on the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Meddling Legislature Hurts Small Schools

By Mike McGregor

Our small schools face a dilemma regarding buildings. This is especially true if you have a growing student population. The problem exists because by law we are only able to vote 10% of our district’s valuation.

Student Achievement Can’t Be Only Measure

By Sharon Edge Martin

One of the things I’ve noticed most about school reform is that teachers are seldom consulted. If legislators talked to teachers, much of what passes for reform would never make it into committee. Take the subject of merit pay as an example.

Does U.S. Care About Military Families?

By Kathy Sullivan

My daughter has been in the Navy for 17 years and her husband is a Marine pilot who has been in the service for about the same amount of time.

Memoir Of A Child Welfare Specialist

By Susan Gilliland

It is quiet except for the clicking of keys as information is entered. Every muscle and tendon is screaming a silent scream. Outside the parking lot is dark and lonely. One or two cars are there, nothing else.

Sally Frasier Named Woman Of The Year

By Barbara Santee

Heart of the Party Federation of Democratic Women held its “Just Desserts” recently to celebrate its 2007 Woman of the Year – Sally Frasier.

Books

Déjà vu All Over Again: 2007 Mirrors 1984

By Alvena Bieri

Timothy McVeigh called his 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City “the act of a heroic patriot.” Richard Nixon, holding his fingers high, said, “I am not a crook!” These weird kinds of contradictions are common now and have been for many years in America.

The Sad Truth About The New West

By Mike Nobles

Jim Stiles has always reminded me of the Founding Editor of The Oklahoma Observer, Frosty Troy. Stiles is the founder and publisher of Canyon Country Zephyr, an independent newspaper published monthly in Moab, UT. His editorial position has always been one of irreverence and likely as not has “comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable.”

Public Forum

Piling On: The Endless Pursuit Of Gene Stipe

By Edwin E. Vineyard

This writer has had a casual acquaintanceship with Sen. Gene Stipe, both by reputation and occasional contact, for some 40 years. For more than 30 of those 40 years, there was every indication that Sen. Stipe was a highly effective legislator and a brilliant attorney.

Motivated And Optimistic In Troubled Times

By Judy A. Ramsey

It seems the press remains negligent in covering the news that reflects the will of the people. Not only did they feed us all the misinformation leading to this war without question, they continue to ignore the growing movement of citizens for government accountability.

In Bush, Signs Of Napoleonic Mental Illness

By Hiram K. Myers

George W. Bush’s violation of the trust placed in him by virtue of being Commander in Chief is Napoleonic in scope. The 19th Century dictator of France, Napoleon, was mentally ill. He was afflicted with what is known today as Narcissistic Personality Disorder [NDP], the same or similar mental illness that causes George W. Bush’s aberrant behavior.

Observations

Cooked Books

Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill is an expert at cooking the books – a perfect example of why so many Oklahomans have such a low opinion of the Legislature.

Langston

Langston University is a mess, and that’s putting it mildly. Faculty and staff have had only one raise in 10 years. It’s a case of horrible neglect.

Earning An ‘F’

The factually-challenged State Chamber’s Bill Hanna, writing in an op-ed piece for the anti-public education Daily Disappointment, says money isn’t the answer for public education.

Postal Facts

We hear so many complaints about the Post Office, we thought we’d share a few facts with you because, warts and all, it is the best in the world.

Be Proud

Don’t believe the media and slanted pollsters – the new Democratic Congress has been amazingly successful given the toxic GOP atmosphere in both chambers of Congress.