The Last Christmas Story of 2016

   As a public school educator, I sometimes write about the kids in Blanchard, kids I knew while coaching high school football, or kids I went to school with in Lindsay, Oklahoma. Every now and then, I even write about a child I once knew well, but neither coached nor went to school with - so this tribute is dedicated to one such child.
   Twelve year old Austin was all boy in 1994 - he played on his 6th grade football team, had a girl he liked in school, and asked for all "boy stuff" at Christmas time. For all of his twelve years, Austin had grown up in a farm family as he had shown hogs in 4-H and FFA, and owned a horse (Risky). He lived, played, and worked in the Rush Creek area, which is how I got to know Austin... and also grew to love him. Austin and his best friend Evan ran the hills of Rush Creek, basically having the time of their young lives, as they both attended Lindsay Elementary School, and were preparing to begin jr hi, just one year away. He helped his grandparents in Erin Springs with their livestock, and helped his grandfather on Rush Creek, who was blind, feed the cows. Austin was just an all-around farm boy and had planned to always be a farmer/rancher. Christmas, 1994 was fast approaching and Austin had bought the girl he liked in school (Lexington) a pair of jeans. It was pretty forward of him to buy something so personal for a girl, but he really liked this girl - she was not just any girl. Austin had played organized football for the first time that fall of 1994, and told me stories about how good a player he was. He played running back, as I remember, and told me he broke several long runs during the season. I was very proud to know Austin back then. Finally, Christmas Day arrived and Austin opened his several gifts. One of the things he had asked his parents for was a gun, so he received a .22 pistol as a gift from a relative. Like I said before, Austin liked hunting, so for him to receive a gun as a gift was quite normal - even though he was only 12. The pistol was probably his favorite gift, as he began loading and unloading it. He was also quite aware of the importance of gun safety, and always handled it appropriately, being sure to always keep it unloaded unless actually firing it. The following day, December 26, Austin walked down the street to his friends house, taking along his new gun to show it off to his buddy. Austin arrived at about 10 AM and showed the gun to his friend who also began to show Austin the gifts he had received. It is very unclear as to what happened next, as Austin and his friend were probably the only ones home. His friend had the gun, and thinking it unloaded, pointed and fired directly into Austin's face. It was not unloaded . The .22 caliber bullet struck Austin just below the right eye, traveling into his brain and finally lodging in his sinus cavity. Even though I was not there, I have the scene burned into my lifelong memory, and it plays over and over... forever. At this point, in the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that the young man shot was Austin Beckham, my nephew, as many close friends already know. Austin's father is Johnny Beckham, Baptist Minister (and my brother) and his mother is the former Kaona Lane.
   Kristi Beckham (Austin's older sister) and Kaona began to call his grandparents to tell them of the tragedy and tell them Austin had been rushed to Norman Regional Hospital (NRH), as he was still breathing. They were hopeful that life still remained. Sherrie (my wife) and I passed by my father's home to pick him up, and hurried on to the hospital. When we arrived in the parking lot of NRH, Austin's best friend from Lindsay, Evan Lowe, was also arriving. Evan's mother told us she just couldn't keep him away from seeing Austin, so she had to bring him. We all were ushered in to the ER waiting room where about 25 other friends and relatives waited. After about 2 hours, at approximately 3 PM on December 26, 1994, Austin's dad came into the room from where Austin was, and told a few family members they could go in and "say goodbye to Austin". I went in alone, and said "Goodbye Austin" as I touched his hand, and "I'll see you a little later".
   Austin was Johnny's only son, and was like a son to me - as Sherrie and I have no children. Although I know it broke Johnny's heart to lose Austin, I never saw him shed a single tear, as his faith in God was his strength. I, on the other hand, have never stopped crying, and did so again while writing this tribute. I also know that Kristi, Kaona, Ray (Austin's grandfather), Mary (Austin's grandmother), Dana (my sister), and Babe (my mother) will forever remember and love Austin, as will many cousins and other friends and relatives.
   Austin's best friend, Evan Lowe, died of lymphoma 7 years later, so I know the two of them are now running the hills of Rush Creek somewhere up above.
     

Christmas Time 1964

   Once again, Christmas has come and gone – until this time next year. Many people are counting their Christmas gifts and are giving thanks for all that’s been received from the Father as well as friends and relatives. Many are also thinking about the joy they’ve created for others in the gifts provided to them. Still others become a little depressed during the Christmas holiday in reflecting back on loved ones lost. It’s only natural for a tear to be shed during Christmas, when we think about those not with us. We think about those we loved most, especially if they were lost during Christmas time.

   My thoughts of friends lost during the Christmas holiday season go back to my seventh Christmas, 1964, in Lindsay, Oklahoma. My friend, Ray Snelson, who went to elementary school with me, was an ordinary first grader by anyone’s standards. He was one of the first friends I ever had, which is why I still think of him, usually around Christmas time. As a matter of fact, I was thinking of Ray just this past week when another friend posted a yearbook picture of him on facebook. He was smiling like kids do when the photographer says “say cheese”. The photo was taken during the Fall of 1964, 52 years ago, and Ray would never see Christmas that year. I remember “playing army” at recess time in the early Fall of that year with Ray. In my mind’s eye, I can still see him clearly with his rolled up levis (probably hand-me-downs) and dirty (from “hitting the dirt” at recess) white T-shirt. No boys could keep clean clothes in those days. We had no electronic games, no computers (I don’t think “computer” was even a word in 1964), no specialized sports gear, and usually only one ball (not a football, basketball, or softball) a dark red, round ball – used only for dodgeball. The girls usually played on the one slide, merry-go-round, or swings, while the boys who didn’t have access to the ball each day played “army”.

   We got out of school for the Christmas holidays that year on around the 18^th of December. On December 20, 1964, Ray Snelson fell through the ice on a frozen farm pond. He never made it out, and died that day so long ago. I’m not real clear on the details, since I was very young at that time. I remember my mother coming home from a grocery trip (and it WAS a trip, since we lived seven miles from the nearest grocery), and telling my sister, brother, and me that Ray Snelson had fallen through the ice on a pond and had not made it out. Many people remember where they were and what they were doing when hearing that a famous person, such as John F. Kennedy or Elvis Presley has died. I remember where I was (in my grandparents front yard, on Rush Creek), and what I was doing (kicking a football to Johnny, my younger brother) when I heard that Ray had died.

   I still visit Ray’s gravesite in Green Hill Cemetery north of Lindsay, every now and then, and still shed a tear when I think of him. Ray will stay a seven year old child forever to those that knew him, and will be a seven year old child when we see him again. Merry Christmas to Ray Snelson...  from those that loved him..

