Angels in Alva by Keith Smith in September 1960, My Mother Woke Meager Wage

$1.50

VOL. 39, NO. 22 An Independent Journal of Commentary DECEMBER 10/25, 2007 An Unforgettable Holiday Angels In Alva By Keith Smith In September 1960, my mother woke meager wage. to deliver those campaign brochures was because I had outgrown my jeans up one morning with four hungry boys The tires on the old Falcon had the than it did for him to do the tires … and they were hitting me just below and just 75 cents in her pocket. consistency of penny balloons and be- Hmmmm … Oh, well. the knees and she was embarrassed Our father was gone. We boys gan to leak. Mom had to fill them with Mom was now working six days because we looked so poor. ranged from five months to nine years air on the way to work and again every instead of five and serving as a mer- She found a can of red paint and with a set of twins in the middle. Our night before she could go home. chant policewoman [what we called started repairing and painting some Dad had never been much more than One bleak fall evening, Mom dragged a door shaker] in the evenings after old toys. Then she hid them in the a presence we feared. herself to the car to go home and her drug store job. She would go to basement so there would be some- Whenever we heard his tires crunch found four tires in the back seat. New all the businesses around town and thing for Santa to deliver on Christ- on the gravel driveway we would tires! There was no note, no nothing, make sure they had locked their mas morning. scramble to hide. just those beautiful brand new tires. doors upon closing. For this service Mom was sewing patches on top of He did manage to leave probably Had angels taken up residence in they each paid her a small amount of patches on the brothers’ pants and $15 a week to buy groceries. Now that Alva? I wondered. money, and it still wasn’t enough. soon they would be too far gone to he had decided to leave, there would Uncle Alfred agreed to mount the Christmas was coming and Mom repair. be no more fear, but no food, either. tires at his service station. In ex- knew there would be no money for On Christmas Eve, the usual friends If there was a welfare system in ef- change for his mounting the new tires, toys for us kids. and mostly relatives were in atten- fect in Alva, OK, at that time, Mom cer- we little ones volunteered to go door Mom cried when I sang the solo dance at the local Church of Christ, tainly knew nothing about it or was to door in his campaign for sheriff. in the school Christmas concert. I where the Smith family was every too proud to access it – besides, some- He lost [I got started early working thought it was because my singing Sunday morning, Sunday evening and one forgot to tell us we were poor. for losing campaigns]. was so beautiful, but my ego was seri- Wednesday evening. Mom scrubbed us kids until we I remember it took us a lot longer ously bruised later when I found out it [I often complained that half my looked brand new and then put on childhood was spent in a church pew her best dress. She loaded us into the – the other half in the cellar, hiding rusty old green Ford Falcon and drove from tornadoes … and I wasn’t sure off to find a job. which I disliked more.] The seven of us went to every busi- When it was time for us to go home ness, store and restaurant in our from church that evening, Mom hur- small town. No luck. ried us to the car. She was hoping to We kids stayed crammed into the get us to bed early and get the pres- car and tried to be quiet while Mom ents from the basement and place tried to convince whomever would lis- them under the tree. [We had cut ten that she was willing to learn or do down a small cedar tree by the side of anything. the road down by the dump.] She had to have a job. It was dark and I couldn’t see much, The last place we went was a drug but there appeared to be some dark store on the downtown square. The shadows in the car – or was that just owner was the local Democratic Party a trick of the night? chair and, as he looked out the win- Something certainly looked differ- dow at this carload of urchins, I could ent, but it was hard to tell what. see him nod yes and noticed the smile When we reached the car, I peered come across Momma’s face. warily into one of the side windows. Mom raced home and called Aunt Then my jaw dropped in amazement. Velma, who agreed to babysit for free Our old battered green Ford Falcon as she already stayed home to care for was filled full to the top with boxes of our bedridden Granny Holt and our all shapes and sizes. disabled cousin Elvin. Mom quickly opened the driver’s That night when we little ones knelt side door, scrambled inside and to say our prayers, we all thanked God kneeled in the front facing the back for finding Mom a job. seat. And Mom started working at Hold- Reaching back, she pulled off the er’s Drug. lid of the top box. Inside was a whole As the weeks went by, heating bills, case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! medical bills, and the costs of a growing family added more strain to Mom’s See ANGELS Page 19 In Loving Memory • Founding Publisher Helen B. Troy • 1932-2007 Observations Social Issues With no clear heir apparent to Pres- repeats itself in the form of George W. ident Bush, and a nominating contest Bush’s continuous lies. that remains very much in flux, Re- Institutionally unwilling to con- publican presidential candidates are sider America’s responsibility for the vying for the support of an influen- blood bath in Iraq, the traditional me- tial segment of the primary electorate dia have refused to acknowledge the – social issue voters. massive number of Iraqis killed since These voters are Republican and the invasion. Republican-leaning registered voters, The average American believes that many of whom are conservative Chris- 10,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed tians, who say social issues such as since the U.S. invasion in March 2003. abortion, stem cell research and gays At least the media admit that more will be very important in their presi- than two million have been displaced dential voting decisions. and another million have moved to White evangelical Protestants make other countries. up 37% of all Republican voters but The most commonly cited figure in constitute a majority [55%] of Repub- the media is 70,000 dead. But the ac- lican social issue voters. Many fewer tual number of people who have been FCC chairman Kevin Martin’s new mented families. are white mainline Protestants [13%] killed is most likely more than one plan to loosen media ownership limits When will the media quit promoting or white non-Hispanic Catholics million – five times more than in Dar- – which are endorsed by billionaires this camera hound, failing to spell out [14%]. fur and even more than the genocide such as Rupert Murdoch and Samuel the consequences of bigotry. Compared with all Republican and in Rwanda 13 years ago. Zeil – will only worsen this state and Republican-leaning registered voters, The estimate of more than a million smother local voices. Republican social issue voters pos- violent deaths was confirmed again These plans are largely opposed by Hate Crimes sess much lower levels of education in a survey by the British polling firm the American public. Nearly 60% op- and are less affluent. Opinion Research Business, which pose allowing a company to own both The FBI released statistics showing They are easily swayed by pulpit estimated 1,220,580 violent deaths a newspaper and a television station that incidents of hate crimes rose by politics – especially in Oklahoma, since the U.S. invasion. in the same market, and 70% describe nearly 8% in 2006, as there were 7,722 dubbed the buckle on the Bible belt. This is consistent with the study media consolidation as a “problem.” criminal incidents “targeting victims This creates a problem today since conducted by doctors and scientists While Martin has tried to portray or property as a result of bias against the pulpiteering preachers can’t settle from the Johns Hopkins University his proposal as “relatively moderate,” a particular race, religion, sexual ori- on a social-issues candidate. School of Public Health more than a Copps and fellow FCC member Jona- entation, ethnic or national origin or A recent Pew Research Center sur- year ago. than Adelstein, who both oppose the physical or mental disability.” vey finds that for the general public, The difference this Christmas is rule change, note that these 20 mar- These statistics do not include the social issues continue to be over- there is no draft, no public outcry. No kets “account for over 43% of U.S. recent rise in the number of nooses shadowed in the presidential cam- marches. Folks are heading for the households” and directly affect more that have followed the widely-publi- paign by the winless war in Iraq and mall while more of our youth head to than 120 million Americans. cized incidents in Jena, LA. domestic issues such as the economy Iraq. Additionally, Martin has rushed to Martin Luther King III led a march of and health care. How sad. schedule a vote on the issue for Dec. nearly 20,000 people around the Jus- Nevertheless, a large portion of 18, permitting the public just 19 work- tice Department to protest what they Republican voters [43%] say social ing days to submit comments. saw as the department’s failure to ag- issues will be very important in de- Media Fiat African-Americans and Latinos own gressively prosecute hate crimes. ciding who to vote for in the 2008 only 33 of the nation’s 1,350 TV sta- President Bush has vowed to veto a presidential race. When French political philosopher tions and 6% of the 10,000 radio sta- provision expanding hate crimes law There is no known antidote for ig- Alexis de Tocqueville came to the tions. to include crimes motivated by the norance – which is why social issue United States in the 19th Century, he The corporate takeover of America gender, sexual orientation, or disabil- Republicans remain steadfast. marveled at the country’s “division of will be noted by historians of the fu- ity of the victim, calling the expansion the influence of the press.” ture – an end to one of the most noble “unnecessary and constitutionally Yet as Federal Communications creations in the universe. questionable.” Lying Liar Commission [FCC] member Michael This is a man who calls himself a Copps observes two centuries later, “born-again” Christian. If he touched How many remember the propagan- the United States doesn’t fully have Bigotry the Bible in faith he would get a third- da of Lyndon Johnson about the “win- media capable of keeping democracy degree burn. ning” adventure in Vietnam? History strong. Memo to Republican legislators: If you don’t want to be called a bigot then don’t act like one. O’Reilly Lie? The frothing conservative talk-show hosts and their fulminating listeners For two months, Fox News host Bill keep us from having a rational discus- O’Reilly has criticized Brian DePal- sion when they demonize illegal im- ma’s controversial new film, Redact- www.okobserver.net migrants as criminals. ed, which was financed by Dallas Mav- In crossing the border to pick our ericks owner Mark Cuban. FOUNDING PUBLISHER • Helen B. Troy [1970-2006] PUBLISHER crops, cut our lawns and build our The film centers around a fictional- Beverly Hamilton [ISSN 0030-1795] houses, did these hardworking Mexi- ized portrayal of “the true story of a The Oklahoma Observer [USPS 865-720] is published 405.478.8700 the 10th and 25th of each month, except July 25th and Dec. cans, Salvadorans and others really group of U.S. soldiers who raped and 25th, by AHB Enterprises LLC, 13912 Plymouth Xing, P.O. Box EDITOR do anything evil? All they wanted was killed a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and mur- 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. Periodicals postage Arnold Hamilton the chance to feed their families. dered members of her family.” paid at Oklahoma City, OK 73125. [email protected] POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Oklahoma 405.478.8700 How about spending some of that O’Reilly kicked off his campaign Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. $500 billion wasted on war to aid the against the film in September, saying SUBSCRIPTIONS: 1-Year [22 issues] $30. Send check to FOUNDING EDITOR countries of these desperate immi- the filmmakers “should be ashamed” Frosty Troy The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK grants? because “they are hurting their own 73113-0275. Online: Visit www.okobserver.net to use a credit [email protected] card. 405.525.5582 There are 12 million people in the country.” UPDATE ADDRESSES: Please notify us at least two weeks shadows, the borders remain unse- He sharpened his attacks, calling before your move to ensure uninterrupted service. E-Mail to ART DIRECTOR/WEBMASTER cured, and a gutless Congress still for a boycott of the “vile,” “anti-Amer- [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 14275, Kyle Williams Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. 405.478.8700 won’t approve President Bush’s whol- ican” film during multiple segments LETTERS TO EDITOR: E-mail to [email protected] or ly rational guest worker program. on his show. mail to P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK 73113-0275. OUR MOTTO: To Comfort the Afflicted and Afflict the Comfort- In Oklahoma, Rep. Randy Terrill, R- O’Reilly compared Cuban and De- able. SPEAKERS BUREAU: To book Founding Editor Frosty Troy Moore, isn’t satisfied with the bloody Palma to Charles Manson. Cuban for your Chamber banquet, convention or other gathering, and for rates and availability, call 405.525.5582. You also may sub- OUR CREDO: So then to all their chance, to all their shining awful “reform” law he steered through responded to O’Reilly’s criticism by mit your request via e-mail to [email protected] or by U.S. mail golden opportunity. To all the right to love, to live, to work, the Legislature. He’s coming back claiming that Fox News is mischarac- to P.O. Box 53371, Oklahoma City, OK 73152-3371. to be themselves, and to become whatever thing their vision with one even worse – seizing build- terizing the film. The truth hurts. To invite Editor Arnold Hamilton to address your civic and humanity can combine to make them. This seeker, is the club, students or political gathering, contact him directly at promise of America. ings, vehicles and bank accounts of What? O’Reilly lie? Only when his 405.478.8700 or at [email protected]. - Adapted from Thomas Wolfe churches that minister to undocu- lips are moving. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 2 Observerscope

Please be generous during our Seventy percent of Americans say Christmas gift subscription campaign. the clergy should keep political en- We depend on you to enable us to run dorsements to themselves. Fewer Oklahoma’s only journal of free voic- than one in four favors campaign- es for the next six months. The ball is ing in houses of worship. [Fox News/ in your court. Bless you! Washington Times Poll]

Dart: To GOP Congressman Tom Dart: To overeaters of America, cost- Cole, continuing to send expensive, ing dearly in medical bills. There are postage-free mailers to his constitu- 20 million with Type 2 diabetes today, ents, “honoring our veterans.” This going to 48 million by 2050. Hispan- guy draft-dodged Vietnam with three ics, American Indians and African- college deferments. Americans are hardest hit. Dart: To the U.S.A., holding 150,000 Laurel: To the Kerr Center and the Kinda funny listening to the state State Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Poteau, juveniles under age 18 – some as low Oklahoma Food Policy Council, win- Central Services Director John Rich- has filed legislation to divert part of as 14 – in adult jails and prisons. ners of the 2007 Champion of Health ard telling a legislative committee casino gaming revenues to the State Oklahoma is one of them. Such youth Award. They have worked five years why an audit shows he’s done a poor Regents Endowment Trust Fund rath- are 36 times as likely to commit sui- to establish a statewide farm-to-mar- job. One example is his handling of er than financing endowed chairs with cide. Those freed are often damaged ket program to positively impact chil- the state land on Lincoln Blvd. revenue bonds. Bravo! beyond help. dren’s health.

