Rudy, ribs and Iran

Well, as controversy increasingly swirls around New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his presidential candidacy, The Oklahoman does a usual bang-up job on missing the obvious questions.

Instead, the Sooner State's paper of record simply reported bland comments by patrons at Earl's Rib Palace in Oklahoma City and Rudy's own talking points. And not surprisingly, Rudy made much of New York's connection to Oklahoma via the fact that both places experienced terror attacks. In between gulping down ribs, Rudy makes sure the folks know he's a tough guy, a New Yawkah' who, if elected, will put those Iranians in their place.

Writes Okie reporter Michael McNutt:

"Iran has to realize that we're not going to allow them to get nuclear weapons," Giuliani said.

Continuing...

Giuliani's stand on social issues, such as supporting abortion rights and gun control, are contrary to most conservatives, including many Oklahomans, critics say.
"I am who I am,” he said. "I'm not going to pretend to be somebody else. And then people have to evaluate the whole thing, what are the most important things, what are the most important issues.
"If they agree with me on most of the things ... then they should consider voting for me,” he said.

--END--

Yeah. Sure. And what of your advanced knowledge of the 9/11 terror attacks and the mysterious implosion of your mayoral command center in WTC 7 on that fateful day?

Not a word.

And do we want this guy's third wife involved in Cabinet decisions? Hell no!

Please rain fall

The rain continues to fall here in Central Oklahoma. And while it may be inconvenient for some, we have to remember that it's a real blessing.

Who's this 'Rudy' guy?

Try as I might, tomorrow's fundraising event for presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, to be held at the Oklahoma History Center, is closed to the press, according to a spokeswoman at the host facility.

Too bad. I'd have TONS of hardball questions for ol' Rudy, from his strange behavior (and alleged profiteering) during and after 9/11, and the overall "weirdness factor."

He's really wanting support from the Heartland and Republicans fed up with Weekly Standard-ish "big-government-conservatism."

And then there's this, ummm, glamour shot ... (thanks Chad!)

Inhofe wants 'Live Earth' dead in the water

Will it ever end with this guy? U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-OK, wants the pro-Gaia rock 'n roll to stay home. Where's James Watt when ya need him?

Writes Elana Schor for The Hill:
Fresh from his face-to-face tussle with former Vice President Al Gore, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) is vowing to stall Gore’s hotly anticipated Capitol concert to draw attention to global warming.
Inhofe’s belief that climate change is “the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people” is common knowledge in the capitol, and environmental groups cheered the new prospects for carbon-capping legislation when he ceded the Environment and Public Works Committee gavel this session. But Inhofe’s parliamentary powers can block indefinitely the resolution that would permit Gore to choose the capitol’s West Front for the U.S. leg of his seven-continent Live Earth concert tour — a collaboration between Gore and promoter Kevin Wall, who masterminded previous blockbuster charity concerts Live Aid and Live 8.
(I love this next quote ... Inhofe is clearly on top of his game)

“There has never been a partisan political event at the Capitol, and this is a partisan political event,” Inhofe said yesterday.

(Brilliant! Never a partisan political event at the Capitol. Is he joking? Anyway, Inhofe added that he's got plenty of support. Even some Democrats.)

Democrats “may not be willing to stand up to Al Gore, but many of them found it just as objectionable as Republicans do,” he said.
--END--
As the story noted, there was a concert for Earth Day in 1990. I think 10,000 Maniacs played that gig. Anyway, Inhofe, still fuming over Gore's visit last week, is not going to let this issue slip away. And you'd think he'd have more important things to do.

Mass transit needed in OKC Metro area

I was listening to KGOU (Oklahoma City/Norman NPR affiliate) this morning and they had a great segment on it regarding mass transit - rail in particular - and how activists, business leaders and urban planners are kicking the idea around.

I feel Oklahoma City really needs to invest in mass transit. Many comparable cities are doing it from Albuquerque to Richmond. Hearing one of the segment's speakers talk about folks crossing Northwest Expressway in wheelchairs, just to get to the store, was heartbreaking. A city of our size should be seriously looking at our options and finding ways to not be so dependable on automobiles.

Beekeepers all abuzz over mysterious syndrome

Here's my story on that vanishing bee syndrome I've been blogging about ...

Beekeepers all abuzz over mysterious syndrome

By Andrew Griffin
Special Correspondent
Posted: March 25, 2007
The Lawton Constitution