Taxpayer Christmas Gifts

   A week ago, before Christmas, I wished my friends, family and relatives, friendly groups (teachers), and even not so friendly groups (politicians, corporate groups, dark money groups) a very Merry Christmas. After Christmas, I'd now like to relate some groups which did not get what they wished for, and reveal some individuals and groups who did receive a very Merry Christmas.
   Oklahoma teachers did not receive a much needed pay raise, when the one-cent sales tax went down to defeat on November 8, 2016, so they only got a lump of coal in their stockings. Many lawmakers and political candidates contributed to this lump of coal for teachers, when expressly stating they would be voting "NO" for a teacher pay raise. These same legislators and candidates received over $4.5 million in dark money Christmas gifts, for election and re-election to the Oklahoma House and Senate. The dark money groups Catalyst Oklahoma, Oklahoma United, and the American Federation for Children provided Christmas gifts for several Oklahoma House and Senate candidates this past year, but also provided a "lump of coal" for several teachers who ran for office. One recipient of a handsome Christmas gift of over $33,000 (the House candidate for District 42) didn't even thank the groups, as he said 'he didn't know about it'. By the way, his opponent in district 42 received $33,000 in "lumps of coal".
   In addition to the legislators and candidates receiving Christmas gifts of dark money, one politician (Dan Kirby of the Oklahoma House of Representatives) received a very special gift from Oklahoma taxpayers - a $44,500 payment for legal fees he incurred, as a result of his "sexual harassment" of a former aid. The now ex-speaker of the House, Jeff Hickman, should really be given credit for Mr. Kirby's very merry Christmas, however, as he alone provided the taxpayer gift. It is doubtful that any Oklahoma taxpayers even knew about the "gift", so should not be given credit for providing it. Dan Kirby was also provided a merry Christmas from voters as he was handily re-elected to the House of Representatives on November 8, even after the taxpayer and Hickman payoff of legal fees and hush money. Whoever said "crime doesn't pay" didn't know what they were talking about, for as we see - sometimes crime does pay if you're a politician.
   Update: Dan Kirby resigned from the House of Representatives on December 23, 2016.
 

Proof of Stupidity

   This blog / column is mostly dedicated to education and politics, so I thought I'd throw out my opinion of how to determine just how stupid our elected officials are. A news article appeared a couple days ago which detailed that our Oklahoma budget hole will be more like $900 million, instead of the governor predicted $600 million. Following the article, many readers' comments lamented that our governor and elected officials must really be stupid, to create the budget crisis we now have - and to miss the projected budget deficit by $300 million. In using the very small part of my brain dedicated to analytical research, I thought that none of the reader comments are valid or reliable - unless some sort of regression analysis is conducted which would indicate a predicted stupidity level among legislators and the governor's office. This blog / column is therefore dedicated to Dr. Keith Gaddie, Chair of the Political Science department at O.U., and all the other political science professors in Oklahoma. Maybe they can forward it to any political science student contemplating a doctorate degree in politics, and just do the required research. I will also forward it to Dr. Gregg Garn, Dean of the College of Education at O.U., for possible research into school related political issues. Of course, you now know this published piece will be partially "tongue in cheek" and partially serious, with just a touch of dry humor.
   The first thing I would do in researching the effects of stupidity upon the budgeting process and stupid bills passed by the legislature in recent years (and ineffective bills signed into law by our governor) - is to dust off the old "analytical research" book (720 pages). One could then determine which type of research methodology would be best in determining the effect that stupidity has on the budgeting process, and even the effect that stupidity has on stupid legislation, or the correlation coefficient which is calculated from data involving the dependent and independent variables. I'm probably beginning to lose a few readers by now, so I'll move along at a faster rate. One method that may be utilized to link any particular stupidity level (semi-stupid, really stupid, morbidly stupid) to the morbidly stupid budget deficit or to the fact that lawmakers don't know their math, is to consider a simple correlation coefficient. One may even link the stupidity level of lawmakers to the fact that Oklahoma teachers are among the lowest paid in the nation using this scientific methodology. Like I said before, my analytical research knowledge is also a little dusty, as I haven't conducted a real study since 2001, when I published my doctoral dissertation - An Examination of the Influence of Technology Inclusion in Determining the Outcome of School Bond Issue Elections in Oklahoma. Of course I've published hundreds of opinions since 2001, such as "uneducated and ignorant lawmakers are responsible for the giant budget holes of recent years" - but no real research.
   The two measured factors, the independent variable and the dependent variable, could be run through the simple correlation formula in order to determine the r (correlation coefficient), or the degree of the relationship between the variables. For instance, we could use the average IQ of all lawmakers (independent variable)  and correlate it with the depth of the budget hole(s) (dependent variable) over the past several years, we could then determine Pearson's r, or the degree of linear correlation. A high correlative degree degree might be .75 and indicate morbid stupidity and a low degree might be .1 and indicate mild stupidity. OK, I'm beginning to bore myself now, so I'll wrap it up.
   So let's say we determined the correlation coefficient between "level of average stupidity among elected lawmakers over the past several years" and "the depth of the state's budget hole over the past several years" is r = .99. We could then assume that stupidity is directly correlated with the size of the state budget hole. For instance, last years budget hole was $1.3 billion (the deepest ever recorded, not only for Oklahoma, but for all states), so, with a correlation coefficient of .99, we could reasonably assume that we had excessively stupid lawmakers in 2015. I'll go one step further (something statisticians should not do) and assume that stupid lawmakers have caused the giant budget holes. At this time, I will disclaim once again that I'm no statistics expert - so I might be wrong in my assumptions and calculations. I'd be willing to bet though, that if the r = .99 - lawmakers in Oklahoma really are stupid. Lastly, I'd like to remind everyone once again, that this blog is intended humor - but could be all to real...

Education and Politics - Loyalty and Commitment

   As many friends know, I'm the superintendent of a medium sized school district south of OKC, but I also ran for public office just a short time ago. Many friends believe I have a fair amount of knowledge concerning our public schools, but not much when it comes to politics - and they would be right, as I was handily defeated during the last primary election. I learned much about the dark side of politics, though, thanks to my campaign for office. I was a member of the teacher caucus (40 teachers and other public school supporters) who ran for office this last season. Of the 40 public school supporters who ran, only 3 or 4 were elected, so the "uprising" of the caucus was stopped dead in its tracks. Of course, there are many reasons this overall loss for public schools occurred, including the fact that public school opponents had much more money with which to campaign, were polished politicians, and supported out-of-state corporate interests (which typically provides dark money to chosen candidates).
   I'd like to relate a personal story that illustrates my newly discovered political enlightenment. Sherrie (my better half) can corroborate these facts along with many personal friends and public school officials. About five years ago, many public school officials came to the realization that to improve our schools, we should make sure the present state superintendent lost the next election for that position (which occurred in 2014). Many public school supporters believed they should support a candidate other than the present state superintendent, in order to attain that goal - so many supporters personally donated huge sums of money in the effort to oust the state superintendent.
   Specifically, many public school supporters were committed to the present State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister as well as being committed to public schools in general. Supporters attended numerous fundraisers set up for Mrs. Hofmeister in order to provide the much needed financial support. Many supporters also suffered personal retribution when it became known they supported Hofmeister over Janet Barresi in the republican primary of 2014.
   Joy Hofmeister,with the support of many public school officials, won the 2014 primary in a land-slide victory, then won in a much closer general election to John Cox, the democratic nominee. It was about this time, that several public school supporters, emboldened by the ousting of Barresi, began to consider running for office to help our public schools. I decided to run for a 2016 position sometime after Hofmeister was elected in 2014. My decision to run was the same as all public school candidates - for our public schools, teachers, and students. The self-sacrifice we all knew would be great, but the result if we won would be an improvement for our public schools, teachers, and students. Many public school candidates were relentlessly attacked by Washington D.C. dark money groups, such as the American Federation for Children, in an effort to assist "voucher candidates". Personally, I visited with Mrs. Hofmeister and asked her if she could support me in my future race for the District 42 House seat. At that time, Joy Hofmeister replied that she could not support any candidate until after the primary election at the end of June. indicating I must win the primary for her support. have to win the primary for her support. A couple weeks after my request for support and well before the primary, a pledge of support appeared in a few publications, including the local newspaper. The pledge of support was from Joy Hofmeister - to an opposition candidate (a suspected voucher supporter) for the District 42 House seat. I immediately called Mrs. Hofmeister to ask her why she endorsed any candidate before the primary, as she told me that only after the primary could she endorse or provide support for anyone. Her response was that since he (or his consultant) had told her that I had dropped out of the race, she felt obligated to support him. BTW, I never dropped out. Since she reasoned her endorsement to the fact that I had dropped out of the race, surely, she could right the wrong with a simple endorsement of my candidacy? I asked her at the end of our meeting for just such a statement, but she said nothing. In the news endorsement for the corporate conservative, Mrs. Hofmeister lamented that only "he" supports public schools and teachers, while other candidates do not. I believe news stories appearing since the spring of 2016 attest to whom Joy Hofmeister owes allegience. I'll give everyone a hint - none were members of the teacher caucus, but in fact included dark money groups and candidates who are controlled by a consultant now charged with a felony.
   I learned the following lessons by running for public office during the summer of 2016:
1) "Loyalty" doesn't mean the same thing for all people. What is ethical behavior for politicians is certainly unethical for many non-politicians.
2) Many politicians are loyal to a party (democrat or republican) rather than to a political philosophy (conservative or liberal). In other words, there are liberal republicans (corporate conservatives) and conservative democrats (traditional conservatives).
   These are but 2 of the lessons I learned while running for office. I'll list many more over the next several months, but in the interest of time, and the fact that I'm beginning to irritate some, I'll stop this blog.. P.S. if you'll click on the colored words, it will take you to a verification article or site. It's something I just learned about blogging, as I'm quite technologically illiterate - but I learn fast..