Laurel: To the Oklahoma Court of Laurel: To latest graduates of the Before you cheer for Barack Obama, A CBS News data search revealed Civil Appeals for nailing the OKC Ani- Broad Center Superintendents Acad- check his position on Social Secu- that 120 veterans commit suicide each mal Shelter superintendent’s policy emy – John Scanlan, Chief Operating rity. He wants to raise the cap to- week. Those who think the death toll of putting to death all pit bulls. The Officer for OKC schools, and Dr. Alan day although the program is solvent ends in Iraq are sadly mistaken. court said state law does not permit a Ingram, OKC’s accountability officer. through 2046. He’s signing on with breed-specific designation for danger- the Far Right privateers. Dart: To those in the Legislature ous dogs. Please don’t forget your local chari- hustling for a nuclear plant for Okla- ties who brighten Christmas for the Laurel: To U.S. News and World re- homa. Washington is desperately No! No! No! TU Law School Dean less fortunate. A few of our favorites: port for revealing that America is bor- searching now for some place to dump Robert Butkin and OCU Law School’s Neighbor for Neighbor in Tulsa and rowing a billion dollars a day to im- nuclear waste. Remember Black Fox? far right Andrew Spiropoulos want OKC, and OKC’s Jesus House, a ref- port oil. The nation’s trade deficit has to rewrite the Oklahoma Constitu- uge for the homeless mentally ill. hit $2 million a minute – $850 billion If you read the Daily Disappoint- tion. The authors would be lobbyists. a year. ment story all the way to the bottom Check what happened in Maryland Dart: To NPR’s Scott Simon for a you learned that thanks to a sorry leg- and Arkansas. totally misleading interview concern- The Dibble School Superintendent islative leadership, substance abuse ing little Patrick Henry College, a is dead wrong in opposing a $15 mil- treatment for Oklahoma youth reach- Dart: To Oklahoma’s sorry GOP- rightwing front for “Christian moles” lion budget hike for our struggling es only 5% due to lack of funding. controlled Legislature, cutting taxes placed in the White House and federal CareerTech system. He says it should again while the Sand Springs L.E. agencies by the Bush Administration. be spent on public schools. Why can’t Laurel: To OKC’s Dr. Freda Deskin, Rader Center for dangerous and delin- we do both instead of cutting more given the Women in Aerospace 2007 quent youth is experiencing a sicken- Oklahoma wins an “F” from the an- taxes? Educator Award. She is founder and ing 100% annual turnover in guidance nual Good Jobs First organization for CEO of the ASTEC Charter School. counselors – paid a meager $10.60 an accessible disclosure of corporate tax Dart: To the media for continually hour. breaks and other subsidies. We are pointing out that Congress wins a Oklahoma County Commissioner supposed to have a web address Jan. 16% approval rating. They generally Brent Rhinehart not only faces state Why were loved ones sending body 1 listing all state tax expenditures. fail to note that polls have the media felony charges, now he’s hit by the armor to the troops? Because the no- Wait and see. at a 7% approval rating. [Yankelovich IRS on failure to comply with sum- bid contract went to Bush fan David is the latest] monses on 2003 tax liabilities. Bye, H. Brooks’ Point Blank Solutions Inc., Laurel: To Langston Professor Bye Brent. from whence he stole $200 million by George Acquaah, winning the nation- Here’s a startling statistic: Every producing inferior armor. al teaching award from the National day more than 2,000 children are re- Dart: To the Bush Administration, Association of State Universities and ported missing in America – many of seeking further education cuts when Laurel: To ex-Bush Press Secre- Land Grant Colleges. them infants or very young. [National the No Child Left Behind law is $30 tary Scott McClellan for exposing the Center for Missing & Exploited Chil- billion short nationwide. A new study truth. In his new book he says Bush There are 839 Oklahoma convicted dren] in Pennsylvania has that state $4.61 and Cheney were key players in out- sex offenders with no known address. billion short. ing a CIA agent. It’s an impeachable Offenders are required to register with Laurel: To OU Journalism Senior offense. local police. Many are homeless. Tiara Etheridge who placed second Talk about friends. Dr. Randall among 128 entries in the National Raburn, executive director of the Writing Championship sponsored by school administrators association, Hearst’s Journalism Foundation. suffered an aneurysm on a trip out of state. Friends raised $27,000 for an Thank goodness the Tulsa World’s air ambulance to bring him home. He investigative reporting has exposed is recovering nicely. telemarketers who are ripping off decent people who think their money Laurel: To Sen. Mary Easley, D-Tul- is going to law enforcement or some sa, for wanting to revisit Oklahoma’s Yes, I want a one-year subscription [22 issues] for $30.00. other good cause. Our rule: Don’t re- 12-year term limits for legislators. ply to any telephone solicitations. She has a better chance of being the next queen of England. Name: Dart: To the corrupt Bush Adminis- tration, seeing to it that ex-AG John Over the past two years more than Ashcroft’s firm will reap $52 million 410,000 medical travelers have gone Address: as the result of a probe of a leading to Singapore, up 28% over two years. maker of knee and hip replacements. They are pursuing complex medi- City: State: Zip: Will they ever develop an ethics im- cal surgeries in a country which the plant? World Health Organization says has Please make checks payable to: “The Oklahoma Observer” Asia’s best system. The Daily Disappointment features Clip and mail to: The Oklahoma Observer, P.O. Box 14275, Oklahoma City, OK Carrie Underwood on page one, but a Laura Bush is clear she’s not about 73113-0275. If you prefer to pay using a credit card, visit us on-line at www. horrific news story – 63,600 hungry to retire to the Crawford farm where okobserver.net. kids in Oklahoma – makes page 18. George rents horses and cattle to look Go figure. like a cowboy. They’ll retire in Dallas. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 3 Letters Editor, The Observer: be another option. How? Cut off their Where is our nation’s conscience? MONEY. If Congress is a party to this One of the most depressing articles type of corruption, fire every last one that I have read indicated that one out of them and elect HONEST, local folks of four homeless people are veterans from your hometown – folks that you [Observer, Nov. 10]. have a nodding acquaintance with These human beings were sent to their morals and their lives. fight for our freedom and way of life We can weed out the “players” by – facing possible injury or death in observing their day-to-day actions. doing so. And our reaction is “what “By your deeds you may know them.” have you done for us lately?” Of course, the other option is to Where is our nation’s conscience? continue shopping. It’s what the talk- It lies with each and every one of us ing heads want you to do. You can’t and we should be deeply ashamed. take time to find out what they are Tom Birbilis doing as long as you’re “shopping ‘til Tulsa you drop.” Darla Sparks and comments made by extremists in paid. Editor, The Observer: Yukon all faiths. The 6-8 glasses of water one should I am going to write a thank you card The recent shameless act of leg- drink daily may cost 50 cents – a bot- to every single Democratic member of Editor, The Observer: islators from one party refusing the tled water devotee might spend $1,500 the United States Senate. I want to ex- According to the latest news reports, acceptance of a gift from the Islamic for the quenching stuff. press my gratitude to them for keep- the gap between the rich and the poor tradition will only inflame both sides. Americans’ liquid consumption is ing the Senate in session over the is growing. The report stated that It is now tit for tat with no solutions, about 182 gallons per person per year; Thanksgiving holiday, therefore de- the disparity is the largest since the only more heated divisiveness. soft drinks 50, tap water 27, beer 22, nying the “Decider” the opportunity 1920s. It indicated that the wealthiest To preserve the integrity of our per- milk 21, coffee 16. Soft drinks have to make anymore of his poorly con- 1% of Americans earned 21.2% of the sonal religion, all of us must challenge increased some, tap water and coffee ceived recess appointments. So far nation’s income in 2005, up from the the use of religion by politicians for have decreased some, but bottled wa- he’s made 167 of these appointments, previous year, while the bottom half of political purposes such as the refusal ter usage is on the rise. and I’m tired of it. American workers dropped 2% during by legislators elected by all citizens of Reliable sources say the 43 million You’d think that after the selection the same period. Oklahoma not accepting the gift of a gallons of bottled water imported from of such luminaries as Dick Cheney, All this is at the same time the Bush book called the Quran but accepting Europe travels 3,500 miles, 1 million Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Al- Administration is spending America’s a book of their own faith called the gallons from Fiji travels 8,000 miles. berto Gonzales, Michael Brown, Paul fortune on his illegal war in Iraq. It is Bible. This creates 3,990 tons of carbon Bremer, John Bolton, Condolezza plain that Bush and Cheney have no The stench of hypocrisy is over- dioxide – equivalent to 710 cars run- Rice, etc., etc., that G-Dub would be intention of withdrawing from Iraq. whelming. ning for a year. Cities and towns of out of incompetent buffoons to in- They aren’t building that large em- Shame covers all of us: the main- America have decent tap water [New stall in the federal government. But bassy and those huge military bases stream for not challenging extremism York’s water gravity-flows from up- as Georgie says, “people mis-under- for no reason. years ago and the extremist for an state and needs little filtration], so estimate me.” Apparently Bush figures that we unreasonable grab for power through why not fill a container with the 50- I think we all “mis-underestimated” can’t lose, because even if we don’t the use of religion. cent-a-year stuff? him. Even I never expected this. He’s win, the U.S. will eventually pull back Why don’t we appreciate the posi- An even greater problem – the plas- making Nixon look good. to those bases and embassy, where tive and healing role of religion in a tic bottle. It requires oil to make, ship, Deborah Lewis we can remain effectively in charge democracy made up of many faiths? and refrigerate, then fills landfills. Sci- Garland, TX of Iraqi policy and carry out our co- In these times we think we have entists say the bottle must change. vert actions all over the mid-eastern identified the enemy. It is other peo- As goes the old Sons of the Pio- Editor, The Observer: region. ple’s religion. neers song: Can you see that big Re: The U.S. military’s demand that Obviously, Bush and Cheney have Marvin W. Chiles green tree/Where the water’s running thousands of wounded service per- yet to learn that you can bomb the Oklahoma City free/And it’s waiting there for you and sonnel give back signing bonuses world to pieces, but you can’t bomb me? Cool, clear, water. because they are unable to serve out the world to peace. So, is Iran next? Editor, The Observer: Cecil Acuff their commitments: Can we afford anotehr illegal war? Thanks to mainstream media focus Perkins The military establishment is a di- Isn’t it time for a change in Washing- and Bush spin, 48% of Americans be- rect reflection of their Commander-in- ton? lieve the U.S. military effort in Iraq is Editor, The Observer: Chief’s immoral leadership. George M. Kesselring going very or fairly well, according to Gov. Brad Henry’s Thomas Jeffer- When the American citizens allow Van Buren, AR a Pew poll. son moment is here. such worthless and ethically chal- However, that is not the reality on In 1803, President Jefferson pur- lenged individuals to govern in any Editor, The Observer: the ground. Another Pew poll shows chased the Louisiana territory from capacity, including local dog-catcher, Oklahoma has a vast diversity of that nearly 90% of U.S. journalists France for $15 million. they deserve what they get. people of many faiths who are look- in Iraq say much of Baghdad is still Today, our governor should be just If you find these types of actions ing for real solutions to the problems too dangerous to visit, despite a re- as bold as Jefferson and negotiate against our volunteer military enlist- addressing our nation, state and lo- cent drop in violence attributed to the the purchase of Tulsa’s evangelical ments as obscene as I do, then tar and cal communities. Oklahoma needs build-up of U.S. forces. school, Oral Roberts University, for a feather these crooks and run them to use its strong and inclusive voice Most journalists said they believe state institution. out of DC on a rail. from the mainstream to scream that violence and the threat of violence After the state’s purchase of ORU, Closing down the Pentagon would we have had enough extreme actions have increased during their tenures. the school should be renamed OUP The journalists, most of them vet- – the Oklahoma University of Peace eran war correspondents, describe – at which students would be trained conditions in Iraq as the most peril- to become peacemakers. ous they have ever encountered. OUP would be an alternative to the That is partly because most U.S. military service academies and teach journalists have traveled to danger domestic and international peace spots such as Sadr City, either un- activities, peaceful coexistence and der the protection of private security nonviolent conflict resolution. guards or the U.S. military. It would also train volunteers for Can [Republican Sen. John] McCain the Peace Corps, walk through Baghdad unescorted? I The inspiration for an Oklahoma doubt it. University of Peace was our state’s Frank P. Belcastro favorite son, Will Rogers, who said, Dubuque, IA “People talk peace. But men give their life’s work to war. It won’t stop ‘til as Editor, The Observer: much brains and scientific study are America loves the convenience of put to aid peace as there is to promote bottled water – not many places on war.” the streets or in cars to get a glass of Virginia Blue Jeans Jenner tap water – but there’s a price to be Wagoner THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 4 Frosty’s Notebook Nazareth Carpenter Is Held Without Bail BETHLEHEM, Judea – Alerted by the Daily Disappointment which had tracked down a family living in a barn, Department of Human Services personnel, accom- panied by police, descended on the barn. They took into protective custody an infant who was wrapped in strips of cloth and placed in a feeding trough by his 14-year-old mother. During the confrontation, a man identified as Joseph, a carpenter from Naza- reth, attempted to stop the social workers. Joseph, aided by several local shepherds and some unidentified foreigners, tried to forestall efforts to take the child, but were restrained by the police. Also being held for questioning are three foreigners who allege to be wise men from an eastern country. OFFICIALS SUSPECT ILLEGAL ALIENS Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security are seeking information about these who may be in the country illegally. A source with ICE states that they had no passports, but were in possession of gold and other possibly illegal substances. They resisted arrest saying that they had been warned to avoid the cops and to return quickly to their own country. The chemical substances in their possession will be tested. The owner of the barn is also being held for questioning. The manager of the pital where she is being examined by doctors. inn, a Catholic bishop, faces forfeiture of all church property and bank accounts Pickets outside the hospital are protesting her care because she is not a citi- for violating health and safety regulations by allowing people to stay in the sta- zen. Charges may also be filed against her for child endangerment. ble. She will also undergo psychiatric evaluation because of her claim that she is POSSIBLE ZONING VIOLATIONS a virgin and that the child is from God. It is the same doctor who examined en- Civil authorities are also investigating the zoning violations involved in main- feebled Gene Stipe. taining livestock in a commercially-zoned district. They were expected to seize The director of the psychiatric wing said, “I don’t profess to have the right to at least one ass – Randy Terrill. tell people what to believe, but when their beliefs adversely affect a child, we The exact location of the minor child was not released, and the prospect for a must consider her a danger to others. quick resolution to this case is doubtful. THERAPY WILL HELP HER RECOVER When asked when the newborn would be returned to his mother, a Child Pro- “The unidentified drugs at the scene didn’t help her case, but I’m confident tective Service spokesperson said, “The father is middle-aged and the mother is that with the proper therapy regimen we can get her back on her feet,” he said. definitely a minor. We are checking with officials in Nazareth to determine what The governor released the following statement: “I am withholding judgment in their legal relationship is.” this case. We will get to the bottom of this because I am appointing a task force Joseph, who claimed to be protecting the mother, has admitted taking her from to investigate. her home to Nazareth because he could find little work in Nazareth. “Yes, I signed the bill into law that enables us to prosecute, but that’s what the However, because she was obviously pregnant when they left, investigators are polls show the public wants and I serve the public.” looking into other reasons for their departure. Meanwhile, a choir showed up and began singing, apparently mesmerized by a CARPENTER HIT WITH FOUR FELONIES mysterious star in the east. Joseph is being held without bail on pending charges of molestation, kidnap- House Speaker Lance Cargill immediately announced creation of a foundation, ping, child endangerment and statutory rape. raising money to solicit 100 ideas from the public on what the star means. The mother, identified only as Mary, was taken to the Bethlehem General Hos- The first donor was Chesapeake. Frosty’s Wind-Up Dolls The Brad Henry doll, wind it up to build a state, not a party. The Brandon Dutcher doll, wind it up and it mimics intelligence. The Jeri Askins doll, wind it up and it runs for governor. The legislative doll, wind it up and it abuses state priorities. The George Bush doll, wind it up and it declares war on Canada. The Jim Inhofe doll, wind it up and you see daylight between his ears. The Gene Stipe doll, wind it up and it goes haywire. The Tulsa doll, wind it up and it’s renamed Pothole City. The Lance Cargill doll, wind it up and it can’t spell ethics. The OKC doll, wind it up and try finding a parking space. The TV anchor doll, wind it up and it preens and prattles. The Catholic doll, wind it up and it goes broke. The newspaper doll, wind it up and it shrinks the news, not the ads. The Randy Terrill doll, wind it up and it chases Mexicans. Frosty’s Gifts For George W. Bush: Early retirement. For U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin: A touch of feminism. For Congress: An ACT test. For U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas: Retirement to his farm. For GOP House Speaker Lance Cargill: Ethics. For the No Child Left Behind Law: Sudden death. For Senate Leader Mike Morgan: Political fidelity. For State Rep. Gus Blackwell: The next speakership. For State Rep. Mike Reynolds: A long overdue gag. For State Rep. David Dank: Success with his ethics bill. For State Rep. Rex Duncan: Christian charity. For State Rep. Rebecca Hamilton: A convent. For undocumented workers: Less hyperbole. For State Rep. Randy Terrill: A week in Mexico. For Gov. Brad Henry: A place in higher education. For State Rep. Paul Wesselhoft: A pack of pit bulls. For Kim Henry: Thanks for the pillow talk. For State Sen. Randy Brogdon: The rule of law. For Lt. Gov. Jari Askins: The governor’s chair. For State Senate Co-Leader Glenn Coffee: Cutting Cargill’s leash. For State Supt. Sandy Garrett: A decent state budget. For State Sen. Andrew Rice: Victory over Jim Inhofe. For Treasurer Scott Meacham: GOP membership. For State Sen. Richard Lerblance: Senate leadership. For State Auditor Jeff McMahan: Total innocence. For our readers, a New Year that brings better politics. For the Disappointment’s editorial page: Balance. For OK County Commissioner Brent Rinehart: A nice cellmate. For the Tulsa World: A much larger circulation. For the FBI: Less tax waste chasing sick ol’ Gene Stipe. For U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe: A brain that works. For U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn: His two-term limit promise. For U.S. Rep. Dan Boren: Party fidelity. For OU President David Boren: A place for Brad Henry. For U.S. Rep. Tom Cole: Combat in Iraq.