NORMAN — “Colony Collapse Disorder,” a mysterious syndrome that affects entire bee colonies, resulting in their disappearance and supposed death, has not hit Oklahoma as hard as other states in the nation, but wary beekeepers and those in related agricultural fields in the Sooner state are keeping a close eye on the situation.
Beekeepers and those with an interest in the apiary arts from across the state gathered in Norman for the spring meeting of the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association and several spoke of coming across hives only to find honey and no bees. This has been a growing problem around the U.S., particularly in the Pacific Coast states, the Upper Midwest and the Northeast. The Southern Plains appear to have been spared the brunt of this situation.
And recent news reports note that Colony Collapse Disorder has not only been a serious problem in North America, but in Europe as well, where standards regarding genetically-modified organisms are far stricter.
Lawton beekeeper Eli Farley, who attended the meeting with his father E.F. Farley and fellow bee hobbyist Willie Bowser told those in attendance that in Southwest Oklahoma he hasn’t seen any problems with his hives.
“We really haven’t had much of a problem with the collapse,” Farley told the group. Earlier, Bowser told The Lawton Constitution that his bees were “doing great.”
Meanwhile, in the southeastern part of the state, Keith Amason, vice-president of the OSBA and a resident of Kiowa, southwest of McAlester, said with his bee operation, they were “having a problem with CCD or something like that.”
Another beekeeper, this one from Noble, added that he would come to a hive, find plenty of honey but no bees anywhere.
Another Noble beekeeper, Jim Bollinger, suggested that pesticide drift from encroaching housing developments may be to blame for the bee decimation.
OSBA President Kenny Hammond said he is aware that the state is working to obtain money to study Colony Collapse Disorder. He added that following the “pathetic” crop situation in 2006, during the drought, the bees couldn’t find crops and plants to pollinate and make honey. So, he wasn’t entirely surprised about this problem, because, he said, “bees lose interest” and “bees have a tendency to get lazy.”
Hammond said CCD is causing “quite a stir” in the beekeeping and honey-production world and that it’s too early to tell what is causing this vanishing bee syndrome.
“I hope they can figure out what’s going on,” Hammond said. “We may find out that this is normal. We just don’t know.”
One of the speakers, county extension agent Wes Lee, of Sulphur, gave a talk on bees and genetically modified plants.
He said that it’s too early to tell what the effect will be on bee colonies as they try and pollinate more and more genetically-modified plants.
He noted that in the Altus area, “almost 100 percent of cotton has Bt (bacillus thurigiensis) and Roundup Ready genes” provided by agri-giant Monsanto.
And this fall, Lee noted, “a lot of Roundup Ready alfalfa will be planted.” Lee reiterated that while these modifications will help plants ward off pests, it’s still unclear how and if this will adversely affect bee colonies down the road.
“The genie’s out of the bottle. You can’t put it back in,” Lee said. “Farmers depend on the technology we have.”And as for the bees? “We don’t know what’s going to happen,” he said.

'Colony Collapse Disorder' not affecting Okie bees?

Am looking into this issue related to disappearing honeybees/hives and the so-called "Colony Collapse Disorder." A meeting of state beekeepers is expected to take place at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds on Saturday. I expect to ask some questions of these beekeepers to see if it is occuring in their communities. One Metro area beekeeper said the '06 drought took a toll but so far this year he hasn't noticed any problems with local hives. Will keep you posted.

Flaming Lips' 'Yoshimi' to hit Broadway!

Oklahoma City's very own Flaming Lips are Big Apple bound according to this Pitchfork Media article - "Flaming Lips 'Yoshimi': Broadway Bound."

Way to go guys!!! "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" is terrific! Hopefully the guys will bring it to the Civic Center in downtown OKC.

Oklahoma's senior senator shines again

Think Progress has the goods on an exchange Sen. Barbara Boxer D-CA had today with global warming denier Sen. James Inhofe of our fair state of Oklahoma. This was during the senate hearing on global warming with former Vice-President Al Gore.
Inhofe, TP notes, was extremely rude to the environmentally-minded man from Tennessee. Shame on Sen. Inhofe for being so belligerent and un-gentlemanly. Just let the man speak.

Hobart to upgrade sewer system/Lawton Constitution

Hobart gets $950,000 loan for sewer projects
By Andrew Griffin
Special Correspondent
The Lawton Constitution
Posted: March 21, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY — It won’t be long before things are flowing a little more smoothly in the Kiowa County city of Hobart.
At this month’s meeting of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board in Oklahoma City, the City of Hobart was granted a $950,000 loan for a project that would include improvements to city sewer lines and mains, manholes and lift stations.
Joe Freeman, the financial assistant officer for the OWRB, said the board had no qualms about giving Hobart the loan because of its solid reputation and responsible city management.
“We enjoy working with Hobart,” Freeman said. “They have good government.”
Hobart City Manager Will Brown said Hobart had some sewer system improvements in the late 1990’s and again in 2004.
“We’re wanting to bring the sewer system up to standard, as it should be,” Brown said.
Work will begin as soon at the city gets its permit from the state. Work will focus on areas on Ohio, Monroe and Eastern streets, Brown said, and a sewer main on Hill will be replaced.
Now that the city has been given the loan, the city has already put in its required request to the Department of Environmental Quality. Once that is approved, the bidding process will begin. And once the bidding process is complete, the project will begin, taking approximately six months, Brown said.
Citizens of Hobart, Brown said, “can expect everything to operate the way its supposed to” upon completion.

Sooner citizens march for peace!

Due to other obligations this past weekend, I was unable to attend this "Spiritual March for Peace" in Oklahoma City this weekend, which marked the fourth anniversary of the illegal Iraq war. The U.S. is going into its fifth year in that blood-drenched land. It's criminal!