Merry Christmas and Lindsay All-Stars

   I'd like to wish all my friends, both known and unknown, a very Merry Christmas. Christmas is a time Christians recognize the birth of Christ as our Savior, and remember to thankful to God for everything good. It is a time that we should remember that we are very blessed, and that no matter how hard life is for us, that someone else is suffering more. No matter how many bad things happen to us, there are people and living beings that have it much worse. In addition to my friends, I'd like to wish my family a Merry Christmas: to Mom, Mary Beckham - known as "Babe" to close friends and family; to Dana (Heatly), my sister, who I love and respect more than I could ever say; to Johnny, my brother, a Baptist Minister who has always taken care of me; to daddy, John (Dale) Beckham, who now lives in Heaven - the greatest man I've ever known; and to my wife Sherrie, who has always taken care of me through good times and bad. I'd also like to wish a Merry Christmas to my extended family - the Henson, Ramsey, Freeman, and Robbins families of Lindsay, and the Beckham families of Nashville and parts unknown. Merry Christmas to other family members too numerous to mention, also from parts unknown all over the world, and to all my Facebook friends. I'd also like to wish a Merry Christmas to those who have only disagreed with me politically, because you are still my friends - even though you may not believe so.
   Those of you who read my columns in the Lindsay News (my hometown is Lindsay, but I have lived and worked in Blanchard for the last 10 years), know that I published a tribute to the greatest Leopards ever to play Lindsay High School football during the decade of the '70's. I also published a tribute to the greatest Leopardettes ever to play high school basketball from 1954 through 1995 (the 6-on-6 era). I acquired the names and facts from fans of Lindsay High School sports and through searching newspaper archives. The only players whose names appeared in the columns were provided by those fans who sent them to me. I'd like to recognize now, the greatest boys high school basketball players ever to wear a Leopard uniform.If fans of Leopard high school basketball will send me the names of players for Lindsay High School, from the beginning (1908?) to present (2016), I'll write and publish a tribute to the "greatest ever to play the game" - for Lindsay High School. You may send your nomination and player facts to my personal e-mail sbeckham@pldi.net or send me a personal facebook message. You may also text your nomination to my cell phone if you're a "friend" and have my number. If I receive enough names of players, I'll publish the tribute sometime after the New Year.
   Once again, Merry Christmas to all, and to all - good night...

Lindsay Leopardette All-Stars 1954 - 1995

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column for The Lindsay News which named the greatest high school football players ever to wear a Leopard uniform during the decade of the 1970's. The column was actually a re-print of the Leopard football column I wrote about two years previously. Today, I believe it's fitting that I re-print a Lindsay Leopardette basketball column which was originally published about one year ago in the Lindsay News. After all, Leopardette high school basketball has been just as influential in the history of Oklahoma high school sports as Leopard high school football, maybe more so. The Leopardette basketball teams and players or "Legends of the Courts" first became prominent during the 1950's when the Team won a State Championship in 1954. Leopardette teams continued to win and other State Titles were garnered in 1962 and 1968. From 1954 through 1968 and all the way to 1995, when six-on-six high school girls basketball was dropped for 5-on-5, Leopardette basketball was the talk of the town. During this 5 decade span, the Lindsay Leopardettes won over 80% of their games, and three State Championships in classes A and 2A. An invitation to nominate the all-time greatest 6-on-6 Leopardette basketball players ever, was sent out a year ago. The following players, as determined by Lindsay fans, were judged to be the greatest ever to play the game: 1) Diane Davis – Lindsay’s number one all-time player hit a “jump shot” with 13 seconds left in the championship game with Spiro to propel the Leopardettes to the 1962 Class A championship. The unlikely comeback victory (the Leopardettes were behind by as much as 10 in the first half) was unique for two reasons: Lindsay had lost the championship the previous year (Cordell 38-Lindsay 35) and vowed to win it all in ’62, and did – thanks to Davis. Diane Davis was one of the few “girl” players that could actually shoot and hit a “jump shot” at that time. She was the highest scoring Class A player in 1962. 2) Mary Henson – Our number two all-time all-star was instrumental in “overcoming near insurmountable odds” in leading a comeback state championship victory over Seiling in 1954. The 5’2” forward set a state tournament record for assists while scoring 6 points in leading the Leopardettes, who were behind 29-23 with 2:45 remaining, to a 33-29 state championship victory. 3) Patsy Bray – The number three all-time player was also a forward on that 1954 State Title team. The 6’0” Bray scored 22 points in that championship game, hitting all the field goals scored by Lindsay, as the team scored the last 10 points from a 29-23 deficit to a 33-29 victory. 4) Jessie Banks – A guard on that ’54 championship team, Jessie Banks was perhaps the best all-around athlete to ever play Lindsay basketball. She went on to play for Central State University and The Redheads, a semi-professional team, after her high school days. 5) Toni Beckham - A 6'0" forward who contributed heavily to the '68 State Title as only a sophomore, Toni was also an all-stater in 1970. 6) Ranae Estes - A daughter of our number one player of all-time, Diane Davis, Ranae is also the daughter of Leopard football legend H.O. Estes. She was a post player who took the Leopardettes to the state tournament finals in 1982. 7) Jacque Estes - Another daughter of Diane and H.O. Estes, Jacque may have been the only all-stater in two sports (basketball and track) who Lindsay ever produced. 8) Vickie McCann and Becky Knapp - This forward combination received an equal number of nominations, and were probably the most effective shooters who ever passed through Lindsay High School. They were both starters as true freshmen on the 1975 and 1976 Leopardette squads. 9) Mitzi Baker - An all-stater in 1971, Mitzi may have been the best guard ever to play at Lindsay. Mitzi, like Diane Davis, also is married to a legendary football great, Mike Terry. There are many more Leopardettes who received nominations, including Lois Henry 1962, Jill Street 1966, Joyce Henry 1967, Sharon Lindsey 1967, Gaylyn Armstrong 1968, Linda Green 1968, Suzie Knapp 1969, Sue Lynch 1974, Rhonda Bryant 1980, Teresa Jones 1983, Leanne English 1984, Misty Simonton 1995. Several more "greatest Leopardettes" are pictured in the Lindsay High School trophy case located in the hallway leading to the Charley K. Heatly Arena. I hope this recognition of the greatest Lindsay Leopardettes ever to play 6 on 6 basketball brings back many memories of a time when Leopardette basketball dominated Oklahoma high school sports, and when "Legends of the Hardwood" played the game.