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 5 IN MEMORIAM Founding Publisher Helen B. Troy 1932-2007 Editor’s Note: As we went to press with this, our final edition of the year, we unexpectedly lost our beloved founding publisher, Helen Troy. Frosty’s tribute to his remarkable wife of 54 years and best friend will appear in our Jan. 10th issue. MEMORIALS Helen Bernice [Nix] Troy of Midwest City, OK, died Nov. 28, 2007 in Oklahoma Memorial contributions may be City at the age of 75. made to: Helen was born to Cab and Molly [Gunkel] Nix on Aug. 18, 1932 in Crawford, OK. She graduated from McAlester High School in 1950. Helen also graduated THE JESUS HOUSE from the Oklahoma School of Accountancy. 1335 W. Sheridan She married Forrest “Frosty” Troy on May 13, 1953 in McAlester. Helen worked Oklahoma City, OK 73106 as the Publisher of the Oklahoma Observer for over 35 years. She was a member 405.232.7164 of St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Midwest City. Helen enjoyed growing flow- ers, playing Bridge and working crossword puzzles. NEIGHBOR FOR NEIGHBOR-OKC Helen is survived by her husband, Frosty, of the home; son, Phillip Troy, and 300 SW 13 wife Jolene of Wellston, OK; daughter, Marti Troy of Oklahoma City; granddaugh- Oklahoma City, OK 73109 ter, Lindsay Troy of Oklahoma City; sister, Hazel Hoornstra and her husband 405.236.0473 Chris of Tulsa; brother-in-law, Bernard Troy of McAlester; niece, Cynthia Ury of McAlester, and numerous other nieces and nephews. NEIGHBOR FOR NEIGHBOR-Tulsa She was preceded in death by her parents, Cab and Molly Nix; sister, Mabel, and 505 East 36th Street North brother, Marion. Tulsa, OK 74106 The Rosary was recited Dec. 3 at Chaney-Harkins Funeral Home’s Memorial 918.425.5578 Chapel in McAlester, led by Rev. Leonard Higgins. Mass was celebrated Dec. 4 at St. John the Evangelist Church in McAlester by Rev. Higgins. Interment was in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, McAlester.

Helen and Frosty attended the Nov. 1 dedication of the new Wal- ters Plaza at the Oklahoma History Center. From left, former First Lady Rhon- da Walters, Frosty, Helen, Attorney General Drew Edmondson, former Gov. David Walters, Secretary of State Susan Savage and state Su- preme Court Justice Joseph M. Watt.

We’re Soviet-Styled? Forbes, Wall Street Journal Trash Oklahoma Under the headline “Has North Korea Annexed Oklahoma?” Steve Forbes, edi- “Jacob and Johnson were later brought on board to assist the effort,” the tor of Forbes magazine, launched a vicious attack on Oklahoma for upholding Journal wrote. “Not surprisingly, politicians and interest groups that favor big the rule of law. Forbes termed Oklahoma “a Soviet-styled” government establish- government have developed an intense dislike for TABOR spending limits, even ment. though, like lawmaker term limits, they tend to be popular with voters.” Also piling on: The far right Wall Street Journal editorial page, shill of the su- FORBES CALLS AG ‘HOODLUMESQUE’ per rich and cheerleader for school vouchers. Forbes’ sophomoric, over-the-top commentary even went so far as to smear “A veteran political activist is facing 10 years in prison and a hefty fine for at- Edmondson as Oklahoma’s “hoodlumesque” attorney general and to decry the tempting to petition government for redress of grievances,” the Journal opined Supreme Court’s ruling as “a tantrum worthy of an Iranian ayatollah.” in its Nov. 19 edition. “The latest news from Pakistan? No, this is happening in Paid out-of-state circulators gathered 300,000 signatures from registered vot- Oklahoma.” ers, far more than the 219,000 needed to get the measure on the state ballot. The accused felons are Paul Jacob, Susan Johnson and Rick Carpenter, part Local honcho was state Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso. of a national movement that credible authorities believe would destroy the tax It wasn’t hard to collect signatures considering how paid circulators deliber- base of the states. ately misled those they approached for signatures. CONSPIRING TO DEFRAUD THE STATE After the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled, Edmondson took the alleged felons Jacob, former head of U.S. Term Limits and current head of Citizens in Charge, to a grand jury, which indicted them. The Journal claimed it was because Ed- and his compatriots, pleaded not guilty to charges that they conspired to defraud mondson is eyeing higher office – which he isn’t. the state. RESPONSE TERMED DRACONIAN “Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, who’s overseeing this bizarre “The response is draconian and intended to scare and intimidate,” says Jacob, prosecution, has accused Jacob and two fellow petition organizers – Rick Car- who also faces a fine of up to $25,000. penter of Oklahomans in Action and Susan Johnson of National Voter Outreach Edmondson made it clear that it his job to enforce the law. Courts make the – of bringing out-of-state petition gatherers to Oklahoma to collect signatures in final decision. Apparently the Journal and Forbes aren’t bright enough to know violation of state law,” the Journal wrote. that. [Do you remember Forbes’ clumsy race for president?] In 2005 Carpenter, a Tulsan, launched a signature campaign to get a statewide It would interest Rupert Murdoch’s WSJ and Forbes to do a little research: vote on a so-called Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Oklahoma is not a “high tax state” but is 50th in combined local, state and fed- The Oklahoma Supreme Court tossed out the corrupt petition, ruling it had too eral taxes. few legal signatures and noting that “the evidence supports substantial illegal It’s a good thing Forbes’s father founded the magazine, otherwise Steve Forbes participation of out-of-state circulators.” would probably be selling magazines, not running one. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 6 Uninsured Motorist: Who Pays? You Pay! By Jerry R. Fent An Oklahoma Department of Public Safety [DPS] report states: “Be careful who you run into or who runs into you. Oklahoma has more than 800,000 uninsured motorists. Some 40,000 are estimated to be in Oklahoma illegally.” When you have a motor vehicle accident with one of Oklahoma’s uninsured motorists of which an estimated 40,000 are undocumented immigrants, who pays? Oklahoma, like other states, has a compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance law. Why? It is probably true that a person driving around in an “uninsured car” does not Historically, motor vehicles on public roads are very dangerous even when have other assets [money] to pay for your damages, injuries or death. not driven at excessive speeds or radical movements. Being on public roads, the A discussion with several tag agents disclosed that persons coming in to re- public has a right to regulate these vehicles within the scope and purpose of new their car tags have the required car insurance papers but the coverage is just public safety. for one day, one week or one month, etc. WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES Only enough to get their car tag issued or renewed. Therefore, since this pa- Oklahoma law requires each person to: [a] have a valid driver’s license; [b] perwork is valid for the day he/she is getting a car tag or car tag renewal, all is carry a valid car insurance policy; [c] have a valid car tag; and [d] carry a valid approved. car registration form. The illegal driver is not a victim, but you may be if killed or IT IS A LOOPHOLE IN THE LAW permanently injured by one. In numerous cases the one day, one week or one month insurance coverage Each year in America more than 51,000 people are killed in motor vehicle acci- may never be extended for the remaining days of the year before another renewal dents. Many more thousands are injured. About half these accidents are caused is required for the car tag. by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Are stronger methods required to reduce this economic and physical hazard Remember, driving a car is a “privilege” and not a “right!” See Title 47 Okla- on Oklahoma’s public highways and roads? homa Statutes, Section 6-201 et. seq. It appears that the killing of over 51,000 Americans each year on our public Oklahoma has a compulsory “liability insurance policy” law for all motor ve- highways is not a threat to our society. Sorry, you may just be an acceptable ca- hicles. The minimum amount of “liability insurance” required by law may not sualty of the American way of life. even be enough to pay for the “totaling” of your car. Could additional safety measures be initiated? Within Title 63 “Public Health THE PUNISHMENT FOR VIOLATIONS and Safety” there are numerous statutes controlling illegal drugs and substanc- For violation of this liability law, a fine of not more than $250 and imprison- es. ment up to 30 days can result. DRUG USE CAN MEAN FORFEITURE This should eliminate uninsured motorists from our public streets. But does Title 63 Okla. Statutes, Section 2-503 “Property Subject to Forfeiture” allows it? Respect for our laws is at a new low in Oklahoma and the U.S. cars, houses, money, etc., to be seized by state and county law enforcement of- If you have a car wreck with a person who is uninsured and he/she caused the ficers because of their use in illegal drugs. wreck, there will be no insurance policy money from that person to help you pay This seized property is then sold or used for public purposes. These statutes all your car damages, medical bills, temporary or permanent disability, or even have been held constitutional. losses caused by death. A new section within Title 47 Okla. Statutes “Motor Vehicles” can be created Oklahoma law allows insurance companies to sell “uninsured motorist cover- by the Legislature for the forfeiture of motor vehicles found to be without valid age.” Your insurance agent will probably tell you about their “uninsured motorist car insurance. policy.” These cars seized should be destroyed and sold for scrap by the state. This YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS COVERAGE new procedure should encourage enforcement of existing laws. You will pay for this “uninsured motorist policy” coverage for any accidents I may have not solved your problem, but surely made you aware of this danger. caused by an uninsured motorist. Have a safe trip and I hope you are not killed or injured by an uninsured motor- What this means is you are paying for insurance coverage that the other driver ist. by law should be carrying. – The author is an Oklahoma City attorney Pension Reforms Improving Teachers System Thanks to Tulsa’s Republican Sen. Mike Mazzei, the Legislature is finally pay- continue falling until the system is fully funded. ing attention to the long-neglected Teachers Retirement System. Actuarial projections indicate the system will be 85% funded within 16 years A recently enacted law by Mazzei is designed to shore up Oklahoma’s system – four years ahead of the schedule anticipated when lawmakers approved Senate and is rapidly improving the system’s financial standing. Bill 357. Projections contained in a new actuarial report indicate the system’s unfunded “I also want to give credit to the Senate’s Appropriation Co-Chairs, Johnnie liability has begun to fall and will continue declining thanks to a growing infu- Crutchfield and Mike Johnson, as well as to Sen. Kenneth Corn for their work sion of cash approved by the Legislature this year on SB 357,” Mazzei said. “This may well be the most important legislation of the “This is good news for our retired teachers and future retired teachers,” said 51st Legislature.” House Appropriations and Budget Committee Chair Chris Benge, R-Tulsa. “It’s CASH FLOW ON RIGHT TRACK important that the Legislature remain committed to the contribution schedule The retirement system’s external cash flow is also on the right track, Benge we set out last year.” said, noting that the $821 million paid into the system this year exceeded the SENATE BILL GETS RESULTS $806 million paid out in benefits. Senate Bill 357, approved during the 2007 session, increased contribution “That’s the teachers’ retirement system’s first positive cash flow since 1997,” rates paid by schools into the Teacher Retirement System. Oklahoma schools Benge said. were given an additional appropriation to ensure they have money to contribute He said legislators from both sides of the aisle should be commended for the re- to the plan. forms approved last session that will benefit Oklahoma’s teachers for decades. Once fully implemented in 2010, the plan is expected to provide an annual in- fusion of $60 million per year for the retirement system. It is expected to pump more than $200 million into the system over the next five years. Carols For The Disturbed “This is great news for the entire state,” said Mazzei, co-chair of the Senate Schizophrenia – Do You Hear What I Hear? Finance Committee. “The actuarial report shows that SB 357 will actually reduce Multiple Personality Disorder – We Three Kings Disoriented Are. our unfunded liability at an even faster rate than we’d initially projected. Dementia – I Think I’ll be Home for Christmas. “Clearly, our legislative efforts to protect the pensions of Oklahoma teachers Narcissistic – Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me. are working.” he said. “Not only will this boost our bond ratings, but ultimately, Manic – Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores we have averted a disastrous economic event that would have impacted our en- and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and ... tire state.” Paranoid – Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me. ACTUARIAL STANDING ALREADY IMPROVED Borderline Personality Disorder – Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire. The plan has already benefited the retirement system’s standing, according to Personality Disorder – You Better Watch Out, I’m Gonna Cry, I’m Gonna Pout, the actuarial report. The system’s funded ratio – the ratio of assets to liabilities Maybe I’ll Tell You Why. – has increased from 49.3% to 52.6%. Attention Deficit Disorder – Silent night, Holy oooh look at the Froggy - can I Most of that improvement came as the result of Mazzei’s Senate Bill 357, al- have a chocolate? Why is France so far away? though a healthy market return on fund investments also contributed, Benge Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle noted. Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle At the same time, the retirement system’s unfunded actuarial accrued liability Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle [UAAL] decreased $70 million. According to actuarial projections, the UAAL will Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells ... THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 7 Bragging Guide For Oklahomans Texans are raised to brag on their beloved Lone Star State. Arkansas kids grow up hearing about the lore of the Ozarks. Kansans pop their buttons about their agricultural prowess. Why won’t Oklahomans brag? The unwashed say it’s because there is nothing to brag about. Nothing could be further from the truth. Oklahoma has more than its share of firsts. Citing such superlatives is not bragging if it’s fact. Consider this gleaning from research by The Oklahoma Observer: • Number one vo-tech system in America. • OU leads the nation’s public universities in enrolled national merit scholars. • OSU enrolls more than 2,000 valedictorians and salutatorians. • Oklahoma has a first mortgage on Nashville. • More prima ballerinas than any other state. • Second lowest housing costs in the nation. • First Boy Scout Troop in America was in Oklahoma. literature on the American frontier. • Oklahoma has more miles of shoreline than Minnesota. • Only the Smithsonian Institution in Washington has more Indian lore than • First flowing oil well in America was in Oklahoma. Oklahoma’s Historical Society. • The first passenger plane was built in Oklahoma. • Oklahoma is third in wheat and pecan production, third in producing oil • American Airlines was born in Oklahoma. wells, fourth in petroleum production, third in natural gas production and fourth • Oklahoma is home of the International Order of Rainbow Girls. in gasoline production. • More tribes call Oklahoma home, over 250,000 Native Americans. • More than 10 million acres of forests, home to 141 varieties of trees. • Oklahoma has an acre of water for every 44 acres of land. • Like to fly? Oklahoma averages 350 flying days a year. • Bulldogging was invented in Oklahoma by a black cowboy, Bill Pickett. • Average temperature is 60.5 degrees; average rainfall 33.93 inches. • Nearly half of our public school teachers hold master’s degrees or better. • The world’s largest air material center is Tinker Air Force Base. • Since 1904, Oklahoma has had more than 50 Rhodes scholars. • Home of the Federal Aviation Administration. • Three of the initial astronauts were Oklahomans, including the first woman, • Oklahoma ACT scores were third in the south and border states last year, Jerri Cobb. topping all but Florida and Virginia. • Thomas P. Stafford of Oklahoma was the commander of Apollo 10 on its • Lake Eufaula is the second largest man-made lake in the world. eight-day voyage to the moon. • Oklahoma is 17th in environmental quality, 17th in special education, 12th in • The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa has the world’s best collection of art and patents, first in elementary pupil teacher/ratio, 24th in manufacturing climate. Rural School Kids Are Doing Just Fine The National Center for Education Statistics [NCES] has released the report scored at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educa- “Status of Education in Rural America.” tional Progress [NAEP] reading, mathematics, and science assessments in 2005 This report presents a series of indicators on the status of education in rural than did public school students in cities at these grade levels. America based on their actual geographic coordinates into one of 12 local cat- Smaller percentages of rural public school students than suburban public egories and distinguishes between rural areas that are on the fringe of an urban school students scored at or above the proficient level in reading and math. area, rural areas that are at some distance, and rural areas that are remote. In 2004, the high school status dropout rate [i.e., the percentage of persons not The findings of this report indicate that in 2003-04, over half of all operating enrolled in school and not having completed high school] among 16- to 24-year- school districts and one-third of all public schools in the United States were in olds in rural areas was higher than in suburban areas, but lower than in cities. rural areas. Racial/ethnic minorities account for a smaller percentage of public school However, only one-fifth of all public school students were enrolled in rural teachers in rural schools than in schools in all other locales. areas. A larger percentage of public school students in rural areas attended very In general, smaller percentages of public school teachers in rural areas than small schools than those in any other locale. across the nation as a whole reported problems as “serious” and behavioral Oklahoma’s rural schools are among the state’s best, despite gross underfund- problems as frequent in their schools. ing, averaging $3,900 per student compared to more than $6,000 for other Okla- Likewise, a larger percentage of public school teachers in rural areas than homa students. in other locales reported being satisfied with the teaching conditions in their A larger percentage of rural public school students in the 4th and 8th grades schools. 2007 Quality Award Winners Announced Four organizations are recipients of the 2007 Oklahoma Quality Awards. man Life through Exceptional Healthcare.” Moore Norman Technology Center of Norman received the Oklahoma Qual- Leader Communications Inc. [LCI] of Oklahoma City is an information technol- ity Award for Achievement, while Leader Communications Inc., Oklahoma City; ogy and management services company providing a range of services to the U.S. Unity Health Center, Shawnee; and the Valley Regional Hospital of Ada won the government. Oklahoma Quality Award for Commitment. These services include: System engineering software engineering, database Oklahoma Quality Awards, modeled after the Malcolm Baldridge National Qual- development, computer systems installation information and computer system ity Award, are given to organizations that demonstrate high standards of excel- security, to name a few. lence worthy of recognition in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Quality Award Foundation created the awards in 1993. ‘Gift A Child’ Seeking Donations The Moore Norman Technology Center [MNTC], Norman, provides career and The Oklahoma Youth Center/Norman Adolescent Center is looking for volun- technology education to secondary and adult students as well as providing teers to provide gifts for its annual “Holiday Helpers Gift a Child” program. short-term and industry-specific programs and services to promote personal and In an effort to make sure children at these Norman facilities feel special, valued economic development. and appreciated, the facilities acknowledge special occasions such as birthdays The centers’ programs serve as an extension of the curriculum for Moore and and certain holidays, said Rick Gutierrez, OYC director of therapeutic recreation Norman public schools, and connects MNTC students with community business and Holiday Helpers chairperson. and higher education associate degree programs. Gutierrez said they need donations of money or specific gifts selected for chil- Identifying students and business clients as “customers” was a strategic deci- dren. If someone wishes to purchase gifts, they will receive a child’s “Letter to sion that keeps focus on current and future needs and wants of students. Santa,” which the child has written, that includes size, age and other informa- That focus drives the evaluation and improvement of its current products as tion. well as the identification, deployment and improvement of new products. Donor information remains anonymous. Gutierrez said the two facilities have Valley View Regional Hospital in Ada serves parts of a nine-county region in approximately 60 children, many in DHS custody. southeastern Oklahoma. The hospital uses various management techniques – “We receive children coming from all diverse backgrounds, with multiple, un- including a dashboard of performance measures – to monitor its goals related to imaginable, negative experiences and our goal is to give them something positive its strategic plan and its five pillars of service excellence. in his or her journey through life,” he said. “Any help is greatly appreciated.” Unity Health Center of Shawnee has demonstrated visionary leadership through All gifts and donations are tax-deductible. For more information, contact Guti- the development and deployment of its core purpose of “Positively Impacting Hu- errez at 405.573.3814 or e-mail [email protected].

THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 8 PUBLIC FORUM Parties Beware: Wake-Up Call Nears By Edwin E. Vineyard There are changes in the wind! Changes are coming! Hallelujah! Some day soon we may be able to fly our flag in front of our home or business without signifying we are Republicans supporting Bush’s war. Soon we may be able to wear a flag button on our lapels again, just to signify our patriotism, and escape the taint of being labeled a Republican war supporter. Perhaps we will soon be able to profess being a Christian without having a political pall cast over us. Maybe we can even be Baptists again without pledging to a right wing political agenda. There are signs that the nation is awakening. The scandal soaked hypocrites in Washington, and the amoral, incompetent, and sometimes criminal Bush Ad- ministration, are finally becoming recognized as such. They are not fooling so many now. WHERE’S THE PATRIOTISM, CHRISTIANITY? that imports from offending nations should be cut off. People are recognizing there is little that is patriotic or Christian about this Conservatives don’t like budget deficits, trade deficits, and mounting national war in Iraq, nor in the way it was sold to Americans and the world. Christians are debt. Most are adverse toward foreign spending when Americans are in need of recognizing that there is little that is Christian about fleecing the working class assistance with basic needs like health insurance. and starving the poor while the rich prosper. American workers dislike their union wage industries being shipped off to Americans are recognizing that taking care of the poor, the widows, the or- some other part of the world. They are tired of technically educated personnel phans, the sick, the elderly, and the tragedy-stricken are acts of Christian char- being imported from India to take the best jobs, tired of outsourcing good jobs ity, even when such acts are initiated and sponsored by Democrats in govern- beyond our borders, and tired of illegal labor from Mexico flooding in to take ment. American jobs for lower wages. Christians are recognizing the there are more than two moral issues at stake ‘GOOFY’ GOVERNMENT SPENDING in elections. Morality is broader than issues about gay unions or women’s rights It seems downright goofy to Americans for their own government to be out- to privacy and personal freedom. sourcing security-sensitive contracts to foreign companies. Most think the gov- Sick children without health insurance do not set well with good Christian ernment should “buy American” with tax money. Americans. The idea of the government taxing billionaires at a lower rate than People are tired of tax dodges for business income, and for the wealthy, while their office staff is repulsive to the average American. they pay their part by withholding from earnings at a job. PEOPLE FIRST, NOT BIG BUSINESS People in America are ready for changes, and both political parties had better Most people think it is high time big business took a back seat to safety is- start tuning in to the people. sues. They think that our government regulators ought to work for them, and – The author, aka the Militant Moderate, lives in Enid A Patriot Urges America: Be Silent, No More By Bob Bearden When will we as American citizens be willing to say enough is enough? What we stood up on our hind legs and started to take our country back. more do those who run this country need to do to make us willing to stand up I am a patriot. I love my country. and collectively say – “Stop the madness and give us our country back!” My great-grandfather served in the Civil War under both Grant and Sherman. We pay homage to American Idol, which is mostly a sad collection of wannabes My uncle Lonnie parachuted into Normandy at 0100 on D-Day. My brother Elton who aren’t and won’t ever be the Elvises of their generation. and my step-brother Marion both served two tours of duty in Vietnam. My uncle We spend more time worrying about the over-the-hill collection of stars who Ray spent 18 months in a Japanese prison camp. My step-brother Truett died at often humiliate themselves on Dancing With The Stars than we do on demanding the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. that the public be allowed to see the flag-draped coffins of our young children STANDING UP TO PHONY SUPER-PATRIOTS who are being killed in a war 80% of the American public is against and thinks And I served and was involved in the Cuban missile crisis – and I won’t allow should be ended – immediately. charlatans the ilk of Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly or Ann Coulter to question my We overdose ourselves on the saga of a sad American hero that was, O.J. Simp- patriotism or call me a traitor, just because I don’t happen to agree with their as- son, who has been brought down to the status of petty criminal, while global sessment on the war in Iraq. warming is wreaking havoc with our environment and the world that we will have They are entitled to their opinions, but when they malign children, when they to hand over to our children someday. attack my beliefs and my patriotism with lies and falsehoods and innuendos, We titillate ourselves over whether or not Paris Hilton or Britney Spears or they make me angry and I will not stand idly by and refuse to speak up. Lindsay Lohan are wearing underwear, while our children and our neighbor’s Wrong is wrong and as long as we as Americans refuse to tell the ‘Emperor’ children are being maimed, wounded and killed in Iraq. that he has no clothes and he is naked, then we are not doing our duty as Ameri- WHAT DOES THIS SAY ABOUT US? can citizens! Where are our priorities? Where are our values? – The author lives in Oklahoma City To paraphrase Joseph Welch speaking to “Tail Gunner” Joe McCarthy in that long ago time, “Have we no shame? At long last have we no shame?” What is happening to our country, to our freedoms, to our government and, Who Started This Christmas Stuff? yes, to ourselves is wrong and, as long as we do nothing, we are just as culpable A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours as those who are perpetrating these wrongs upon us. As long as we stand by and of looking at row after row of toys and after hours of hearing both kids asking for say nothing, nothing will be done. everything they saw, she finally made it to the elevator. What can we do? She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season – overwhelm- We can grab a picket sign and stand on the street comer and say “Stop the war ing pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food now!” We can organize letter-writing campaigns, send e-mails and make phone and treats, get that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list. calls to our congressional creatures and tell them we are fed up and that they And then there’s the pressure of making sure we don’t forget anyone on our must do something now. card list, or fail to respond to everyone who sent us a card. As Patrick Henry said at the onset of the American Revolution, “Why stand we Finally the elevator doors opened, and there was already a crowd in the car. here idle?” She pushed her way in and dragged her two kids in with her, along with all the BOSTON TEA PARTY, THE SEQUEL bags of stuff. It is time we had another Boston Tea Party and dumped this regime into Bos- When the doors closed, she couldn’t take it anymore, blurting out, “Whoever ton Harbor. It is time we as American citizens say to our elected officials, “Do started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.” the right thing. Stand up and be a statesman. Don’t preach ‘family values’ if you From the back, everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, “Don’t worry, we aren’t really going to stand for them. And if you don’t want to do what you know already crucified Him.” in your heart is right, then get the hell out of the way!” For the rest of the trip down in the elevator, it was so quiet you could have This is our country. It does belong to us, whether we know it or not. It doesn’t heard a pin drop. belong to the highest bidder. It doesn’t belong to the Enrons or the Blackwaters Footnote: This year, don’t forget to keep “the One who started this whole or the ExxonMobils. Christmas thing” in your every thought, deed, purchase and words. If we all did We as American citizens have a lot invested in this country and it’s about time it, just think of how different this whole world would be. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 9 “We employees, BOOKS from professors A Century Of Assault to elevator operators, were On Freedom Of Speech all required to By Alvena Bieri sign a loyalty FROM THE PALMER RAIDS TO THE PATRIOT ACT A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America By Christopher M. Finan oath!” Beacon Press 676 pages, $39.95 [ACLU] started with the young Roger Baldwin as its effective leader. Its aim was Freedom of speech is guaranteed to Americans in the Bill of Rights in our Con- to give legal support to free speech and try to intervene with the government for stitution. How this basic right has been interpreted and often abused through the same goal. our history is the subject of many books. The next free speech crisis came in the 1940s. The general term applied to the Two recent ones are Christopher M. Finan’s From the Palmer Raids to the Pa- fears of Americans was “Red Scare,” a phenomenon that penetrated all parts of triot Act and Shirley and Wayne Wiegand’s Books on Trial. the country. [The Wiegands’ book was mentioned on this page in the Nov. 25th issue. Close The Wiegands’ book tells the unbelievable story of the July 1940 raids on the to home, it is about the incredible police raids on the 1940s Progressive Book- Oklahoma City headquarters of the Communist Party, located in the Progressive store and Communist Party headquarters in Oklahoma City.] Bookstore at 129 W. Grand St. World War I and the years right after it were very tense times in our political Authorities seized thousands of books, including some by Jack London and past. Following the war, there were hard adjustments to be made. Even strikes by Leo Tolstoy, as well as Karl Marx. Many young activists were caught up in this, labor unions greatly alarmed some citizens. and some spent time in jail. The famous socialist Eugene Debs was still in prison after the war and was not MCCARTHYISM AND THE PATRIOT ACT released until the Harding Administration in 1923. The last two free speech problems discussed in Finan’s book arose during the PALMER HAD HIS EYE ON PRESIDENCY Joe McCarthy time and in our time with the Patriot Act. It was against this backdrop that the attorney general, A. Mitchell Palmer, I have two revealing little stories set in the first time, one ironically from the started what outspoken critics of the government came to call the Palmer Raids, state of Wisconsin, usually a progressive place. attacking and seizing material from the advocates of free speech. When I was in school at the University of Wisconsin, people on the campus The underlying fear of the time was that Russians would take over the world, were upset about the activities of their senator. I remember wearing buttons in a fear that was to come again in later years. protest and talking a lot about the problem. The famous anarchist Emma Goldman once said, “Don’t confuse conformity A year before, I had lived in Willard Hall on the Oklahoma A&M [now Oklahoma with security” – a timely message for us today, I think. State University] campus, where my part-time job was running the elevator about Anyway, it was during Woodrow Wilson’s administration, in January 1920, that two hours a day. We employees, from professors to elevator operators, were all literally thousands of Communists and other dissenters were arrested and put in required to sign a loyalty oath! jail with very little regard for their rights under the Constitution. The Patriot Act today is in that same spirit of suppression. Doesn’t it seem Some historians think that Palmer hoped to take advantage of the fear of radi- ironic that in saying we uphold the great American value of freedom that we deny cals to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 1920. it in so many forms? The ACLU has helped, but we all need to re-read the Bill of THE ACLU IS LAUNCHED Rights! It was about this time that the work of the American Civil Liberties Union – The author lives in Stillwater PUBLIC FORUM Betty’s Dream Now An Un-American Nightmare By Phillip L. Cunningham We often flippantly toss around the phrase “It’ll take an act of Congress” when- Consequently, Betty has changed her major in order to buy some time in hopes ever we encounter roadblocks or challenges to our pursuit of happiness. How- that circumstances may change, perhaps allowing her to once again pursue her ever, for thousands of young people, nothing else but an act of Congress will dream of nursing. enable them to fully pursue their life goals. In an effort to assist my friend, I have spoken with numerous immigration con- The young people I am speaking of are those who were brought to this country sultants and immigration attorneys. To date, no one has been able to offer any as young children by parents who entered illegally. realistic advice that would allow Betty to obtain legal residency. I am speaking of people who have lived almost their entire life in this country, It seems her only option is to return to Mexico, wait 10 years due to being a have learned English, have graduated from our high schools, have entered our “prior offender,” and then apply for a visa and wait for the process to take its colleges and universities, some have even entered our military, have committed course. no crimes – yet have no documentation that even acknowledges their existence INHOFE, COBURN WOULDN’T HELP within our society. While the DREAM Act was still a possibility, I wrote numerous letters and Without such documentation to establish legal residency these people face a made several phone calls to Oklahoma’s U.S. senators trying to solicit their sup- life sentence of chronic underemployment and life in she shadows – no matter port. Both Sen. Jim Inhofe and Sen. Tom Coburn responded that they considered how brilliant or how talented or how hardworking they may be; no matter how the DREAM Act a threat to national security and vowed to never support any dedicated and loyal to our country they may be. legislation that provided amnesty. U.S. SENATE DIDN’T FIX THE INJUSTICE What nonsense! How are 18- to 25-year-old young people trying to pursue the The DREAM Act would have changed that, but unfortunately it was defeated American dream a threat to national security? recently in the U.S. Senate. Now these people are left without a country and with- How can you give amnesty to someone who has never done anything wrong? out hope. It should be a fundamental obligation for our elected officials to correct injus- This appears to be the fate of my friend, Betty. Betty is 20 years old. She was tice. In this case our senators chose to neglect that responsibility. brought to this country when she was four. In the past sixteen years, Betty has For Betty and others like her, it literally will take an act of Congress for them become fluent in both English and Spanish [she is also very skilled in French to realize their potential. and German, too]. Sadly, such an act is unlikely as long as mean spirited bigotry and cowardice While in high school she performed volunteer community service, tutoring im- dominates the immigration debate. migrant elementary students. She graduated with honors from Classen School – The author lives in Oklahoma City of Advanced Studies and was awarded a Clara Luper Scholarship to attend Okla- homa City University. Over the past two years, she has maintained a high grade point average as a pediatric nursing major. This year, however, she reached a point in her educational program that required participation in “clinicals” – or real world study in a medical establishment. Participation also required an FBI felony background check. A RISK BETTY COULDN’T TAKE As an undocumented immigrant, Betty could not risk submitting to such a check, although the only thing she has ever done that could be remotely con- strued as a crime was her failure, upon turning 18, to pack up and return to life in a country she could barely remember and had never really known. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 10 Yes, The Greatest Gift Of All Is Hope Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. “Who is this?” asked Santa, smiling. “Your friend? Your sister?” “Yes Santa,” he replied. “My sister, Sarah, who is very sick.” Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby. “She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!” the child exclaimed. “She misses you!” Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy’s face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. A GRANDMOTHER’S REQUEST When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted. “What is it?” Santa asked warmly. “Well, I know it’s really too much to ask you, Santa, but …” the old woman A woman whom he guessed was Sarah’s mother stood by the bed, gently push- began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa’s elves to collect the little gift ing Sarah’s thin hair off her forehead. which Santa gave all his young visitors. SHE WAS WEARY AND SAD “The girl in the photograph, my granddaughter... well, you see, she has leuke- Another woman, whom he later discovered was Sarah’s aunt, sat in a chair mia and isn’t expected to make it even through the holidays,” she said through near the bed with weary, sad look on her face. tear-filled eyes. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of “Is there any way, Santa, any possible way that you could come see Sarah? the family, and their love and concern for Sarah. That’s all she’s asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa.” Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face, Santa entered the room, SANTA SWALLOWED HARD bellowing a hearty, “Ho, ho, ho!” Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information “Santa!” shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. him, IV tubes intact. Santa thought of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the age of his own do. son, nine years old, gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. “What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying?” he thought with a EFFECTS OF THE CHEMOTHERAPY sinking heart. “This is the least I can do.” Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the ef- When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he re- fects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, trieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He blue eyes. asked the manager, Rick, how to get to Children’s Hospital. His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears. RICK VOLUNTEERED TO DRIVE SANTA Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah’s face, he could hear the gasps and “Why?” Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face. quiet sobbing of the women in the room. Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah’s grandmother earlier that As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by day. one, squeezing Santa’s shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering “thank you” “C’mon ... I’ll take you there,” Rick said softly. as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she which room Sarah was in. Rick said he would wait out in the hall. wanted for Christmas, assuring him she’d been a very good girl that year. Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little SANTA WANTS TO PRAY FOR HER Sarah on the bed. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grand- and asked for permission from the girl’s mother. mother and the girl’s brother he had met earlier that day. See HOPE Page 12 Life: It All Depends On How You Look At It By Susan Estrich It was in the low 50s, if that, as I stood in the return line at Costco, which I stopped my chattering teeth long enough to smile back. stretched outside. I’m not dressed for this weather, I thought to myself, standing It’s all about what you expect. there in pants, a long-sleeved blouse, quilted vest, socks and shoes. Sure, some people tolerate cold better than others. But how it affects us, it A week earlier, when I was in Boston and it was barely in the 50s, I was dressed seems to me, has almost as much to do with what we expect as it does with the in almost the same clothes – PLUS a coat and hat. I even found a scarf at a sec- levels of iron in our blood. Expect to feel cold and you will. Think about it and ondhand store. But in Los Angeles, where I live, it almost never occurs to anyone you’ll feel even colder. Focus all your energy on it and your teeth start chatter- to put on a coat – and hats are decorative items, not head warmers. ing. Forget about it completely, never expect it at all, and you barely even notice. As I stood there shivering, wondering how I’d ever made it through all the New Mind over matter. England winters of my youth and young adulthood, I noticed the woman in front Pain is like that, too. It’s there and then it’s not. You’re in pain, and then some- of me, chatting amiably with what looked to be her boyfriend. thing distracts you and you’re in another place and the pain is gone – until the She also was not wearing a coat and hat. But unlike me, she also was not distraction is over and you realize it was never really gone. Or was it? wearing long sleeves, or a vest, or even socks and shoes. She had on jeans and a MOM ALWAYS EXPECTED THE WORST sleeveless T-shirt. And sandals. My mother went through life expecting the worst. Her mother died unexpect- THEY WEREN’T SHIVERING edly when my mother was 18. That was the last unexpected tragedy in her life. She was not shivering. Her boyfriend was wearing shorts and a T-shirt, and he From then on, she expected the worst and found it often enough to justify an wasn’t shivering either. approach to life that led her to avoid pleasure if it might bring pain [we never had Who shivers in Los Angeles? a dog because of how we would feel when it died], and to disappoint those who As the line snaked inside the store, the temperature didn’t change. In Boston, a loved her rather than take a chance on something going wrong [she skipped my week before, the minute you got inside anywhere, blasts of hot air hit you in the daughter’s bat mitzvah, notwithstanding our pleas and promises, because what face. People are always saying, “Close the door.” In Los Angeles, the door stays if she didn’t feel well when she was there]. open and almost no one ever turns on the heat. She was always cold. “Aren’t you cold,” I finally asked the woman in front of me. Like many people, I was surprised by the recent study of cancer patients that She looked surprised, as did her friend, as if I was the first to point out to them found that a positive outlook had no impact on life expectancy. I expect the op- what was inescapable to me: It was unseasonably cold in Los Angeles. posite. Cells, it seems, have a mind of their own. “Oh,” she replied, glancing at her bare arms and bare feet [Were those goose What the study didn’t measure, of course, was the quality of life – not how long bumps I saw?], it will warm up later.” people lived, but how well, which counts for as much. Even if our expectations So? don’t change the result, they certainly shape the journey. A CASE OF MIND OVER MATTER? Knowing that I get cold, I try to dress warmly, but I never let the weather fore- She expected it to be warmer; she certainly expected it would be warmer later, cast dictate my plans. My mother was afraid to go out in the cold. She stayed so she wasn’t cold now. The guy with her just laughed. “T-shirt weather,” he said warm, but she paid a huge price for it. I wear a hat. with a smile. © Creators Syndicate THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 11 Rev. Billy’s Gospel: Stop Shopping Now By Emily Wilson Bill Talen, known as Rev. Billy, doesn’t mind making a fool of himself. He is happy to throw himself on the floor in a fit of religious ecstasy, perform cash register exorcisms or go caroling with the 35 members of the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir. They are singing such favorites as “Fill the malls with wealthy people,” to the tune of “Deck the Halls.” He does all this and much, much more in the new documentary “What Would Jesus Buy?” about him and his Church of Stop Shopping. Ten years ago Talen came to New York and, struck by the commercialization in Times Square, wanted to do something. HE PREPPED FOR STREET PREACHING and friends and remember what matters most resonates with them. He saw the people getting the most attention were the street preachers, so get- RESEARCHING WORKERS IN BANGLADESH ting into his role, he bought a clerical collar to go with his white caterer’s jacket, In a scene that Talen and Durkee call the heart of the movie, three teenage girls dyed his hair blonde, combed it into a tall pompadour and started preaching from the Upper East Side start to wonder about where their clothes come from. against over-consumption. They check the labels on their shirts. Now Talen is known for his protests against, among others, Disney [the “High “A little kid probably made that,” one says to another. They do research online Church of Retail”], Victoria’s Secret, and Starbucks. reading about workers in Bangladesh being forced to work overtime and getting The coffee chain has banned Talen from going into any of its stores in Califor- burns from hot glue machines. nia, and he is the subject of a memo to its employees, “What Should I Do If Rev. That is a moment where a connection is made, Talen says. Billy Is In My Store?” “We want to collapse the distance between the product and labor,” he says. When he decided to take his church across the country in two biodiesel buses “Our present economy is based on alienation from products.” in December 2005 to face the Christmas season head on and preach against the Because of his work as an actor and playwright, Talen sees the value in putting Shopocalypse, Filmmaker Rob VanAlkemade and his crew tagged along. some theater into protests with retail interventions and songs about $5 lattes THE CHANGE MAY LAST ALL YEAR rather than merely marching and chanting. If people can change how they act at Christmas, Talen says, that could bleed A FORMER STARBUCKS WORKER CONVERTS over into the rest of the year. And he thinks people are ready for change. In “What Would Jesus Buy?” a choir member talks about how excited she is to He sees it with all the e-mails the church gets supporting its anti-consumer do political work in a creative, fun way. The woman, Laura Newman, came over message and in other ways, such as the dozens of communities across America from the other side of the counter – she is a former Starbucks employee who first that have successfully resisted Wal-Mart. met Rev. Billy when he protested in her store. He points to the town of Hercules, in California, that used eminent domain Being with choir members like Newman gives them strength and hope, Talen to take the land that the giant retailer planned to build on. In the city council’s and Durkee say. definition, a Wal-Mart store is “urban blight.” As well as seeing the value of community, Talen and Durkee say ritual is im- In the movie, shoppers, the recently homeless, ministers, and consumer spe- portant. In the movie, Rev. Billy leads a funeral for small town America next to a cialists face the camera and talk about what they think about Christmas, shop- Wal-Mart in Arkansas. ping, and where the products we buy come from. BAPTIZING A BABY AT THE MALL MAKING THEM MORE COMPASSIONATE He baptizes a baby in a super mall in Los Angeles as the choir sings softly, Both Talen and his wife, Savitri Durkee, the church’s choir director, say they some wiping tears away. learned a lot from these people and hearing their stories made them more com- The security guard, who has been telling Talen to leave, steps aside, to let him passionate. complete the ritual. Talen, says the movie’s producer, Morgan Spurlock, who made a documentary “Oh, that felt so good,” Talen says after the baptism. “Wow. That makes it all about his month-long McDonald’s diet, was the one who encouraged them to talk worth it. You can take me to jail now.” to all kinds of Americans. Talen says getting asked to perform a baptism was a powerful experience. Talen was surprised and gratified by the response from the Christian commu- “That was the Christmas moment right there,” he says. “That’s what Christmas nity to the movie, which he says has been overwhelmingly supportive, particu- is about. A child is born and is supposed to grow up and teach us peace. That is larly from the youth Christian movement. Christmas. Change-a-lujah.” He says the movie’s message of Christmas being a time to connect with family © Independent Media Institute HOPE From Page 11 She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah’s bed, least I could do.” holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in They nodded with understanding and hugged him. angels. One year later, Santa was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, “Oh, yes, Santa, I do!” she exclaimed. seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a “Well, I’m going to ask that angels watch over you,” he said. child came up to sit on his lap. Laying one hand on the child’s head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He “Hi, Santa! Remember me?” asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked “Of course, I do,” Santa proclaimed [as he always does], smiling down at her. that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. After all, the secret to being a “good” Santa is to always make each child feel When he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing softly: “Si- as if they are the “only” child in the world at that moment. lent Night, Holy Night, all is calm, all is bright.” “You came to see me in the hospital last year!” Santa’s jaw dropped. Tears im- The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of mediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. his chest. SANTA TOOK SARAH’S SMALL HAND SHE LOOKED SO DIFFERENT When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah’s “Sarah!” he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and small hands in his own. silky and her cheeks were rosy – much different from the little girl he had visited “Now, Sarah,” he said authoritatively, “you have a job to do, and that is to just a year before. concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends He looked over and saw Sarah’s mother and grandmother in the sidelines smil- this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next ing and waving and wiping their eyes. year!” That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He knew it was risky proclaiming that to this little girl who had terminal can- He had witnessed, and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about, this cer, but he “had” to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could, not dolls or miracle of hope. games or toys, but the gift of HOPE. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. “Yes, Santa!” Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, “Thank you, Father. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room. Out in the ‘Tis a very, Merry Christmas!” hall, the minute Santa’s eyes met Rick’s, a look passed between them and they – Author Unknown wept unashamed. Editor’s Note: We definitely prefer “true stories” and this sounds like an “ur- SANTA HAS A SON SARAH’S AGE ban legend.” But we looked it up at www.Snopes.com and on the web as a whole Sarah’s mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed and could not find it officially labeled as untrue. It does make for a great story, to Santa’s side to thank him. the moral of which we strongly believe: the Gift of Hope is most important in “My only child is the same age as Sarah,” he explained quietly. “This is the healing. Help us spread the word. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 12 Pope Is Bringing Back Latin Mass By Lawrence Downes To a child in a Roman Catholic family, the rhythm of the Mass is absorbed into the body well before understanding reaches the brain. It becomes as lullingly familiar as a weekly drive to a relative’s house – opening prayers like quick turns though local streets, long freeway stretches of readings, homily and Eucharistic prayers, the quietude of communion and then – thanks be to God – the final blessing, a song and home to pancakes and the Sunday comics. Last Sunday, I drove through a strange liturgical neighborhood. I attended a Tridentine Low Mass, the Latin rite that took hold in the 16th Century and was abandoned in the 1960s for Mass in the local language. It is poised for a revival now that Pope Benedict XVI has swept away the last bureaucratic obstacles to its use. ANCIENT HISTORY TO MOST CATHOLICS If you don’t remember LBJ, you don’t remember the Latin Mass. At 42, I had never seen, heard or smelled one. through my little red Latin-English paperback, trying to keep up. A family trip took me to Chicago and curiosity took me early Sunday morning Had it been 50 years ago, I would have had every step memorized. But I didn’t to St. John Cantius, an old Polish parish on the Near West Side. know any of it. I felt sheepish, particularly because I was surrounded by far more I went up the steps of the renaissance-baroque church, through a stone door- competent flock. way and back into my dimmest memories. Amid the grandeur of beeswax candles I also felt shaken and irrationally angry. Catholics are told that the church is and golden statuary, the congregation was saying the rosary. the people of God, but from my silent pew, the people seemed irrelevant. I sat behind an older couple wearing scapulars as big as credit cards. I saw This Mass belonged to Father and his altar boys, and it seemed that I could women with lace mantillas and a clutch of seminarians in the front rows, in submit to that arrangement or leave. For the first time, I understood viscerally black cassocks and crisp white surplices. how some Catholics felt in the ‘60s, when the Mass they loved went away. THE MODERN ALTAR IS GONE ELOQUENT CRITIC CALLED FOR HIS ADVICE The sanctuary, behind a long communion rail, looked oddly barren because it I called Eugene Kennedy, professor, author and former priest, an old Chica- lacked the modern altar on which a priest, facing the people, prepares the Eucha- goan and eloquent critic of church matters. ristic meal. The priest entered, led by altar boys. He is a scourge of the Catholic hierarchy, which he considers grasping and He wore a green and gold chasuble and a biretta, a black tufted hat, that he autocratic. But he spoke fondly of the old Mass, of the majesty to be unearthed placed on a side table. His shaved head and stately movements gave the Mass a by learning and praying it, like reading Proust in French. military bearing. It contains a profound sense of mystery, he said, which is what religion is all I couldn’t hear a thing. I strained to listen, waited and, finally, in my dimness, about. realized that there was nothing to hear. But he said he wouldn’t want it back. Priests aren’t ready; it takes years to At a Low Mass, the priest prays unamplified or silently. The people do not learn. And forget about the laity, he said, which is accustomed to a half-century speak or sing. They watch and read. of liturgical participation and rudimentary parish democracy. He seemed certain HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP UP that most Catholics would never go for it. All around me, people’s heads were buried in thick black missals. I flipped See MASS Page 14 Catholic Bishops OK Methodist Bishops Condemn Iraq War Abortion Candidates Declaring war “incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ,” bish- By Richard Morris ops of the United Methodist Church have called on leaders of all nations to begin The nation’s Roman Catholic bishops approved principles intended to guide an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Catholics in choosing whom to vote for but leaving the door open for them to The bishops also urged against deploying additional troops to Iraq and against back candidates who support abortion rights. establishing permanent military bases in the Middle Eastern country. Virtually all the bishops approved the document, “Forming Consciences for The council represents 11.5 million United Methodists in the United States, Faithful Citizenship.” Africa, Europe and the Philippines. About 125 active and retired bishops from That broad consensus might help the church avoid the fissures that occurred across the globe attended the gathering. in 2004, church experts said, when some conservative Catholic groups issued In addition to calling for the immediate safe and full withdrawal of troops, the voter guidelines that identified abortion as “nonnegotiable” and a group of bish- bishops called on the United States and other Coalition Force nations to initiate ops touched off a debate about whether Catholic candidates who back abortion and support a plan for the reconstruction of Iraq, giving strong priority to the rights should be denied Communion. humanitarian and social needs of the Iraqi people. Past documents allowed Catholics to vote, in certain cases, for candidates who SUPPORT FOR VETERANS IS STRESSED support abortion rights. They also urged increased support for veterans of the Iraq war and all wars. GOOD NEWS FOR FRONT-RUNNERS The bishops said their position is based on Jesus Christ’s call for “his follow- It is good news for Rudy Giuliani, an ex-Catholic, who strongly supports abor- ers to be peacemakers.” The resolution is the council’s latest action questioning tion rights as does Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, a Protestant. the Iraq war. This was the first time that an open discussion was held on the document and In November 2005, the bishops urged President George W. Bush, who is a Unit- 300 bishops had the chance to vote for it. ed Methodist, to create a timeline to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, chairman of the bishops’ domestic pol- The bishops cited the deaths of more than 3,843 U.S. soldiers, 171 United icy committee, said it is “a summary of Catholic teaching.” Kingdom military members, 132 members of other Coalition military, the wound- “It offers,” he said, “a basic moral framework on what it means to be a Catholic ing of 28,385 U.S soldiers and the deaths of at least 76,241 Iraqi civilians. and American, a believer and a voter in this coming election year.” TWO MILLION DISPLACED, A MILLION REFUGEES PARISHES MAY USE IT AS AN INSERT They noted the war has displaced two million Iraqi people and made refugees The set of principles is issued as an insert that priests may put into a Sunday of one million others. bulletin, but its dissemination is not mandatory. “Every day that the war continues, more soldiers and innocent civilians are The document could be an important factor in the political decisions of many killed with no end in sight to the violence, bloodshed and carnage,” the resolu- Catholics, said Alexia Kelley, the executive director of Catholics in Alliance for tion says. the Common Good. The council discussed the resolution over the course of two days before ap- George W. Bush’s candidacy was strongly supported by the Vatican, carrying proving a final version on Nov. 9. 