Anyway, there is an informative post about the march over at Nathaniel Batchelder's Peace House Oklahoma City site.

Speakers at the march included Iraq War veteran Brandon Jackson as well as State Sen. Constance Johnson and State Reps. Anastasia Pittman and Al McAffrey, all representing Oklahoma City congressional districts.
However, Sen. Andrew Rice was noticeably absent, if this report is any indicator. Sen. Rice, where art thou?

Norman Public Library to inquisitive patrons: Throw the book at 'em!

For a couple of weeks now, I've been meeting with Norman researcher and activist Michael P. Wright and he has a very strange story to share.

Basically, Wright's problems began March 8 when he was banned from the Norman Public Library by head librarian Susan Gregory after he mailed an Open Records Act request to her and Pioneer Library System Director Mary Sherman about the online videotape copy of the "Big Read" event focusing on John Steinbeck's award-winning novel "The Grapes of Wrath."
The event was sponsored by the Norman Public Library and held at the Sam Noble History Museum at OU back on February 15.

Wright said that the day after he had mailed the OR request, the librarian approached him in the corridor leading out the door and stopped him, saying she wanted to talk to him about his request. Wright said he believed he was entitled to a written reply and did not want an off-the-record conversation. He invited Gregory to send him a email. Then he attempted to leave. That was until she allegedly became angry and an accompanying cop gave him a warning.

What is this? Soviet Russia? "Papers, please." Well, here's the background leading up to this whole sad tale of librarians-gone-wild.

A few weeks back, Wright, 60, was looking for the online version of the video on February 24 and when he found it, discovered that it had been severely edited, specifically the portion where he questioned "The Grapes of Wrath" expert and retired OU professor David Levy about statements made by U.S. Congressman Lyle Boren in 1940 about "The Grapes of Wrath."

As you may or may not know, Lyle Boren was the father of OU President David Boren and on the congressional record had called Steinbeck and his novel all sorts of names including his calling Steinbeck a the "creation of a twisted, distorted mind." Was Lyle Boren pandering to his constituents or was he just anti-great literature? Wright seems to think Lyle Boren's comments are being covered up by his powerful son who rubs shoulders with bigwigs from Rudy Giuliani to Al Gore to Watergate reporter Bob Woodward.

In fact, in February, Wright had an article about Lyle Boren's statements and Oklahoma's acceptance of "The Grapes of Wrath" in the California newspaper the Monterey County Herald.

Interestingly, Wright notes, one of the Big Read panelists, Rilla Askew, quoted from Lyle Boren's 1940 tirade and Wright points out that this was when the video appears to have been cut in the original version of the video as posted with Google video and placed on the Big Read website.

Wright, meanwhile, is a medical sociologist and researcher who has researched everything from AIDS to the mysterious case of Nick Berg and his ties to OU and convicted "20th hijacker" Zacarias Moussaoui. In the 1990's he was also a four-time federal research grant recipient. He said he is shocked at how he was treated like a "low-life vagrant" by Gregory.

Wright said that he was kept from leaving the NPL after waging his inquiry by Gregory and a Norman Police Officer named Flores who kept Wright and took down his driver's license information. He was told if he returned to the library, he would be arrested.

"Nobody should treat anybody the way she treated me," Wright said during an interview at OU's main library.

The Red Dirt Reporter did interview Gregory, as well as Anne Masters, associate director for system services for the Pioneer Library System and an Internet systems person named Adri.
They claim that the problem with the online version was easy to explain, that it was simply technical difficulties and that there was no desire to conceal or censor Wright's remarks or anybody elses.

"I was horrified that he would think we'd edit his remarks," Gregory said in an interview at her office in the Norman Public Library. "For a customer to accuse us of censoring something is a slap in the face."

As they explained, while the video was filmed at the museum, it was videotaped by an employee of the Norman Public Schools. Gregory said she didn't even know this until later and Adri and another tech person with the library said they didn't even attend the event and wouldn't have known about Wright's comments about Lyle Boren.

But back to the story at hand. Basically, after Wright made these inquiries about the edited video (still available via Google cache) and how he believed the library was abusing federal funds, since the Big Read is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The video, Wright explains, was returned to its full version but back-dated Feb. 23, to leave the deceptive impression that before his complaint the libray had intended to put the full version online at the Big Read site. That was the same date the edited version was posted on the Big Read site.

"I find it very coincidental that my comments and Rilla Askew's comments were conveniently missing," Wright said.

Gregory, Masters and Adri make it clear that when Wright checked the site and didn't see the full video, the audio was on the site in its entirety.

Wright said he is currently looking for an attorney to take on his case. He is wanting to sue the city over the way he was treated.

In an email, Wright wrote: "The administrator of the Norman library, ONLY after I made my
OR request and refused to hear her off-the-record reply to it, announced that I was 'banned' while saying 'I'm in charge here and I make the rules.' Later, through (OU Police Detective John) Bishop, she greeted me with the false accusation that I was 'loud and aggressive."

When asked if he was being unruly in the library on the day in question, Gregory said she can't comment on specifics in order to protect Wright, as well as the library staff.