The A-F School Grading Scheme.. and Corporate Politicians

The headlines of a state newspaper read “Invalid and unreliable: 2016 school report cards released” on November 3, 2016. The public school article went on to say “One final time, the Oklahoma State Department of Education released school report cards based on a much-maligned calculation method even the state’s top educator has deemed invalid and unreliable. Across the state, there were 196 A’s, 455 B’s, 582 C’s, 319 D’s, and 213 F’s this year. That means there were 16 percent more “F” schools and 8 to 9 percent fewer “A” and “B” schools, respectively.”

   As one who has conducted extensive public school research over the years, and published valid and reliable analyses concerning school financial issues, I believe these school grades are essentially meaningless and completely flawed. Many experts believe the public should dismiss these school report cards as nothing more than rubbish. The “grades” are deemed meaningless because the prevalent factor which determines each school’s letter grade has been proven to be the poverty level of citizens in each school district. This “controlling” factor is completely outside the “control” of each school. For instance, if within a school district a high level of poverty exists based on the average income level of student parents, the school letter grade is lower – corresponding with the low average income. The school letter grades also rise to A’s and B’s when the average parent income is higher. This direct inverse correlation between parent income and school letter grades is the mitigating factor which invalidates the grades. The school letter grades, A thru F, would be a very good measuring stick of a school district’s poverty level, however. The “A-F” school letter grade system would be comical as an attempt to grade schools, if it weren’t so sad – or it weren’t so devious. Devious and calculating is now how many public school experts describe the system.

   Many public school supporters believe the A-F school letter grade system is one way that corporate education reform groups such as the American Federation for Children (AFC) are using to “prove” that our public schools are failing. They, like all corporate reform groups, believe they can access public tax dollars, if they can get rid of the competition. The AFC along with their legislative accomplices (lawmakers they’ve supported with monetary contributions and mudslinging on election opponents) believe they can more easily pass voucher legislation if they can sling mud on our public schools - with an invalid and unreliable A-F grading scale.

   The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) and State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister have continued to say that we “must have a school letter grade system” because the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary of Education (formerly Arne Duncan, but soon to be Betsy DeVos) forces states to have A-F grading schemes. While this was true before Duncan resigned his position a couple months ago – it’s not at all true now. As a matter of fact, on Monday, November 27 the U.S.D.E. released final regulations that reveal states will not be required to grade schools with A-F letter grades or any other single indicator score of school performance after all (State to push ahead with A-F update, even though new federal regulations don’t require school grade cards, Tulsa World, Nov. 29, 2016). When questioned about the new federal guidelines, Superintendent Hofmeister said “Our proposed accountability system DOES include an A-F summative indicator”. It appears as if Superintendent Hofmeister was not being completely truthful when she blamed the A-F grading scheme on the federal government. Public educators and many other public school supporters believed when the federal government released the pressure of the now discredited A-F system, it would disappear. We believed Superintendent Hofmeister when she said it was the federal government’s fault. But now, that excuse for not dumping it is gone, and we more fully understand the truth. The truth is probably this: When President-elect Trump’s new Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (an avowed voucher wolf) takes office in January, 2017 - the federal government required A-F systems will be once again the rule of the land. DeVos is an avowed voucher wolf because she is the former Director of the AFC, the dark money group out of Washington D.C. which supported state voucher candidates over public school candidates during the 2016 elections. I’ll reveal more specific facts in a later column. The bottom line for our public schools is this: The invalid and unreliable A-F school grading scheme is with us now, and probably will be forever…  

     

H.S. Football - Leopard Legends of the Fall, the 50's and 60's

   Last December, I ran a blog/column about Lindsay Leopard high school football of the 1970's and how tradition rich high school football programs such as Lindsay has helped shape America. That column is as follows: 

   Out of the mist on a cold evening in November of 1973 at exactly 7:55 PM, a group of young men walk slowly towards a football gridiron. Dressed in battle regalia – helmets, shoulder pads, and shivers, the only sound heard is the clatter of steel-tipped cleats as they cross the street headed into the east end-zone, finally gathering to rush the field of play. Elementary and Jr. Hi kids strain against the sideline fence as they try to get a glimpse of their heroes as the players take the field. The team will defend the school’s honor as well as the whole town as it does on each Friday night from September through November each year.

   Scenes such as this, burned into the collective memory of small towns and high school football supporters statewide, is Oklahoma’s version of “Friday Night Lights”. Tradition rich, high school football towns such as Ada, Clinton, and Thomas were consumed with their own Friday night heroes back in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. The coaches and players were considered celebrities by the town citizens, and community success was most often judged by the team’s success. One such traditional high school football program, coached by the legendary Joe Tunnell, exemplified “Friday Night Lights” and “Legends of the Fall” – the Lindsay Leopards of the 1970’s. The Leopards won a higher percentage of games than any other class-2A team in the state during the decade of the seventies, and were coached by the same staff – Head Coach Joe Tunnell and assistants S.J. Foster, H.O. Estes, Charlie Heatly, and R.V. Hayden. This coaching consistency was one of the contributing factors to the success of the program. Another contributing factor for the Leopard’s ‘70’s success was that it stayed with the same offense – the wing-T and slot-I, and the same defense – wide tackle- six and split-six which guaranteed consistency during their seventies reign. The Leopard All-Stars of the entire decade follow:

   The quarterbacks, led by #16 Rick Dorman 1975, also included #11 Tony Cruse 1971, #12 Cliff Krcha 1972, #10 Danny Heatly 1973, #12 Dean Edzards 1977, and #10 Kevin Foster 1980.

   The marquee tailbacks, usually the best all-around athlete on the team, were led by #16 Mike Terry 1970, and followed by #35 Scott Rose 1971, #45 Bobby Simonton 1973, and #47 Gary Dew 1979.

   Fullbacks are listed as #43 David Orr 1972, #47 Johnny Branch 1970, #40 Randy Underwood 1974, #32 Curtis Taylor 1976, #35 Tony Burnside 1981, #20 Billy Welch 1971, and #30 Ray Krcha 1975.

   Centers of the seventies were characterized by extraordinary strength and included #74 Gary Cooper 1970, #56 Stanley Everett 1973, #57 Craig Blankenship 1972, #60 Bobby Bruton 1974, and #50 Randy Haslam 1977.

   The offensive guards were unusually small by line standards but tough, and include #70 Danny Cunningham 1970, #62 Stan McCabe 1970, #74 David Shahan 1973, #79 Carl Franklin 1975, #77 Kelly Hart 1976, #60 Jeff Davis 1977, and #67 Scooter Sturdivant 1980.

   The massive offensive tackles are led by #78 Mike Flesher 1970, and followed by #78 Damon Clagg 1973, #62 Mark Newey 1970, #61 Danny Simonton 1970, #72 Wesley Wilson 1975, #73 Scott Gentry 1977, #67 Jeff Bates 1973, and #57 Chris Tate 1978.

   Tight ends listed include #87 Bruce Jones 1976, #85 Royce Freeman 1980, #88 Rick Billingsley 1972, and #85 Dewey Webb 1973.

   The wide receivers include #82 Billy Gibson 1970, #84 Steve Ford 1971, #33 Ron Jones 1976, and #86 Jeff Ardrey 1973.