52% of the Catholic vote for his re-election. Retired Bishop Jack Meadors, of Edisto Beach, SC, noted that 2007 has been Since that time the Pope has parted ways with Bush over what he terms “a the deadliest year for the U.S. military since the Iraq war began in 2003. He pre- sinful war.” dicted the 4,000th American combat death would occur between Thanksgiving “Can a Catholic in good conscience vote for a candidate who is pro-choice?” and Christmas. said the Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at “The Iraq war is not just a political issue or a military issue. It is a moral is- Georgetown University. “What they are saying is, ‘Yes.’” sue,” Meadors said. “War is sin. It is evil. War is incompatible with the teachings © Truthout of Jesus.” THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 13 Women And The Subprime Crunch By Anita F. Hill There once was a time when purchasing a home was something only married couples did. However, increasingly, single, widowed, and divorced women with and without children are making the choice to purchase a home on their own. Yet, the economic and social consequences of subprime lending practices on them are subjects few are discussing. Women have become a key component in the real estate market. Last year in Massachusetts, over one-third of first time homebuyers were single women and nearly one-quarter of all homebuyers were single women. Women borrowers are over-represented in the subprime lending market, according to studies done by both the Consumer Federation of America and the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. WOMEN GET LESS FAVORABLE TERMS Across the economic spectrum, women receive less favorable terms than simi- Too often, as single women and especially as single parents, credit may seem larly situated men on home purchase, refinance, and home improvement loans. hard to obtain, notwithstanding the fact that, on average, women have higher The studies also show that the gap between women and men receiving sub- credit scores than men. prime loans actually increases as women’s income increases. Subprime lenders may even counsel them that conventional loans are unavail- Elderly women are prime targets of refinance and home improvement subprime able to them and that subprime loans are their only recourse. lenders. Women on average live longer than men and have a greater chance of In some cases, brokers who promised borrowers “the lowest possible rates” living alone. gave borrowers higher priced loans and extravagant fees. Rising property taxes and medical expenses make older women on fixed in- WHEN PAYMENTS SPIKED DISASTER LOOMED comes particularly susceptible to lenders who promise money for necessary re- The current crisis is a result of a slowing home sale market, declining prices, pairs, but instead exact huge fees and charge inflated interest rates. and monthly mortgage payments that, in many cases, have spiked so precipi- AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN MORE VULNERABLE tously that borrowers’ income could not possibly cover them. African-American women, who represent half of African-American home pur- Blaming the victims is both unwarranted – and unhelpful. It will not solve the chase borrowers, are particularly vulnerable. economic or social problems caused by the tide of foreclosures that officials are In fact, there is evidence that subprime lenders charge black women and Lati- struggling to forestall. nas higher rates and fees than same-race men and white men, again, regardless Not until 2004 did the Federal Reserve require subprime lenders to provide any of income and across all loan types. specific data on their loans. Even today, they resist any effort to provide informa- For women, the impact of problems in the lending industry crosses age, class, tion of the risk profiles of borrowers and racial lines as well as neighborhoods. What we do know is that many women who qualified for conventional loans did Because of subprime lending, they are in danger of losing ground in their effort not get them and that they and others were being fleeced. to reach economic self-sufficiency for themselves and in many cases for their SHE ADMITS SANDBAGGING THE LESS FORTUNATE children. A former loan officer testified about how she marketed subprime mortgages: OLDER WOMEN IN GREATER JEOPARDY “If someone appeared uneducated, inarticulate, was a minority, or was particu- Older women, who have seen the equity in their homes depleted, are in greater larly old or young, I would try to include all the [additional costs] CitiFinancial jeopardy of becoming dependent on family or social services. offered.” Single women, who are likely to earn less, have more dependents, and spend According to Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, weak or sub- a higher percentage of their income on housing, are thus less able to absorb the prime credit has led to 25,000 foreclosure actions in Massachusetts in the past cost of an escalating, inflated subprime loan payment. 12 months. Along with foreclosure, loss of savings, impaired credit and even bankruptcy If the trend continues, many more women will join those who have already lost are predictable consequences. their homes. These women represent all ages, all races, and all socioeconomic Greater Boston service providers are already seeing an increase in family home- classes. lessness and it appears that a larger number of the newly homeless families are Some are single mothers and their children range from infants to baby boom- headed by women. ers. As a threat to women, this crisis is a threat to us all. THE QUESTION SHOULD BE WHY NOT? – Anita F. Hill is a Boston Globe guest columnist and professor of law, social Why would a woman commit herself to the uncertainty of a subprime loan? policy and women’s studies at Brandeis University and a visiting scholar at The most obvious answers are that they want to create stable home environ- Wellesley College, the Newhouse Center for the Humanities, and Wellesley Cen- ments, build financial equity, and enjoy the tax advantage of home ownership. ter for Women. MASS From Page 13 But St. John Cantius, once given up for dead, is thriving with an influx of new tirely back to Father makes Latin illiterates like me irate. parishioners. In his homily, the pastor, the Rev. C. Frank Phillips, spoke proudly It’s easy enough to see where this is going: same God, same church, but sepa- about the Latin Mass, which his parish was the first in Chicago to revive. rate camps, each with an affinity for vernacular or Latin, John XXIII or Benedict He announced that it would soon be training priests in the old rite, which he XVI. vowed would restore the Catholic church to its place leading the world back to Smart, devout, ambitious Catholics – ecclesial young Republicans, home- Christ. schoolers, seminarians and other shock troops of the faith – will have their Father Frank does not disparage the contemporary Mass, nor could he, lest he Mass. cast doubt on the legitimacy of the last 40 years of Catholic worship. The rest of us – a lumpy assortment of cafeteria Catholics, guilty parents, But other traditionalists do not always share his tact. Their delight at the Latin peace-n-justice lefties, stubborn Vatican II die-hards – will have ours. We’ll have revival can seem inseparable from their scorn for the Mass that eclipsed it, which to prod our snoozing pewmates when to sit and stand; they’ll have to rein in their they ridicule for its singing, handshaking and mushy modernity. zealots. THE MASS CAN BE LISTLESS And we probably won’t see one another on Sunday mornings, if ever. They’re right that Mass can be listless, with little solemnity and multiple © Truthout sources of irritation: parents sedating children with Cheerios; priests preaching refrigerator-magnet truisms; amateur guitar strumming that was lame in 1973; teenagers slumping back after communion, hands in pockets, as if wishing they had been given gum instead. Pope Benedict insists he is not taking the church on a nostalgia trip. He wants to re-energize it, and hopes that the Latin Mass, like an immense celestial object, will exert gravitational pull on the faithful. Unless the church, which once had a problem with the law of gravity, can repeal inertia, too, then silent, submissive worship won’t go over well. Laypeople, women especially, have kept this battered institution going in a secular, distracted age. LATIN ILLITERATES ARE IRATE Reasserting the unchallenged authority of ordained men may fit the papal scheme for a purer church. But to hand its highest form of public worship en- THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 14 Poor Health Means Kids Lag In School By Tony Pugh While Congress and President Bush squabble over health insurance for low- income children, school officials nationwide are scrambling each day to find -af fordable medical care so that sick and needy students can continue to learn. Oklahoma has 600,000 citizens without health insurance, including 147,000 children. Growing numbers of uninsured children have made it harder for educators to focus on classroom achievement without first addressing the medical needs of their students who lack health insurance or dental coverage. Instead of notifying parents when their children are ill, school officials increasingly must help find health care, arrange transportation for sick children and often advise beleaguered parents about the health consequences of their inac- tion. SCHOOLS HAVE TO ACCEPT THE BURDEN Schools that don’t accept the extra responsibility can lose those students to and lawmakers who oppose the bill to visit a school health clinic themselves. prolonged absences that jeopardize their academic advancement. IT IS NOT COLDS, IT IS FAR MORE SERIOUS The number of uninsured children ages 18 and younger grew by 710,000 to a “These kids don’t walk in with colds and scrapes anymore,” Wells said. “They total of 9.4 million in 2006, according to new research by the Urban Institute. walk in with pneumonia and other communicable diseases. Seventy percent of these newly uninsured children came from families earning “It’s hard to realize how difficult it is for them not to have the appropriate care. more than twice the federal poverty level – that’s $41,300 for a family of four. You have to see sick kids to understand what it’s like.” More than three million of these uninsured youngsters would get full health Glenn Schmidt, a special-education teacher at Northside Elementary School in insurance under legislation Congress passed to renew and expand the State New Prairie, WI, said it took school social workers nearly three months to get an Children’s Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. About 6.6 eye exam and glasses for an uninsured nearsighted boy who was having trouble million children are now covered under the program. seeing the blackboard. After the local Lions Club paid for the glasses, Schmidt BUSH HAS MISPLACED PRIORITIES said the boy’s attitude improved as much as his vision. But after watching President Bush twice veto the legislation, citing cost, many STUDENT PROUD OF HIS GLASSES school officials say the President has misplaced priorities. “It wasn’t so frustrating for him any longer to walk into the classroom and “To me, this looks like educational neglect on the part of the government,” said know right away that he was walking into a failure situation. He was very proud Washington, DC, school psychologist Chandrai Jackson-Saunders. “‘No child left of his glasses,” he said. behind.’ ‘Poor children first.’ In the world’s richest nation, needy children shouldn’t have to wait months for “We’ve had it up to here with these [slogans]. We as a country want things, but corrective eyewear from a charitable organization, Schmidt said. we don’t want to support what it takes to make it happen. It’s a very dishearten- “These are children who have not been favored by nature or by economics or ing situation.” by great family situations, and it’s one more instance where their needs are not While the SCHIP program was designed to cover children in families that earn being met,” Schmidt said. less than twice the poverty level, the new legislation would allow states to cover That’s why Schmidt and other educators came to Washington recently to urge children from families earning up to three times the poverty level, or $61,950 for Bush to stop vetoing the SCHIP legislation. a family of four. “I think the president should take into account the needs of these children,” Nancy Wells, a former Dover, NH, school nurse who’s now a school health su- Schmidt said. “This is something he can do to help them if he chooses.” pervisor for the Department of Health in Manchester, NH, said she’d like Bush © Truthout Health Care Crisis Hits Black Women By Molly M. Ginty Black women are twice as likely as white women to give birth prematurely and Although the American Academy of Pediatrics says breast-feeding protects five times more likely to do so in Southern states such as Mississippi. against ear infections, diarrhea and other health problems among infants – and A black woman is 3.7 times more likely to die during pregnancy than a white though it recommends exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life woman and six times more likely to do so in some urban areas such as New York – black women are 50% less likely to breastfeed than white or Hispanic women. City. “Black women’s eating habits also play a role,” notes commission member Dr. Researchers at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Michael C. Lu, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the David Gef- found college-educated black women twice as likely as other women to deliver fen School of Medicine at UCLA. premature or underweight babies. LACKING VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS Scientists found subjects’ birth outcomes resembled those of unemployed, “Only one in four African-American women meets the recommended daily al- uninsured white women with low education levels. lowance for calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamin E and one in three does not These are among the findings of five landmark reports released by the Wash- meet the RDA for iron and folate.” ington-based Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies that draw together Among low-income women, approximately one in three is anemic in the third existing data in a comprehensive review that calls for an end to the inequities. trimester of pregnancy. PRENATAL CARE AND ADEQUATE NUTRITION Among low-income African-American women, only 40% enter pregnancy with The center concludes that African-American babies – who are twice as likely normal weight, and less than 30% achieve ideal weight gain during pregnancy. as white infants to die before their first birthday – will have a better shot at life Research shows black women are under more stress than their peers, and that if health inequities plaguing black mothers, such as less prenatal care and ad- stress can compromise the immune system, disrupt the hormonal balance and equate nutrition, are corrected. threaten vascular function. Two-thirds of all African-American babies born last year were out of wedlock, Authors note recent studies at Chicago’s Feinberg School of Medicine at North- according to the Census Bureau. western University find African-American women who deliver pre-term, very low “The health disparities affecting African-American women are nothing less weight infants have a twofold greater lifelong exposure to racial discrimination than shocking, and we need to address the social causes behind them,” says than African-American women who deliver full-term, normal weight babies. Alexine Jackson, board president of the Black Women’s Agenda. OVERALL CRISIS IN HEALTH The center’s 19-member Courage to Love: Infant Mortality Commission – fund- Experts say the same problems causing poor birth outcomes for black women ed by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and partnering with the UCLA School of Public are likely contributing to an overall crisis in their health. Affairs and the University of Michigan’s NIH Roadmap Disparities Center – says Black women are twice as likely as white women to be overweight, have heart the health problems of black women and black infants stem not just from inade- attacks, and develop diabetes, reports the CDC. quate medical care but from stress, racism, poverty and other social pressures. They account for 72% of new AIDS cases even though they represent just 6% of REASONS FOR NEGATIVE BIRTH OUTCOMES the population, reports the Los Angeles-based Black AIDS Institute. In the five reports – one on breast feeding, one on nutrition, two on infant Their life expectancy is 69 years, eight years less than for white women, re- mortality and one summarizing the others – commission members address the ports the Census. possible reasons for black women’s negative birth outcomes. Black-white health disparities explain why 40,000 African-American women Only 75% of African-American women have prenatal care compared to 89% of die of treatable causes each year, notes the office of the U.S. Surgeon General. white women. Authors of the center’s reports call for better health care access and education Black women are more likely than their peers to have hypertension and diabe- to improve birth outcomes. tes, which can leave the fetus undernourished. Women’s Health News THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 15 Iraq Worst War In Journalism History By Kim Sengupta Three times more journalists have been killed in Iraq than in both world wars – many deliberately targeted by militias. One Iraq landmark which passed virtually unnoticed is that the Iraq conflict has become the deadliest by far for the media trying to cover it, with more than 200 journalists killed to date. To put this in perspective, two were killed in the First World War, 68 in the Sec- ond, 77 in Vietnam and 36 in the Balkans. The toll in Iraq shows no sign of declining. It is, if anything, rising. Five journalists were killed in separate attacks in just one day in October. “Covering Iraq,” says Chris Cramer, president of CNN International, “is the single most dangerous assignment in the history of journalism.” FAMOUS JOURNALISTS OF THE PAST Some famous journalists have lost their lives reporting conflicts – Robert Capa in the first Indochina war; Ernie Pyle on the island of Okinawa in the Second World War; Larry Burrows in Vietnam. What makes Iraq more dangerous than the others is that many have been spe- cifically targeted because of what they had reported or because they came from the wrong side of the sectarian divide. Vincent was killed and al-Khal dumped by the roadside, left for dead. Vincent They are killed in drive-by shootings or abducted and executed, often after had been writing about how the police in Basra, who were heavily infiltrated by being tortured. There are little or no investigations into the attacks, creating Shia militias, had been acting like gangsters, and that may have sealed their impunity for the killers from the Shia or Sunni militant groups or government fate. run death squads. What happened showed that the gunmen feared no repercussions from kidnap- 15 KILLED BY U.S. TROOPS ping and killing an American, let alone an Iraqi, in the middle of Iraq’s second The deaths have not come just from those quarters – about 15 reporters have city, then supposedly under British control. been killed by U.S. troops, six from Reuters alone. HOTEL EXPLOSION ORDERED BY A ‘FRIENDLY’ There is a feeling among Iraqi journalists that the reason their plight receives Similarly, when our hotel in Baghdad, the Hamra, got blown up by suicide so little attention is because the majority of those affected are not members of bombers, there were claims that the attack had been ordered by a senior member the Western media. of the government who had got fed up with foreign journalists writing about the On the occasions when the victims were, in fact, foreigners, the scope of cover- death squads he ran. age was glaringly different. “He tried to blow us up just because he didn’t like some stories we are writ- It would be unfair to suggest that the few foreign journalists left working in ing,” a colleague said in wonder. Iraq have anything less than great empathy for the Iraqi journalists working with In a place where life remains so cheap and death is meted out brutally and them. casually, the media will remain exposed to danger and it is the Iraqi journalists There is always the question of whether some of these journalists may have who will continue to pay the ultimate price. remained alive had they not been involved with the foreign media. “We should not be in this position, we are not parties in this conflict, we are FEMALE JOURNALIST IS EXECUTED just trying to tell the people what is happening,” says Hakim Ibrahim, a journal- Nour al-Khal, a very brave female journalist I worked with in Basra, was abduct- ist in Baghdad. “But I have told my wife to be prepared for the worst. Anything ed by armed men in Iraqi police uniforms. She was with an American reporter, can happen. This is Iraq.” Steven Vincent. Both were shot. © UK Independent $46,400 Per Family Finally! The Cost Of George Bush’s War Two military operations have cost American citizens $2.8 trillion so far, or certain poor regions of the country. double the budgets officially declared by the Bush Administration. The bill will And one may also compare the issue to another decision of the United States, rise to $3.5 trillion in 10 years. one taken to 1947, to promote the Marshall Plan. When people are dying in the thousands, there’s something a little indecent That succeeded in pulling 16 European countries out from the ruins of World about calculating in dollars and cents what the process costs that is leading War II and cost American taxpayers $100 billion to today’s dollars – or 35 times them to their deaths. less. Nonetheless, that’s what a committee of the American Congress has done with What one measures this way is not only a mountain of bank notes, but also respect to the war in Iraq and, secondarily, the Afghan conflict. the gulf between policy supplied with vision and another policy which cruelly The result of that labor makes known figures so mind-blowing, they constitute lacked it. a real threat for the United States’ economy. And, in consequence, for the global © Truthout economy. CONSIDER WHAT BUSH PREDICTED We find ourselves light years away from what George W. Bush predicted in 2003 Desertion Rate Highest Since ‘80 – that the Iraqi operation would cost between $50 billion and $60 billion and that Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest the disbursement would be offset by related oil profits. rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80% Yet in 2006, the $30 billion generated by Iraqi oil was entirely absorbed by the increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. Iraqi state, the reconstruction of which remains seriously deficient. While the totals are still far lower than they were during the Vietnam War, when The research into the war’s cost was conducted by Democratic members of the the draft was in effect, they show a steady increase over the past four years and joint Congressional economics committee, but did not receive the endorsement a 42% jump since last year. of the committee’s Republicans. They didn’t deny it. According to the Army, about nine in every 1,000 soldiers deserted in fiscal Nonetheless, it simply cuts other data a different way and, in many cases, year 2007, which ended Sept. 30, compared to nearly seven per 1,000 a year ear- merely strings together already-proven things. lier. Overall, 4,698 soldiers deserted this year, compared to 3,301 last year. The overwhelming proportion of these costs is linked to the operation to over- The increase comes as the Army continues to bear the brunt of the war de- throw the dictator of Baghdad. mands with many soldiers serving repeated, lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghani- stan. BUSH ACTED ALONE IN INVADING IRAQ It is a war undertaken solely by George W. Bush “by choice” and not by neces- Military leaders, including Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey, have ac- sity, as the Congressional committee correctly calls to mind. knowledged that the Army has been stretched nearly to the breaking point by Consequently, the squandering of the $2.8 trillion committed to that venture the combat. is particularly appalling. Efforts are under way to increase the size of the Army and Marine Corps to That’s without mentioning the nearly 4,000 American soldiers killed and the lessen the burden and give troops more time off between deployments. indeterminate number of between 600,000 and a million Iraqis killed. Despite the continued increase in desertions, however, a media examination The report further indicates the “harm to our reputation and our credibility to of Pentagon figures earlier this year showed that the military does little to find the world.” those who bolt, and rarely prosecutes the ones they get. It’s possible to bring it all back to a human dimension. For example, this $3.5 Some are allowed to simply return to their units, while most are given less trillion represents $46,400 for every American family – the price of a home in than honorable discharges. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 16 Decline Of Tenure Track Is Of Concern By Alan Finder Professors with tenure or who are on a tenure track are now a distinct minority on the country’s campuses, as the ranks of part-time instructors and professors hired on a contract have swelled. This report comes from federal figures analyzed by the American Association of University Professors. Elaine Zendlovitz, a former retail store manager who began teaching college courses six years ago, is representative of the change. Technically, Ms. Zendlo- vitz is a part-time Spanish professor, although, in fact, she teaches nearly all the time. Her days begin at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, with introductory classes. Some days end at 10 p.m. at Oakland Community College, in the sub- urbs north of Detroit, as she teaches six courses at four institutions. SHE SAYS PART-TIMERS MEASURE UP “I think we part-timers can be everything a full-timer can be,” Ms. Zendlovitz said during a break in a 10-hour teaching day. But she acknowledged: “It’s harder to spend time with students. I don’t have the prep time, and I know how to prepare a fabulous class.” The shift from a tenured faculty results from financial pressures, administrators’ desire for more flexibility in hiring, firing and changing course offerings, and the growth of community colleges and regional public universities focused on teaching basics and preparing students for jobs. It has become so extreme, however, that some universities are pulling back, community colleges and the less select public universities. The elite universi- concerned about the effect on educational quality. ties, both public and private, have the fewest adjuncts. Rutgers University agreed in a labor settlement in August to add 100 tenure or “It’s not that some of these adjuncts aren’t great teachers,” Dr. Ehrenberg said. tenure-track positions. “Many don’t have the support that the tenure-track faculty have, in terms of of- FACULTY UNIONS ORGANIZING PART-TIMERS fices, secretarial help and time. Their teaching loads are higher, and they have Across the country, faculty unions are organizing part-timers. The American less time to focus on students.” Federation of Teachers is pushing legislation in 11 states to mandate that 75% of Dr. Ehrenberg and a colleague analyzed 15 years of national data and found classes be taught by tenured or tenure-track teachers. that graduation rates declined when public universities hired large numbers of Three decades ago, adjuncts – both part-timers and full-timers not on a tenure contingent faculty. track – represented only 43% of professors, according to the professors associa- Several studies of individual universities have determined that freshmen tion, which has studied data reported to the federal Education Department. taught by many part-timers were more likely to drop out. Currently, the association says, they account for nearly 70% of professors at Students say they can often tell when a professor is part-time. Mike Brennan, colleges and universities, both public and private. a sophomore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, said the courses taught by John W. Curtis, the union’s director of research and public policy, said the adjuncts tend to be more basic and the exams less challenging. number of tenured and tenure-track professors has increased by about 25% over GIVING TESTS EASIER TO GRADE the past 30 years. “They have so many classes that they give tests that are easier to grade,” Bren- FACULTIES HAVE DOUBLED SINCE 1975 nan said. They have been swamped, he said, by the growth in adjunct faculty. Over all, Carly Matkovich, a senior at the university, said she had bonded more with her the number of people teaching at colleges and universities has doubled since part-time teachers, in part because they have more practical experience. 1975. “But it is usually hard to find time to talk with them outside class. They’re University officials agree that the use of nontraditional faculty is soaring. But never around,” Matkovich said. “It does make me feel kind of cheated.” some contest the professors association’s calculation, saying that definitions of At some departments the proportion of faculty who are tenured is startlingly part-time and full-time professors vary, and that it is not possible to determine low. The psychology department at Florida International University in Miami has how many courses, on average, each category of professor actually teaches. 2,400 undergraduate majors but only 19 tenured or tenure-track professors who Many state university presidents say tight budgets have made it inevitable that teach, according to a department self-assessment. they turn to adjuncts to save money. It is possible for a psychology major to graduate without taking a course with “We have to contend with increasing public demands for accountability, in- a fulltime faculty member. creased financial scrutiny and declining state support,” said Charles- F.Har DESIGNED TO PROTECT ACADEMIC FREEDOM rington, provost of the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. Tenure, a practice carried from Germany to the United States, was designed IT CAN BE A DANGEROUS GAME to guarantee academic freedom to professors by protecting them against dis- “One of the easiest, most convenient ways of dealing with these pressures is missal. using part-time faculty,” he said, though he cautioned that colleges that rely too The lack of tenure can leave adjuncts vulnerable. In a number of cases, profes- heavily on such faculty “are playing a really dangerous game.” sors outside the tenure track have been dropped after run-ins with administra- Mark B. Rosenberg, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, said tors over everything from grading to opinion articles in newspapers. that part-timers can provide real world experience to students and fill gaps in Several unions have been organizing adjunct faculty in recent years. In Michi- nursing, math, accounting and other disciplines with a shortage of qualified fac- gan, the American Federation of Teachers has successfully organized full-time, ulty. He also said the shift could come with costs. non-tenure-track professors at Eastern Michigan University, as well as part-time Adjuncts are less likely to have doctoral degrees, educators say. They also and full-time adjuncts at the University of Michigan campuses in Ann Arbor, have less time to meet with students, and research suggests that students who Dearborn and Flint. take many courses with them are somewhat less likely to graduate. “They are so exploited, the only difficulty in organizing adjuncts is finding “Really, we are offering less educational quality to the students who need it them,” said David Hecker, president of the teachers federation. most,” said Ronald G. Ehrenberg, director of the Cornell Higher Education Re- Keith Hoeller, who has been teaching philosophy for 17 years as a part-timer in search Institute. Seattle, described it this way: “It’s a caste system, and we are the untouchables MOST ADJUNCTS ARE IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES of academia.” He noted that the soaring number of adjunct faculty is most pronounced in © Truthout INSIGHT. ANALYSIS. 3-DAY HUNTS PERSPECTIVE. Deer and Turkey With three decades on the front lines of national and state political reporting, Wooded area. Surrounding wheat fields. Oklahoma Observer Editor Arnold Hamilton East of Carmen, OK. is the perfect choice to address your civic club, political gathering or classroom. Call Randy For availability, call 405.478.8700 580.987.2710 or 580.542.2710 [cell] or e-mail [email protected] THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 17 Clinton Basher Huckabee’s Sleaze Will Become Known By John Gorenfeld Look who’s the dark horse now: Not Fred Thompson, the Law & Order actor whose get-off-my-lawn glower was initially mistaken by the media for Reagan- esque magic, but Mike Huckabee, ex-Arkansas governor with the beady stare and steely proclamations in favor of the Iraq war. You might remember him from the Fox News Channel debate in September, when he reproached Ron Paul by appealing to the “honor” of the Republicans as a reason to keep occupying Baghdad. So who is he? His latest ad finds him repeating Chuck Norris Internet jokes, borrowing for his campaign a har-har style from Jesse “The Body” Ventura that would suit him well if it were 1999 and he were promising to give Minnesotans tax breaks instead of vowing [as he did the other day] to bomb Iran “in a heart- beat” without consulting Congress if President Huck deems it necessary. “Like our Founding Fathers,” Norris wrote in a mass e-mail to Huckabee sup- Majority, and as a governor fought to stop gays from adopting. porters on Nov. 13, playing to conservative evangelicals frustrated by bad choic- One evening in 2005 Dr. Wesley Kluck, a pediatrician in the Bible Belt town of es, “he’s not afraid to stand up for a Creator against secularist beliefs.” Arkadelphia, sat down to e-mail a plea for help to his old classmate, Huckabee. HE WAS AN EARLY CLINTON BASHER U.S. agents in khaki uniforms had stormed his place. They arrested over a hun- He was one of the conservatives in the 1990s fixated on signs allegedly reveal- dred chicken workers, stranding 30 children to fend for themselves. ing monstrous crimes – murders and other dark acts – supposedly mastermind- Huckabee was glad to intervene, saying he felt sorry for poor immigrants. ed by the Clinton family. Hypocrite! Now he tells jokes about sending Chuck Norris to secure the bor- Huckabee as governor in 2000, paroled imprisoned rapist Wayne DuMond who der. Huckabee said had gotten a “raw deal” and wrote to him: “Dear Wayne, [my] only To boost his tax credentials, candidate Huckabee has eagerly signed onto Fair- desire is that you be released from prison. I feel that parole is the best way for Tax, a proposal to abolish the IRS touted by Atlanta radio host Neal Boortz and your reintroduction into society to take place.” at rallies nationwide. In June 2001, DuMond was seized for strangling 39-year-old Carol Shields Boortz would end the income tax. Instead you’d pay a federal sales tax. in Kansas City, leaving her naked and bound on a bed. Authorities had also Says Huckabee: “I would like April 15 to be another beautiful spring day in suspected DuMond in the similar rape-murder of a 23-year-old pregnant victim, America.” Sarah Andresek. CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY PLOY HE SIGNS ON WITH A RELIGIOUS EXTREMIST Bruce Bartlett, an economics adviser in the Reagan Administration, said Fair- After college, Huckabee picked the most fire-and-brimstone employer imagin- Tax originated in the Church of Scientology, which has historically seen the IRS able – James Robison – self-described “dark-visaged, angry preacher” for whose as a mortal enemy. TV ministry Huck became communications director. After Huckabee became governor of Arkansas in 1996 – taking over from the As press flack, Huckabee had to handle the fallout in 1979 when Robison was corrupt Democrat Jim Guy Tucker, who had refused to leave office – he grabbed kicked off the Dallas station WFAA for citing a National Enquirer report that gays national headlines with his intervention to block the state from paying $419 for seduce and kill children. a retarded 15-year-old girl’s abortion. Huckabee organized a 1980 strategy session for Robison and the Christian Her pregnancy was a result of being raped by her stepfather on a camping Right as they sought to carve out a role for themselves under Reagan’s Morning trip. In America. A compromise was finally reached in which private money footed the bill. Af- Robison has endorsed his old friend Mike Huckabee. terward Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist Michael Leahy accused Hucka- HIS UNDILUTED CREDENTIALS bee of having played a moralistic version of poker with the meek. Huckabee’s credentials are undiluted – someone who helped build the Moral © Alternet Kean’s Telling Rejection of Rudy By Joe Conason Rarely does the endorsement of a presidential candidate make any national im- Center, one of the buildings that fell, the report says, “Some questioned locating pression, especially when offered by a retired local politician. Former New Jersey it both so close to a previous terrorist target [the World Trade Center was struck Gov. Tom Kean may well disprove that maxim, however, not so much because he by al-Qaeda in 1993] and on the 23rd floor of a building,” thus inaccessible if an chose John McCain, but because he rejected Rudolph Giuliani. emergency shut down power to the elevators. Furthermore, it says, “There was In the ordinary course of events, an ex-governor from a neighboring state sim- no backup site.” ply would have lined up behind the former New York mayor – a fellow pro-choice RUDY FAILED TO END INTER-AGENCY WARFARE moderate Northeastern Republican – just as Kean’s ambitious son and name- The same section goes on to describe Giuliani’s attempt in July 2001 to re- sake did when he became the Giuliani campaign’s honorary state chairman. But solve the “potential conflict among responding agencies,” such as the police and the circumstances of the Kean endorsement involve extraordinary events, begin- fire departments, in a major emergency. ning with al-Qaeda’s devastating attacks in Sept. 2001. Designating an “incident commander” agency for specific emergencies and Explaining his decision, Kean could not have been clearer: “I am proud to naming the Office of Emergency Management as the “interagency coordinator,” announce my support of John McCain’s candidacy for president of the United he evidently believed that would be sufficient. It wasn’t. States. I do so for several reasons. First and foremost, John McCain understands On Sept. 11, the police and fire departments were not prepared to “comprehen- the nature of the terrorist threats that continue to confront us all.” sively coordinate their efforts in responding to a major incident.” The Office of That is precisely the kind of statement Giuliani repeats so tirelessly on his Emergency Management “had not overcome this problem,” says the report, con- own behalf. Yet despite his media coronation as “America’s mayor” in the after- cluding that the city’s “response operations lacked the kind of integrated com- math of the attacks, his boasts are highly vulnerable to dispute. munications and unified command contemplated in the [mayor’s] directive.” KEAN’S UNQUESTIONED CREDIBILITY ON 9/11 To understand why Giuliani’s leadership failed, it is necessary to read the thor- Few Republicans possess as much credibility as Kean, who served as co-chair- ough evaluation by journalists Wayne Barrett and Dan Collins in last year’s land- man of the 9/11 Commission, in taking the measure of Giuliani’s outsized claims. mark book, Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11. Kean’s choice is telling – and should redirect our attention to the assessment of ‘HECKUVA JOB BROWNIE,’ REDUX “America’s mayor” in his commission’s final report. Consider the book’s description of Richie Sheirer, the former firefighter put in According to Giuliani, he prepared the city government against terrorist as- charge of the Office of Emergency Management. He had “spent most of his career saults by creating a special Office of Emergency Management under his direct as a fire alarm dispatcher and a leader of one of the few unions to endorse Giu- authority and by drilling constantly to coordinate the first-responder agencies liani’s 1993 [mayoral] candidacy, the dispatcher’s union. Like many of the men – including the uncooperative police and fire departments. closest to Giuliani, Sheirer’s unspectacular career had suddenly turned meteoric “I assumed from the time I came into office that New York City would be the when he attached himself to the mayor’s coattails.” subject of a terrorist attack,” he told Time magazine in the weeks after Sept. He bore few qualifications for his job beyond his loyalty to the mayor, and his 11. lackluster performance on the fateful day was emblematic of the city’s dysfunc- Years later, the 9/11 Commission’s report described in deadpan style exactly tion. how Giuliani’s efforts had fallen short. While its authors state that they were The former mayor’s lapses in judgment probably cost lives. And nobody knows “mindful of the unfair perspective afforded by hindsight,” their judgments sting. the unflattering realities behind the Giuliani front better than Tom Kean. Noting that the Office of Emergency Management had been inside 7 World Trade © Creators Syndicate THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 18 An Overdue Visit From Old St. Nick ‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the nation The Amendments cried out “Have a well deserved flight!” Friends of freedom knew it was a special occasion. Lady Liberty stood taller just off the shore From the distance they heard him reply with a snort. Her torch shining brighter than a few weeks before. “Bye-bye, Bush!” they answered, “we’ll see you in court!” Uncle Sam rode the chimney up out of the room But it wasn’t the flame turning her cheeks all rosy And, like The Observer, he said, “I’ll be back again soon.” It was thoughts of Reid, Feingold and Nancy Pelosi And leaders from every side of the aisle But they heard him exclaim, “Oh, and just one more thing! Who are bringing the Bill of Rights back into style. “This year, when the holiday bells start to ring, “Try to honor religion. Honest faith can’t be wrong. The Amendments had all hurried out of their beds “It’s America, can’t we all just get along? Which was no easy task, they were nearly to shreds And they rushed to the window on papery feet “So, on Christian,” he cried, “Muslim, Hindu, and Jew! As a jolly old man flew right over their street. “On Quaker! On Shaker! And Atheist too! “On Buddhist! On Taoist! And to show we’re not chickens “Could it be!?” they inquired as the roof shook and trembled “We’ll file a few lawsuits defending the Wiccans! And they crept toward the mantle, peaceably assembled, Just as someone emerged from the chimney with flair “Your belief is your right, so get out there and savor it In a shiny red suit, with a shock of white hair. “Uncle Sam’s not a preacher, and he doesn’t play favorites!” So this holiday season, wherever you’re dwellin’ And a top hat, and pants all in red, white and blue Warm wishes from Arnold, Beverly, Frosty and Helen. “Wait a minute,” the Amendments exclaimed, “Who are you?” “Don’t be frightened my children,” he said, “it’s no scam. “You can’t have forgotten your old Uncle Sam!”