"We want to give him all the respect and privileges as expeditiously as possible," Gregory said.

Wright counters that he's a peaceful, inquisitive citizen of Norman who is not afraid to research controversial subjects, even if it makes the establishment uncomfortable.
As for Gregory's description of Wright as loud, Wright said he has complained about the noise in the library, primarily from cellphone users and whiny children whose parents refuse to keep them under control. He even shows this reporter a copy of a January 2000 letter he received from Gregory where he had complained about the excessive noise in the NPLin a letter to The Norman Transcript. She had written him, saying "We will share the information in your letter with various staff members to ensure they understand procedures to follow when dealing with a scenario such as you outlined."

"My guess is that the promised "procedures" were never even developed," said Wright via email. "The library certainly hasn't become any more quiet since January 2000."

Gregory said she really would like for Wright to come in and meet with her and smooth this whole situation over. Wright is firm that he won't do that, that he only wants to communicate with Gregory via email, particularly in light of Gregory's reaction to him and the threat from the police officer.
Gregory said she has not mailed a letter to Wright, outlining specifically why he has been banned because she is hopeful he'll still come in and meet with her, so she can explain the library rules. She said that with thousands of library patrons coming through the library every month, to go back and forth via email would be "long and litigious" and she doesn't have the time for that kind of communication. She said that on March 8, she happened to see Wright in the library and wanted to talk to him right then and there.

Wright said he felt Gregory's treatment of him was demeaning and "schoolmarmish."

"I felt like she was talking to me as if I were a naughty boy," Wright said.

Gregory recalls Wright's demeanor on the day of the encounter as "dismissive, abrupt and rude."

Wright counters by saying, "And I was coerced and detained (by police) into hearing her spiel."

"When we received that mailing (the Open Records request)," Gregory said. "I did not know Mike was angry with us." Gregory then notes that she received a call from the NEA who said Wright had contacted them, complaining about the situation.
"(The NEA) said they are supporting us," Gregory said. "That we have the right to edit anything on the website."

"Not that we did edit anything," Adri added.

Wright is frustrated by this whole situation and wants the NPL staff to see that he has no desire to cause problems. He simply wants to access public information and use the facilities that are paid for with the help of his tax dollars.

"I've lived here for 40 years," Wright said. "People know I'm not aggressive. I'm law abiding. I've never been arrested by the Norman police. The only time I've ever been arrested was in 1972 at an anti-war demonstration at Tinker Air Force Base."

Wright has been in contact with Detective Bishop, who moonlights at the library, and who he says acted in an appropriate fashion when false suspicions were being circulated about Wright around the OU campus in 2003. Wright makes it clear that he is an outspoken critic of OU president David Boren.
Bishop, however, wrote Wright saying that the library has the right to ban him because of a portion of Norman City Code Sec. 15-605 which deals with trespassing; illegal entrance; and exceptions.

(a) Except as otherwise provided, no person shall enter upon or remain upon any public
or private property or in any area or structure of such property when:
(1) Such entrance or remaining is plainly forbidden by signs, markings, or otherwise,
or by verbal command of the owner, his agent, or employee;
(2) The property is enclosed.
(b) Persons excepted from the above subsection are those entering:
(1) By authority of federal or state law or city ordinances; or
(2) With the expressed or tacit consent of the owner, his agent, or employee in charge thereof.
(Ord. No. 0-7273-56)

Writes Wright via e-mail, regarding the city code:
"The ordinance gives authority to the 'owner, agent, or employee' of the
property to ban EVERYONE. That is exactly what the phrase 'no person' means. The ban of EVERYONE can be announced by a sign or by verbal command. Of course, people can ban specific individuals from their private property. The ordinance does not give Susan Gregory the power to ban people from the PUBLIC library because she doesn't like them.
And if such authority existed in law, banned persons, at the time they are being banned, would be entitled to written notification, listing of reasons for the banning, and right of administrative appeal."

This Red Dirt reporter went to the Norman Public Library and found Officer Flores in order to question him about Wright's detainment and banishment from the Norman Public Library.
A is me and F is "Flores."

A: "Hello Officer Flores."
F: "Hello, how may I help you?"
A: "Well, I was wondering if you were the officer here yesterday regarding an incident involving Michael Wright?
F: "Yes, I was."
A: "Well, I was wondering why he was detained? Was he detained after inquiring about some information?"
F: "He wasn't detained."
A: "I received some information that he was and that he's been banned from the library. Is that true?"
F: "He's been told not to return. He's been giving the staff a hard time."
A: "O.K. That's what I wanted to know." As I walked away, he said, "So, how are you connected to this? Are you a friend of his?"
A: "I know Michael and wanted to confirm that this had happened. Just for my own information."
--END--

Wright read my account with Flores and responded via email. Here is what he wrote:
"Flores was wrong to say I was not detained on February 8. I was ordered to stop in the corridor when I was trying to leave the library after telling Gregory that I wanted a written response to my Open Records Act request.
It is most interesting that the day after I was banned, Flores was making no accusations that I was being "loud and aggressive." It's obvious that Susan Gregory fabricated these accusations after she had a few days to think it over."
--END--

As it stands now, Wright is continuing his fight and hopes he, a Norman taxpayer, can return to the Norman Public Library. He's already contacted the Cleveland County District Attorney's office and he has requested a copy of the incident report from the Norman Police Department.