   Wingbacks, with speed to burn, are led by #30 Bud McGuire 1970, #24 Johnny Beckham 1977, and #82 Scott Dickerson 1975.

    The Leopards of the seventies were noted for their ferocious defenses and shape up like this: The guards are led by #94 Rick Lawson 1974, perhaps the biggest player ever to suit up at 6’5”, 315 lbs. and followed by #64 Tony Wilson 1972, #74 Ricky Blankenship 1977, #67 Bill Bates 1976, #61 Blake Mashburn 1979, #66 Jerry Howton 1979, and #90 Mark Young 1976.

   Tackles include #78 Marlin Clagg 1979, #51 Toby Boydston 1979, #78 Corky Robertson 1977, #77 Burt Hall 1978, #75 Chris Ramsey 1977, and #40 Rodney Bryant 1979.

    Defensive ends were usually excellent athletes and are led by #85 Mark Loman 1970, #32 Doug Baker 1970, #77 Bruce Condit 1971, #35 Terry Winn 1977, and #30 Bill Hall 1978.   

    The linebackers, characterized by an unmatched toughness, are listed as one, #66 Kyle Lackey 1971, followed by #85 Joe Keith Foster 1977, #64 Greg Hinkle 1980, #37 David Taylor 1975, and #61 Steve Simonton 1976.

   The safeties include #15 Stoney Robbins 1976, #35 John Sharp 1974, #15 Benny Chambers 1972, and #10 Mark Terrell 1977.

   Cornerbacks are #33 Larry Johnson 1980, #20 Rocky Robbins 1974, #84 Kevin Newby 1976, #37 Ronny Clements 1972, #16 Barry Foster 1978, #23 Chris Gentry 1979, #22 Todd Carr 1980, #22 Joe Brent Stephens 1977, and #25 Robert Carlton 1978.

   The kickers of the seventies are #41 Damon Padgett and #20 Bobby Bruner 1972 – and punter #12 Roger Dodd 1974.

   The trainers are led by the NFL’s Don Moseley and followed by Kent Baker, Charley Bryant, Charles McGuire, Dennis Thomas, John Cunningham, and Dewayne Atwell.

    Although the Lindsay Leopards won no state titles during this phenomenal run in the seventies, the accomplishment of being class 2A’s “winningest” program was nonetheless exceptional. One unique characteristic of these Lindsay squads was they were old-style, 3 yards and a “cloud of dust”. They relied on being the toughest team, not the quickest on the field, for success. Most Lindsay ”legends of the fall” went on to lead successful lives after football as they became doctors, lawyers, oil company executives, and yes, even football coaches. I can also tell you, knowing most of these Leopards, “you’ve got to be a football hero” was true in the seventies just as it is today, and "I Need a Hero" echoed through the minds of many Leopardettes as they watched Friday Night Lights.

Update: The "conservative tradition" that is Lindsay Leopard football didn't start in the 1970's, however, as Lindsay won state titles in 1955, 1958, 1962, and 1963. The coaches and players from the 50's and 60's were truly the Legends of the Fall in Lindsay, and like all high school football participants in Oklahoma - are America's heroes. I know many of these Leopard legends, but many I'm not familiar with, since I grew up during the 1970's. For this reason, I'd like anyone with any information on any '50's or '60's  Leopard player or coach - please send me that story or name to my facebook page, text, or email, and I'll post a column which will be highly entertaining and informative... 

Traditional Conservatism... or Corporate Conservatism, and Our Public Schools

   As a traditional conservative, I was hoping President-elect Trump would appoint a traditional conservative as the new U.S. Secretary of Education. Constitutional conservatives had hoped that Trump would abolish the U.S. Department of Education entirely, as the U.S. Constitution in Amendment 10 states that "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the states, are reserved to the States ...". It is unconstitutional, therefore, that the federal government dictate anything concerning our state public schools. Constitutional conservatives (traditional conservatives) believe the U.S. Constitution forbids the federal government from meddling in our public schools. Liberals and corporate conservatives, however, believe the federal government should control our public schools and spend massive amounts of tax dollars in doing so. I was shocked and dismayed, as were many traditional conservatives, when President-elect Trump nominated "Bet$y DeVo$" (a devout corporate conservative) to the post of U.S. Education Secretary.
   The differences are vast between traditional conservatism and corporate conservatism. As a matter of fact, the only similarity the two political philosophies share is that they both claim republican party. Traditional conservatives believe in low government spending, while corporate conservatives spend tax dollars profusely. Traditional conservatives believe the tenets of the U.S. Constitution should be strictly followed ; Corporate conservatives believe the U.S. Constitution can be bent, when it comes to controlling state and local government. Traditional conservatives believe in retaining traditional social institutions, such as public schools; Corporate conservatives believe in the corporate transformation and privatization of public schools. As a matter of fact, corporate conservatives are very closely related to corporate liberals, as they both share the same basic political philosophies.
   According to "A View from the Edge" (a traditional conservative's blog about our public schools and politics), Bet$y DeVo$ is a billionaire who has no education degree, no teaching degree, no experience working in a school environment, never attended public school or state university, never put her own children in public school, does not believe in or support public education, believes that public school teachers are overpaid, supports for-profit education, invested $200 million in religious schools and corporate charter schools, and doggedly advocates funneling state tax dollars out of public education and into for-profit, private education. As a matter of fact, "for the past 15 years DeVo$ has used her family money and influence to push an agenda to transfer public tax dollars over to international and foreign corporate schools".
   DeVo$ has spent the last few years as Chairman of the American Federation for Children (AFC), a "dark money" group out of Washington D.C., which has as its vision "the transformation of public education by breaking down the barriers to vouchers". In an AFC memo entitled "2016 Election Marks Historic Wins for Educational Choice (vouchers), DeVo$ bragged about the dark money group's successes in Oklahoma this past election season by saying - voucher "opponents in Oklahoma (public school supporters) chose to make this year's primary and general elections a litmus test on parental choice (vouchers) issues. It backfired as we beat their (public school) candidates soundly in the primary and ran the table in the general election races. These efforts create the perfect narrative (Perfect Storm) ... leading into next year's legislative session to enact robust ESA (voucher) legislation and expand (corporate) charter schools."
   DeVo$ and the AFC then name their voucher candidates who won election to the Oklahoma House and Senate this year: Rob Standridge (R) Senate District (SD) 15, Julie Daniels (R) SD 29, Nathan Dahm (R) SD 33, Dan Newberry (R) SD 37, Kevin McDugle (R) HD 12, Tim Downing (R) HD 42, and Elise Hall (R) HD 100. Bear in mind, each of these winners are corporate conservatives, not traditional conservatives - identical to Bet$y DeVo$. The AFC poured more than $100,000 into the mudslinging of these candidate's opponents. "Yes, money talks ..., so we can count on each of these legislators to answer back to the AFC and Mr$ DeVo$ with their future (voucher) votes."
   While I believe Mr. Trump is a traditional conservative, he has nominated a corporate conservative to be the next Secretary of the Department of Education. Traditional conservatives believe he would have been much better off by abolishing the U.S.D.E. altogether. Here's hoping he will re-consider, and do exactly that...  