“Holy moley!” said Free Speech. “Stop right there!” yelled Bear Arms And Privacy cried “Who shut off the alarms?!” The Fifth remained silent, but Uncle Sam said “We’ve been having some trouble, but Freedom’s not dead.”

The Amendments were cautious. “It’s just been so long “We’ve seen Liberty lost, we’ve seen so much go wrong. “The President’s trying to mangle and warp us, “The Fourth is in tatters, so’s Habeas Corpus!”

The old man sat down – he had had quite a ride But he told them, “Don’t worry, the Law’s on our side, “Cause the nation’s fed up and more people are crying “For Justice and an end to illegal spying.

“And secret abductions by the CIA, “And laws that would take women’s choices away, “And Gitmo tribunals and secret detention, “And other intrusions too numerous to mention.”

“Not so fast,” said a grinchity voice from above And Karl Rove pushed past the Fourteenth with a shove. He was covered in soot and he looked kind of scary. It seemed like his Christmas had not been so merry.

The Amendments said they weren’t happy to see him: “You tried to throw all of us in the museum “You’ve done so much the Constitution forbids!” “And I would have gone on, but for you meddling kids!”

Uncle Sam told him, “Bush, your plans just won’t do, “So we’ve got a brand new timetable for you!” And as Bush retired and slinked into the night ANGELS From Page One I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans, matching shirts for my twin brother Kurt and me. Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes: There was candy and nuts and bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and canned vegetables and potatoes. There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was a whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. And there were three toy trucks and one beautiful little doll [someone knew I was a queen early on … bless those angels]. As we drove back through the snowy, Christmas-decorated streets of Alva, the town Christmas lights came on. On the most amazing Christmas Eve of my life, Mom was sobbing with gratitude. And I have no doubt she will never forget the joy on the faces of her little ones that precious Christmas. Yes, there were angels in Alva that long-ago December. And they all hung out at the tiny little church on Barnes Street. Don’t forget to be an angel this Christmas Eve. Editor’s Note: The late Keith Smith, beloved civil rights activist, was a founding member of the Oklahoma Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus and a member of the Stonewall Democrats’ national board. He also lobbied at the state Capi- Box 14275, OKC, OK 73113 tol for such groups as the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Oklahoma Policy Consortium for People with Disabilities and the National Association of Social Workers. He died in November 2006. THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 19 THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER, DECEMBER 10/25, 2007, PAGE 20