Norman city attorneys completely clueless?

Last week, The Oklahoman did several stories about sunshine laws and open records law in Oklahoma and featured a big story on how reporter Ryan McNeill tried to get information from the City of Norman and was told they would have to pay $560 for copies of PUBLIC records. Well, in today's Oklahoman editorial, Norman's city attorneys get the smackdown. Check it out ...

Oklahoman Editorial
Posted: March 20, 2007

SEEMS one of our news reporters struck a nerve with the good folks in Norman, with a story about how officials there had placed a $560 price tag on public records The Oklahoman is seeking. That cost, we were told, was to cover the writing of a special computer program that would be needed to provide the data sought.
The day after the story appeared, the reporter, Ryan McNeill, got a phone call from the Norman city attorney's office during which McNeill asked whether anyone had changed their minds about the records, given that the attorney general's office had come down on the side of the newspaper. The short answer: No (although they did lower their price to $240).
But during the 20-minute conversation, it became clear that the attorneys involved in the conference call don't seem to have a firm grasp of the Oklahoma Open Records Act. Perhaps more to the point, they don't like looking bad in the newspaper.
Referring to a previous meeting involving McNeill and assistant city attorneys regarding the open records request (which was first made nearly a year ago, by the way), Assistant City Attorney Rick Knighton said, "At what point in time during that meeting did you say, ‘I want this information to do a statistical analysis of metro crime?' You never said that.”
McNeill, incredulous because reporters aren't required to disclose why they're requesting information, replied: "Am I supposed to?”
Knighton (Yelling): "If you want us to treat you like a professional, if you want us to believe that you're not just down here b.s.ing us, yeah, I think you do need to say that. I don't have time to screw around with playing games with regard to ‘We want this information and I'm going to come down and I'm going to tell you that it's for one reason' when in fact it's for some totally different reason that you're going to print in the newspaper.”
Oh.
Later on, another assistant city attorney, Susan Rogers, chimed in to McNeill that she was a journalism major in college and "I've been very disappointed with how you've reacted to this.” She accused McNeill, of making it a habit to bully people — "We checked around” — and said that if the relationship between him and the office were to be repaired, it would require a good-faith effort on his part. The former journalism major even had a suggestion.
(Get a load of this final quote. It's priceless!)
"What I want you to say is if we decide to do something of our own good will, not because we're required to or you bullied us, that you will write some sort of retraction or something that is positive.”
Sure hope she's not holding her breath.

Boren's buddy Bloomberg heading to OU

David Boren, president of the University of Oklahoma, has managed to nab New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as the speaker for OU's spring '07 commencement. Check out this story.

Bloomberg follows Rudy "The Penguin" Giuliani as another cover-up artist from the Big Apple that is getting major attention and is a buddy of Boren.
In fact, as you may recall, back in 2004, Boren had Giuliani as a speaker at OU and paid the man $100,000 for the privilege. So, we know Boren loves using public funds to bring his pals and cronies to the Sooner State in hope that he somehow benefits.

So, what of Bloomberg? Well, this wealthy entrepreneur is coming to our fair state with a dark cloud following him.

Featured in today's edition of the New York Post and written by reporter Susan Edelman is a story that warrants serious attention:

Mayor Bloomberg killed a study on the city's response to the 9/11 attacks after his lawyers said they did not want a report that cited any missteps or dealt with "environmental" or "respirator issues," says a former city official.
City lawyers raised fears that the proposed "after-action report" - which the U.S. Department of Justice had offered to fund - could lead to criticism and fuel lawsuits, David Longshore, former director of special programs for the city's Office of Emergency Management, told The Post.
"The Bloomberg administration acted to sweep any potential problems under the rug," said Longshore, who was trapped in a loading dock outside the WTC while both towers collapsed. He later developed sinusitis and throat polyps and sued the city.
Longshore, who left his city job last year, showed The Post his work notes on internal OEM discussions with city lawyers in February 2003. His notes say the Law Department "doesn't want a critical report" and "does not want a report that says we did anything wrong."
--END--

So, is that the sort of person Boren and OU want speaking at commencement? I know I wouldn't. I think the local media in the Oklahoma City metro area needs to ask Bloomberg the tough questions.

OG does expose' on Oklahoma 'Minuteman' group

For whatever reason (ad revenue, I reckon) the Oklahoma Gazette won't post Greg Horton's article, "MinutemenThe Minuteman Civil Defense Corps is attracting recruits in Oklahoma by rewriting American history," in its entirety. Too bad. I would've forwarded it to lots of folks.

Anyway,

Writes Horton, quoting a Minuteman member, who talks of "Maria Holloway," a woman raped and killed in rural South Texas after coming across the border.