Voucher Wolves and the Un-level Playing Field in H.S. Athletics

   The biggest issue our public schools face today are the “voucher wolves” currently serving in our state legislature, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives. A “voucher wolf” is a state legislator who tells the general public that the only way to save our public schools is to allow the public’s tax dollars to be siphoned off by private schools and corporate charter schools. A voucher wolf tells us that this “choice” of allowing the legislature to spend tax dollars out of state on corporate charters such as the Gulen Charter Chain will increase competition among schools and make public schools better. The ONLY thing that vouchers do, however, is to take our public school students’ funding. More than $1 million tax dollars were spent by our lawmakers on vouchers last year, but they (voucher wolves) want to expand the voucher program exponentially in the years to come. They tried to expand vouchers during this year’s legislative session, but both Senate and House bills went up in smoke, much to the dismay of the two authors, both known voucher wolves. They will not give up on vouchers, though, as their next plan is to seek re-enforcements in the form of newly elected House and Senate members also in favor of vouchers.

   So how do these “voucher wolves” obtain voucher legislation to be considered by the full House and Senate? They belong to a secretive organization called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) which provides cookie cutter legislation for state lawmakers to take back to their respective states for consideration. ALEC matches state lawmakers with corporations (privately managed corporate school chains, for example) so that the out of state education groups can have more and better access to Oklahoma students’ public school dollars. Knowledgeable citizens sometimes call this type of legislation “corporate welfare” or “crony capitalism”, because it funnels the public tax dollars directly to corporations and private schools. The legislators who belong to ALEC only pay $50 to become a member, but in return, they get an all-expense paid family vacation to resort cities such as San Diego or Las Vegas. The corporations that belong to ALEC pay much higher membership fees, often as high as $10,000 to $25,000, but get access to state lawmakers who take their bills back to the states for passage (the voucher bills are good examples).

   Voucher wolves are now working diligently on bills which will funnel state tax dollars to private schools across the state. If passed by the legislature next session, private schools will be able to offer “scholarships” to high school athletes – funded by public tax dollars at the expense of your local public school. The un-level playing field will be tilted even more, between public and private school competition, than it is now. Just think of it: a private school will be able to offer a scholarship to a public school athlete – and force the public school to pay for it. Let’s just hope the OSSAA implements field-leveling rules for private and public school competition before these new voucher laws take effect. Like I said before, though "the OSSAA will never implement any rules which adversely affect private schools, and that’s too bad…

   

High School Athletics - The Unlevel Playing Field

   A couple weeks ago, I was scolded by the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Athletic Association (OSSAA) for criticizing the fact that it allows athletic competition between our public schools and private schools in the state playoffs (for all sports and activities). More specifically, I called out the OSSAA for being (in the words of Joe Tunnell, my high school football coach) "a gutless wonder", for fearing a lawsuit that would result if the playing field were leveled. I don't blame the OSSAA for taking offense to my calling it a "gutless wonder", so I apologized. I will not apologize, however, for my original assertion - "The OSSAA allows unfair competition between public schools and private schools during our playoffs. Private schools have many advantages which public schools do not, when competing for state titles in Oklahoma. Private schools can accept or reject students at will, thereby belonging to any classification level, Class-A through 6-A, they wish. Public schools must accept all students and belong to the classification level their enrollment dictates. Private schools can also technically "recruit" the best players from anywhere in the nation, although they claim they don't. Public schools cannot recruit players, by OSSAA rule. Private schools have the best facilities, equipment, and players money can buy, as they provide "scholarships" (known as sponsorships) to students. Public schools rely on public tax dollars to provide student funding and pay for facilities and equipment. The inequities that exist between publics and privates create unfair advantages for privates that are manifested on the playing field. Most states have attempted to level the playing field between private schools and public schools. Texas, for example, requires private schools to compete in only the top classification - 6A, during play-off competition. As a result, only two private schools play in the Texas public school league. Oklahoma, meanwhile, attempted to level the playing field somewhat a few years ago by requiring private schools to move up one classification level if they fit certain criteria. For example, if a private school in class-3A placed in the top eight the previous year, they would be required to move up to class-4A for the succeeding year. This "watered down" attempt at leveling the playing field did absolutely nothing, as the same private schools continued to dominate the OSSAA play-offs. Let's take a look at what the data says, in order to either refute or verify that private schools have unfair advantages over public schools, in athletic competition.
   There are currently 262 schools, 245 publics (94%)and 17 privates (6%) in class-A thru 6-A playing high school football in Oklahoma. This year, 114 (47%) public schools made the play-offs, while 14 (82%) private schools qualified for the play-offs. This statistic alone says that a player on a private school team has a better chance of qualifying for the playoffs, and then winning a state title. This leads coaches for private schools to have better recruiting years. Of the 114 public schools which made the playoffs, 33 (29%) advanced to the top 8, while 7 (50%) of the 14 private schools advanced. Please be aware at this point that the percentages of publics and privates must be roughly equal for a true level playing field to exist.
   One other anecdotal statistic: Heritage Hall High School (Class-3A and Class-4A) since its admittance into the OSSAA in 1976 - has won 80 state athletic titles! In 2015 alone, Heritage Hall won 10 state titles in Baseball, Cheerleading,Football, Boys Golf, Slow Pitch Softball, Boys Soccer, Boys Tennis, Girls Tennis, Boys Track, and Volleyball. Data such as these should be embarrassing for a private school, but they are not. Private schools use data, and facilities to lure better athletes to their schools, so will continue their unprecedented dominance over public schools. Furthermore, I predict the OSSAA will never level the playing field that public and private schools play on - for fear of lawsuits.

Lindsay Leopard Football

   Congratulations! to the Lindsay Leopards for finishing the football season with eleven wins and only one loss. This 2016 edition of Leopard football ranks up there will all the storied teams of the past - the 1962, 1970, 1973, 1977, and 1980 Leopard football teams. My message to this 2016 football team is this: Your memories of this season will last a lifetime. You will always remember your teammates and always have visions of events that transpired during the season. You will share them with your kids and grandkids as you go through life.
   I've only mentioned a few of the Leopard teams held in high esteem, because those are the ones familiar to me, as I went through Lindsay High School from 1972 to 1975. As a matter of fact, the Daily Oklahoman named the Lindsay Leopards as the program with the highest percentage of wins of any team in class-2A, for the decade of the seventies. The great 1970 Leopard football team entered the state finals that year with 12 wins and no losses. They were ranked first in class-2A most of the season and had shut-out five opponents that year,as they had scored 422 points while allowing only 44 during the regular season. The 1970 team boasted of great players such as Danny Simonton, Gary Cooper, Terry Henry, Billy Gibson, Danny Cunningham, Bud McGuire, Johnny Branch, and all-staters Mike Terry and Mike Flesher. I really don't like bringing up the not so great memories, but I will anyway. That 1970 Leopard team faced Nowata in the title game in December at Central State University in Edmond. The Leopards were heavy favorites and were in fact leading Nowata 12 to 0 by the end of the first quarter. In my mind, it was going to be another lopsided win by the Leopards, as I looked on as an 8th grader at Lindsay Junior High. The Ironmen of Nowata fought back, however, finally winning 14 - 12. My "football heroes" had lost the last game, much like this year's 2016 Leopards.
   The 1973 Leopards were almost identical to the 1970 team, except they relied on a ground control offense, instead of a back-breaking defense. The '73 Leopards, in the words of the Daily Oklahoman, "ground out rushing yardage the way a packing plant grinds out sausage". Once again, they ended the regular season with 10 wins against 0 losses, and ranked number one in class-2A. Like the '70 team, the '73 team had great players such as Stan Everett, Damon Clagg (6'5", 250), David Shahan, Duke Webb, Jeff Ardrey, Rick Lawson (6'6", 315), Mike Davis, and all-stater Bobby Simonton. They entered the play-offs 10-0 for the regular season, but faced another 10-0 team, the Bristow Purple Pirates in the first playoff game. Back in the seventies, only the district champs made the playoffs, so many very good football teams met during the first round. The Leopards were top-ranked, just like in 1970, but fell 9-7, so ended their campaign with a 10 wins and 1 loss record.
   The 1977 Leopards were much like their '70 and '73 brothers. They relied on a stellar defense that only allowed 6 touchdowns all year and were 10-0 when the regular season ended. The '77 Leopards also had many great players such as Joe Keith Foster, Johnny Beckham, Terry Winn, Dean Edzards, and Scott Gentry. The '77 Leopards eventually lost to another undefeated team, the Atoka Wampus Cats, to end their season - once again- with only one loss.
   So, the 2016 Lindsay Leopards are just the latest of several Leopard football teams to end the year with a single loss. They can count themselves among the elite of a long and storied tradition of gridiron legends - the tradition that IS Lindsay Leopard football.

California's SB 1383 and Proposition 2

   Proponents of SQ 777 "Right to Farm" cited two specific initiatives, both California bills, which could have been stopped if California had the "Right to Farm" in its constitution. Proposition 2, a ballot initiative, was voted on in 2008 - which increased the cage sizes for chickens, the pen sizes for veal calves, and gestation crate sizes for hogs (sows). As it was before Prop. 2, the sizes of these cages, pens, and crates - where livestock spends its entire lives - was too small for the chicken, calf, or sow to "stand upright, turn around, and even stretch limbs". Proposition 2 required cage and pen sizes to increase, to allow for this limited movement. It's a fact that only industrial corporate farms raised and produced livestock under the previous conditions, not family owned farms and ranches. Family farms do not raise and produce livestock in this way, so it's difficult for them to "compete" with the giant corporate farms, hence many went out of business - since only corporate farms grow and raise livestock like a gardener would grow a tomato plant. Most corporate entities such as Farm Bureau, only interested in the profit motive, did not like Prop.2 - as corporate executives and share-holders could see profits shrinking. Corporate execs said that egg prices would increase, as it would cost more to produce eggs. What actually happened, though, was egg prices initially increased - not because of the increased cage sizes - but because California was entering a drought period along with an outbreak of the avian flu (caused by small cage sizes). Egg prices are now, as of 2016, lower than they were before Prop. 2! In addition, since prop. 2 was a ballot initiative instead of a state law, it could not have been stopped by a "SQ 777" in California. By the way, corporations only interested in corporate profits, always support the corporate side of any initiative or law - not individual farmers and ranchers. A corporation which has share-holders and company executives are always concerned with corporate profits, and not concerned in the least with family farmers and ranchers. They are not concerned about how many family farmers they flush down the toilet, just as Wal-Mart is not concerned about how many family owned grocery stores, tire shops, pharmacies, optometrists, etc. it puts out of business.
   Senate Bill 1383 is the California law which forces local dairy farmers to drastically reduce methane pollution by 40% within 15 years. In order to comply with the new law, small family owned dairies (less than 3000 cows) will probably have to install $1 million "digesters" - giant manufactured tarp coverings which fit over cattle manure pits and designed to capture the escaping methane. The methane gas is then sold to electric companies for a profit. California has allocated $50 million for dairies to use for purchasing and installing "digesters". The only problem with this scenario is that there are over 450 dairies in California, so the only dairies that can afford to comply with the law would be the giant corporate dairies. In my opinion, SB 1383 is another corporate bill designed to consolidate the small dairies into the corporate giants. Several giant dairies already have the "digesters" in place, so the motivation behind the bill is to run the smaller family-owned dairies out of existence (like Seaboard Farms did in Oklahoma to our family owned hog farms). SB 1383 was fronted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in California because of air quality and greenhouse gases present in California only, not in Oklahoma. If the California Legislature had not taken action, the Federal government would have - so a Right to Farm bill in California would not have stopped the EPA. The good news for Oklahoma, is that several family owned dairies might relocate to our state, in order to avoid buying a $1 million digester.
   The bottom line for me is this: If I lived and worked a family farm in California, I would have been dead set against SB 1383 - as it is designed (just like SQ 777 in Oklahoma) for corporate farm advantages, for increased corporate profits. Once again, SB 1383 and SQ 777 pitted "corporate conservatives" against "traditional conservatives" In the case of SB 1383, however, the corporate conservatives and corporate liberals won, while in Oklahoma with SQ 777 - traditional conservatives won.

All-State Cheerleaders

   We've barely begun the school year, and Blanchard Public Schools is proud to announce the addition of two all-staters of the Oklahoma Cheer Coaches Association (OCCA). High school cheerleaders from public and private schools all over the state competed on November 8 at Jenks High School in Tulsa, for the opportunity to be named "All-State" in cheerleading. From a field of 128 cheer competitors, 32 cheerleaders - 16 for the West and 16 for the East, were named all-state. The 16 West all-staters were comprised of students from all classifications, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A. The 4 class 4A all-state cheerleaders named included Mackenzie Matray and Megan Musick of Blanchard High School! These two all-state cheerleaders comprised half of the total 4A competitors. What an accomplishment by Megan and Mackenzie! It's been several years since Blanchard High School had a cheerleader named to the all-state squad, the last being Karlee Morton in 2012. Mackenzie and Megan will be cheering at the  all-state basketball and football games to be held next summer. Once again, congratulations to Blanchard High School and to Megan Musick and Mackenzie Matray for being selected all-state cheerleaders 2016-2017.

Political philosophies - President and SQ 777.

   I'll now discuss my opinion of how specific political philosophies played a role in the race for President of the United States as well as State Question 777, The Right to Farm, in Oklahoma. These observations are strictly my opinion, but based on hard facts as to how both elections were won and lost. First of all, some political philosophy terms and definitions:
1) Traditional conservatism - A political and social philosophy which promotes retaining traditional  social institutions, such as family farms and public schools, in the context of the culture. Most Oklahomans, democrats and republicans alike, identify as traditional conservatives. They are sometimes called "tea-party" conservatives.
2) Corporate conservatism - A political philosophy which promotes the merger of corporations and    government whereby corporate power dominates. Corporate conservatism is sometimes called            corporatism or fascism.
3) Corporation - A for-profit entity which is owned by shareholders, can own land, and donate to campaigns just like individuals.
4) Non-profit - An association that conducts business for the benefit of the general public without a profit motive. Corporate conservatives often refer to non-profits as corporations.
5) Traditional liberalism - A political and social philosophy which promotes government as a way to   solve societies problems.
6) Corporate liberalism - A political philosophy in which the corporate elite become "both the chief    beneficiaries of and the chief lobbyists for corporate profiteering. Corporate liberals and corporate      conservatives are almost identical philosophically. Corporate liberalism is also called neo-liberalism.