"We’re supposed to be a Christian nation!” he said. “Where is our outrage? We can summon outrage for Natalee Holloway, but Maria is raped and left for dead by an American citizen and we remain silent. These people are engaged in a modern-day slave trade. Seventy-seven percent of the women who cross the border are sexually assaulted. They are forced to work at slave wages cleaning or cooking, or sometimes forced into prostitution. And that’s the ones (who) don’t die in the desert.
Continuing ...
“We would do these ladies a favor if we stop them at the border and say, ‘You can’t come in this way.’ We have a moral obligation to stop this for their benefit. We cannot be a sovereign nation if we ignore this tragedy. We will be punished; we are being punished.”

So, I guess I'll need to go find me a free copy of the OG and comment more about the story later. Something tells me that Horton's take on illegal immigration doesn't match mine or that of Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore.

Lawton Rep.Shannon authors anti-gang bill

Here's my story about Rep. T.W. Shannon's new anti-gang bill, HB 1864, known as the "Delinquincy and Youth Gang Intervention and Prevention Act." It passed this afternoon on the House floor and moves to the Senate for consideration.

Shannon authors anti-gang bill
B Y ANDREW GRIFFIN
Special Correspondent
The Lawton Constitution
Posted: March 13, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY — A Lawton state representative is concerned about rising gang activity throughout Oklahoma. Rep. T.W. Shannon will present a bill to the full House of Representatives today to address those concerns.
The bill, HB 1864, is known as the “Delinquency and Youth Gang Intervention and Prevention Act.” If it passes in the House and Senate and is signed by Gov. Brad Henry, it could serve as an important tool in the fight against gang activity and violence, Shannon said.
House Bill 1864 would create a steering committee, or task force, to be created to assess where gang activity is most prevalent and problematic and to come back with a plan on how best to reduce gang activity using local, state and federal resources.
“Traditionally, the task force has been made up of law enforcement people, but with this bill we wanted to incorporate more social services people as well,” Shannon said.
He also said that the legislature would not be simply throwing money at the issue but would expect the steering committee to achieve certain benchmarks each year to ensure that progress is being made.
Shannon, a Republican, said he is well-aware of the gang problem in his hometown and elsewhere and that this plan is for the act to cover not just Oklahoma’s larger cities like Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Lawton, but smaller cities as well.
“Lawton saw a decline (in gang activity) a few years ago and now there’s a sudden peak again,” Shannon said, noting that a new generation of gang members is starting to take hold.
“We’re seeing this (gang) problem is places like Duncan and Altus — places where it hadn’t been a problem before.”
Shannon said an annual amount of $1.4 million would be required to address the gang issue statewide.
Recruitment into these gangs, Shannon said, is not only happening on the streets, but over the Internet as well.
The bill, Shannon said, is bipartisan, with his Senate coauthor being Sen. Constance Johnson, D-Oklahoma City. He added that his bill has already received a lot of positive response from fellow legislators.
The bill, Shannon said, is following a national model that “presumes that gangs become chronic and serious problems in communities where key organizations are inadequately integrated and sufficient resources are not available to target gang-involved youth.”
This would involve not only local law enforcement in addressing the gang problem but also social welfare agencies and grassroots organizations. They would then identify problem areas.
This model, put forward by the U.S. Department of Justice, includes five core elements: community mobilization; opportunities provision; social intervention; suppression; and organizational change and development.
Gene Christian, executive director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs, said he is just now becoming familiar with the bill and said he felt it was a good bill and that gang activity in Oklahoma towns and cities is “a major issue.”
--END--

The Wrath of Boren

Many of you may not know that back in 1940, the late Oklahoma Congressman Lyle Boren, issued a vicious written attack against author John Steinbeck and his critically-acclaimed novel "The Grapes of Wrath." Lyle Boren is the father of David Boren, the former U.S. Senator and current president of the University of Oklahoma.

Well, Norman-based author and researcher Michael Wright brought this to my attention via a written commentary he had published last month in California's Monterey County Herald.

Here's a sample from Wright's piece: Oklahoma's cultural leadership did not appreciate this novel. Boren vilified it in colorful language that rings of the hellfire-and-brimstone judgmental tones of a southern fundamentalist preacher. He called it a "dirty, lying, filthy manuscript," the product of a "putrid-minded writer." He called the book "a lie, a damnable lie, a black infernal creation of a twisted, distorted mind."
Boren blamed California -- not because Californians abused the migrants -- but "for being the parent of such offspring as this author."
Boren's cues were followed in the region. The Daily Oklahoman's editorial page published a long excerpt from his remarks. The library of East St. Louis, Ill., banned the book as did other libraries. Boren expressed pride in the fact that the U.S. Postal Service banned the book from the mails.
--END--

Makes one realize that in the scheme of things, 1940 wasn't so long ago. Scary.

Chips 'n insurance

Sure, the Oklahoma Gazette's "Chicken Fried News" made fun of Sen. Brian Crain's anti-microchip bill, a week back, but CFN may not have known what we knew. The chip issue is very real.
Let me remind you all. Back in 2005, when Supreme Court Justice John Roberts was going through Senate hearings, he was questioned by Sen. Joseph Biden about how in the future, he'd be having to rule on the implantation of microchips. Not too funny, eh Gazetteers?

At the time Crain's sensible bill was introduced a few weeks ago, the Oklahoman questioned Sens. Andrew Rice, D-Oklahoma City and Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, Health and Human Services committee members, about their reasons for voting against the bill. Rice said he didn't see a need to prevent something when it wasn't a problem and Anderson gave some bland answer. Having attended some committee meetings Anderson has attended, I couldn't quite get a read on him. Then I heard that Crain's bill, SB 47, was approved on the Senate floor, with Anderson's wacky "uninsured car seizure" amendment tacked on to it. Here's how the Capitol Network News saw things. Again, Anderson gives some bland statement, not worthy of a quote. Read the story below:

Senate OKs amended anti-microchip measure
Author plans more focused measure
By Shawn Ashley
Posted: March 5, 2007

(LIN) The Senate gave its approval Monday to a bill prohibiting the forced implantation of microchips, a measure that now includes a provision allowing the seizure and forfeiture of automobiles driven by those without liability insurance.
SB 47, by Sen. Brian Crain, R-Tulsa, prohibits the forced implantation of a microchip and authorizes the Department of Health to impose a maximum fine of $10,000 against violators. Each day of continued violation would constitute a separate offense. Crain said constituents first brought the issue of microchip implantation to his attention.
Although he viewed their concerns dubiously at first, he said examining the website of the primary chipmaker, the VeriChip Corp., caused him to rethink his position and propose the measure. Company press releases, Crain explained, tout the use of the microchips in people. He said he hopes approval of the measure will make a public policy statement that Oklahoma opposes forced implantation of microchips, a policy the company's website indicates should be the standard for the chip's usage.
As currently written, the measure would prevent anyone from forcing another person to have a chip implanted. Crain said in response to questions that he hopes to have the bill amended in the House to focus the prohibition on employment situations and requirements for access to medical care.
The amended bill includes language by Sen. Patrick Anderson, R-Enid, which would allow the seizure and forfeiture of motor vehicles driven by individuals without liability insurance, a requirement under Oklahoma law. Responding to questions, Anderson acknowledged he did not think the bill would solve the problem of uninsured motorists but added that it would provide another tool for dealing with the problem.
Anderson's amendment was adopted on a vote of 32 to 16 (adding a new section that amends 63 O.S. Section 2-503, by adding "10. The Department of Public Safety, county sheriffs and all other duly authorized peace officers of this state during the course of their normal duties to uphold and enforce the laws of the state may seize and take into custody any motor vehicle being operated on public streets and highways by a person who fails to show proof of compulsory liability insurance as required by Section 7-600 et seq. of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes.") The bill, as amended, passed on a 35 to 13 vote.
The bill now heads to the House for its consideration.
-END-

So, there you have it. Anderson wants cops to have even more police state powers. If it passes and becomes state law, I'm SURE everything will be on the up-and-up.

Foreign flags at basketball tourney in Tulsa?

Hop on over to Spelunking Through the Chaos and check out the latest post regarding an alleged event where the Mexican and Canadian flags were brought out by the color guard, alongside the American flag, prior to a Mid-Continent Conference basketball tourney in Tulsa.

UPDATE (March 6, 2007)
Bruce DeLay, the Tulsa-area minister who brought this to peoples' attention, e-mailed me this morning, clearing up some questions that I had. Seems plausible, eh?

Writes DeLay: Here's some Info I have gathered on the flag incident at the ORU ballgame...
Turns out, the local Shriners provided the color guard.The following explaination was given by a past shriner president named Harry Potts:
The reason for the Canada and Mexico flags was that the "Shriners of North America" have childrens' hospitals in USA, Canada, Mexico, and Panama."They said the Oklahoma flag was used - in lieu of a Panama flag which they don't have.
They said the Oklahoma State flag is supposed to be lowered - But that flags of other nations are not supposed to be lowered. In answer to: "Why were the Canada and Mexico flags held at the same level as the USA flag?"
They answered: They were held just slightly lower than the USA flag, but not dipped like the Oklahoma flag. (I guess they were held so slightly lower that people in the crowd could not tell they were lower than the USA flag).

I guess that clears up that issue.

Gore's Global Warning

By Andrew Griffin
Red Dirt Reporter (originally posted on Slice O' Life)
Posted: March 2, 2007

NORMAN -- It was an exciting afternoon in Norman over at OU's Lloyd Noble Arena where former Vice-President Al Gore was the featured guest, there to discuss the growing crisis of global warming, as featured in his Oscar-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

I arrived in the parking lot an hour or so before the doors opened and while I waited in line, a group of OU freshman, presumably College Republican types from Enid, joked about Gore and his "globaloney."
"Hey, if this is true and the seas do rise," said one young man. "Then I may have some beachfront property in Enid."
Yeah. "Ha-ha."
Keeping us entertained in the meantime was a guy (or gal) in a "Climate Change" polar bear suit (as pictured up top). The polar bear danced around and held signs, including this one which read: "My home is MELTING." How sad is that? In fact later, Gore would feature some despondent polar bears clutching to a small iceberg, looking forlorn ...

At about 3 p.m., the doors suddenly opened and there was a mad dash to the entrance, making me think that this is the sort of mob that led to that horrible event in Ohio in 1979 when people were killed at a Who concert.
So, I found a pretty good spot down front, great view. I was pretty pleased that I got such a great spot, since security didn't even bother to determine if I was student or faculty. Well, I figured, I'm a journalist, so I could get in and get a decent spot. In any event, I was in.Instead of cheering "Go Big Red," students chanted "Go Al Gore." This guy is a borderline rock star now. It's really quite incredible.

Before long, Gov. Brad Henry and his wife and several state senators, including "progressive" Andrew Rice, showed up and were recognized by OU President (and Bonesman) David Boren, who told the crowd that the numbers for Gore's visit were bigger than those for Mikhail Gorbachev and Margaret Thatcher. Boren's best line was when he told the crowd that Gore was "the man who received 500,000 more votes" than Bush. The crowd went wild.

Boren went on about all the environmentally sound projects that the campus was engaged in, including wind power. Goodness knows there's no shortage of wind in Oklahoma.
Gore, meanwhile, got a standing ovation when he was introduced by his former congressional colleague - "A person truly dedicated to this country and to public service - Vice-President Al Gore."

Having recently seen "An Inconvenient Truth," Gore's presentation was pretty much along those same lines. Using an Apple-powered PowerPoint-type presentation on a big screen, Gore's information on how the climate is rapidly changing for the worse was quite compelling. And he was somewhat self-deprecating, "I am Al Gore, and I used to be the next president of the United States." Or this little gem: "I'm a recovering politician. I'm on step nine - you win some, you lose some ... and then there's that little known third category." WILD APPLAUSE!!!
"Climate crisis," Gore intoned, "Is the most dangerous situation we've ever faced." He made statements such as these while images of the planet Earth, graphs and charts were featured and the snows of Kilimanjaro were down to a mere 15-foot-tall icicle.

"Virtually every mountain glacier is melting," added Gore. He then noted how numerous rivers in Asia begin in the Himalayas and how "Forty-percent of the world's population depends on water from the Himalayan watershed."

Gore noted that critics/skeptics of global warming note how there have argued that there was a warming trend in the Middle Ages and that such warming events are evidence that "global warming" is really "cyclical."

Gore's info proves otherwise and shows how CO2 emissions are incredibly high. He continued showing how warming seas, due to global warming, is increasing the number of hurricanes, floods, storms and droughts across the planet. Indeed, this appears to be occuring. He showed the high number of hurricanes that have come from the Atlantic and how a first-ever South Atlantic hurricane struck Brazil in 2004.

"Climate refugees," he said, will flee flooded or drought-stricken areas and seek shelter in other areas. This has already happened in East Africa, he said, and has led to conflicts in Sudan and the genocide in the Darfur region.

As more animals die off, more diseases and pests will flock to regions they've not been known to visit. And then there were the manatees that are showing up in areas like Cape Cod and the mid-Mississippi River region.

"Nature is on the run," Gore said glumly. "On the run."

Indeed it appears to be. But Gore offered hope, noting how human ingenuity has faced incredible odds before and has overcome serious obstacles. Reversing the climate crisis, he said, is possible.
Global warming and climate change, Gore said emphatically, "Is is a moral, ethical and spiritual issue. This is the moral challenge of our lifetime."

All in all, Gore's presentation was one of the most interesting and inspiring I've heard in some time. If you get a chance to see him in your town, make sure you do so.

p.s. If you've listened to the likes of neocon talk radio hosts like Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh, you may have noticed that they've ridiculed Gore left and right. No surprise.

Former FBI Director wants OKC bombing case reopened

For well over a decade now, I have had serious questions regarding the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building here in Oklahoma City. There were too many unanswered questions and too many loose ends. And there were too many players. I've long held a belief that there was a conspiracy involving the federal government and Janet Reno's Justice Department.

Well, A new BBC documentary, set to air this weekend, regarding the Oklahoma City bombing and an alleged cover up, features Former FBI Terrorist Task Force director Danny Coulson calling for a new grand jury investigation into what really happened on April 19, 1995, reports Paul Joseph Watson and Alex Jones of PrisonPlanet.com on Friday morning.

The BBC program, "The Conspiracy Files," notes: Mr Coulson said a federal grand jury is now needed to find out what really happened: "We have victims here and we have victims' families and we don't even know the answers. And the answer is frankly for a federal grand jury."
He argues this is the only way to prove whether other people were involved in the bombing in a wider conspiracy beyond Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who was also convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy and sentenced to life in jail.

And lawyer Jesse Trentadue who has been investigating the suspicious death of his brother, who died in federal custody after the bombing, believes a reopening of the bombing investigation would be serious.

Writes Watson and Jones: Asked what the impact would be if a new investigation was allowed to go forward Trentadue responded, "It would destroy Hillary Clinton's campaign, it would result in the loss of careers of some high level people within various law enforcement agencies and the federal government, and it would probably result in a good number of them being prosecuted and sent to jail."

We shall wait and see.