   Donald Trump is a traditional conservative like most Oklahomans, which is why he received 65% of Oklahoma's vote last Tuesday. Hillary Clinton is a corporate liberalist, just like Barack Obama. The Clinton Foundation as well as Hillarie's campaign received $millions in corporate donations over the past several months in an attempt to win the presidency. Donald Trump pretty much funded his  own campaign. He did not receive financial support from corporate conservatives or corporate liberals. He won the presidency because of traditional conservative support. Many corporate conservatives denounced the Donald Trump campaign months before the general election. They were the republicans such as Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan, et al, who said they could not support Trump. Fortunately for Donald Trump, traditional conservatives saw through their disingenuous statements, and voted for him anyway.
   State Question 777, The Right to Farm bill, mirrored the presidential race in a number of ways. Corporate conservatives were able to convince many traditional conservatives that this bill was actually for them (family farmers and ranchers). The bill was finally traced back to 1996 to a corporatist organization called ALEC. The bill in 1996 was actually a state law to be adopted by state legislators (corporate conservatives), not a state question. In 2013, the law was officially changed to a state question which could be adopted by states. It was determined by corporations that individual farmers and ranchers would be easier to fool, and present it as a "state question", rather than a law to be passed. As a matter of fact, Missouri and North Dakota did pass the bill as a state question in 2013. Traditional conservatives in Oklahoma were not so easy to fool, however, as it went down to defeat - 60% NO, 40% YES. Many Oklahomans saw the bill for what it truly was - a bill written by corporations for corporate profits only, not our family farmers. Corporate conservatives in Oklahoma said those that advocated failure for SQ 777 were "liberals", and after failure of the bill, many corporate conservatives began the on-line name-calling and disparaging comments directed at those who "Voted NO". As a matter of fact, those "corporate conservatives'" actions closely matched those neo-liberal actions in California and elsewhere in protesting Donald Trump as our U.S. President.
   Donald Trump overcame attacks from corporate conservatives and neo-liberals to win the presidency, with the help of traditional conservatives. Traditional conservatives overcame attacks from corporate conservatives and neo-liberals to flush SQ 777 down the toilet. In both cases, traditional conservatives win and corporations lose...

 

The Best Team

   Congratulations to the Lindsay Leopards! 11-0, and still going! I don't know when the Leopards last ended a regular season 10 wins and 0 losses. It could have been in the early eighties or even 1973 (when I was in high school). I hear this 2016 version is just as good as any other Leopard team, but time will tell if they're as good as some teams from the late 1950's, early 1960's, or early 1970's. Good luck to them, and I hope to see them play over the next several weeks.
   Very rarely under Friday night lights does the "best team" lose. As a matter of fact, I can't remember a time in all my high school football commentaries that I said "the best team did not win". Almost always, the best team wins when football games are played. Sometimes, bad officiating contributes to one team's loss, but rarely does the best team lose because of bad officiating.
   I'll go ahead and say it for the game played Friday night between the Blanchard Lions and Heritage Hall Chargers - "The best team did not win." Oh, I know, the final score was Heritage Hall 27 - Blanchard 19, but... the best team did not win.
   I played or coached in over 150 games of high school football during my 18 year career, and I can remember only two games in which the best team did not win. The first one was a game in 1974 between the Lindsay Leopards and El Reno Indians which ended in a 0 to 0 tie (There was no sudden death or tie-breaker in those days). It rained the entire game, and the Leopards turned the ball over several times and simply couldn't maintain proper footing when threatening to score. The actual play on the field, however, was lopsided in favor of the Leopards. The best team did not win that night. The second time I remember in which the best team didn't win, was a game between the Duncan Demons and The Tulsa McLain Scots in the 1987 Class-5A State Championship game. This game matched the 8 wins 5 loss Demons against the 13 and 0 McLain Scots. Tulsa McLain High School entered that final game in 1987 by dismantling every team they played that yea. In addition to beating every team, they had thoroughly intimidated each team before every game that year. They did so by standing at mid-field during pre-game warm-ups and chanting, "We will rock you" over and over again to the opposing team at the other end of the field. They did this toward the end of the pre-game warm-up period, just before exiting the field for their locker room. Opposing teams were left with an ominous feeling toward the Scots, just before kick-off. As a team and coaching staff, the Duncan Demons had seen this intimidation tactic on film, so knew what to expect. The Demons had entered the playoffs with only 5 wins against 5 losses, as a 4th place team in the district (much like this year's Blanchard Lions) - but had battled all year to win games by one point usually. As a matter of fact, they faced the 10 and 0, number one ranked Carl Albert Titans in the first play-off game that year, and came away with a hard-fought 9 to 7 victory on the last play of the game. This was perhaps the most satisfying victory I've ever been associated with - and what was to follow a month later was probably the most heartbreaking loss I've ever been associated with. In that championship game in December of 1987, the Duncan Demons had turned the tables on the Tulsa McLain Scots. Instead of the Scots standing at mid-field chanting at the Demons, the Duncan Demon players had lined up at mid-field before the Scots had a chance, and began chanting "We will rock you" as the Demon marching band played the anthem. No Duncan coaches or fans knew what the players and band had planned, but it worked to perfection. The Scots had been out-flanked by the Duncan Demons. The Demons went on to out-play them by out-hitting, out-running, and having better statistics - but losing on the score-board, 7-6. The Demons drove the length of the field in the 4th quarter, only to miss a 23 yard field goal on the last play. I'll always remember that game.. always.
   The Lions' game on Friday night reminds me of that 1987 championship game. Blanchard out-hit, out-ran, and out-played Heritage Hall - the winner of 38 straight games - but still lost 27-19 because of the wrong breaks at the wrong times. It's just that simple - "the best team did not win".

VETERANS DAY - 2016

   Veterans Day, Friday, November 11, 2016. We, as American citizens, should recognize the sacrifices our veterans have made in order that we remain a free people. To remind myself of these sacrifices, I saw a movie last two years ago – “Fury”, starring Brad Pitt as a tank commander during the last days of World War II. Seeing this movie not only reminded me of our veteran’s sacrifices but also served to help me realize how trivial most of our disagreements are concerning how to best educate our students or who to vote for in any upcoming election.  Joe Tunnell (Lindsay H.S. football coach, 1968-1982), perhaps reflected on what’s really important in 1968 in the locker room following a Clinton-Lindsay playoff game  (I had written an earlier column about it). The Red Tornados had just put a “beat down” on a very good Lindsay Leopard football team, 35-7. Tunnell entered the locker room where the first thing he said to his down trodden players was “If we ever go to war with Russia, those guys are on our side.” Tunnell put the devastating loss in perspective for his team by reminding them that “it’s only a game” and there are more important things to think about, like the real-life “game” our veterans have played and won.

   We can honor our military heroes by recognizing the contributions of a real veteran today. For me, I’ll do that now: Warren H. Beckham (1920-1968) was a United States Army veteran of World War II and fought with the 87^th Infantry Mountain Division in Italy (1942-1945). Uncle Warren was awarded the Silver Star on July 6, 1945 for his actions during the push through fascist Italy in the war against Nazi Germany. The account of these actions that merited the commendation is located in the Army Hall of Valor and is as follows:

                                                                  “ General Order 127, July 6, 1945.

                                                                           Award of Silver Star.

                                                          Warren H. Beckham, 87^th Mountain Infantry.

                                           For gallantry in action on 15 April 1945, near Mt. Pigna, Italy.

   During the attack on a strongly defended mountain, Sergeant Beckham, mortar squad leader, emplaced his weapon on the top of a nearby hill, and then moved forward to the to the highest point, which was absolutely devoid of cover, to direct mortar fire on the hostile emplacements on the mountain. Despite direct firing of artillery and sniper fire, which endangered his life continually, he remained exposed to the intense enemy action, calmly zeroing in on the enemy machine-guns and pill-boxes which were holding up the advance of the company. His gallant conduct and skillful placement of the mortar fire on the hostile defenders greatly expedited the winning of the objective. Sergeant Beckham’s heroic performance of a dangerous mission adds luster to the finest traditions of the United States Army.”

   Warren H. Beckham, like all veterans, served his country when “winning” meant preserving our way of life in the U.S.A., and “losing” meant allowing the Nazis to change it. We must always put things in perspective and realize that the ultimate “game” has already been played by our veterans, and we won.

   Prologue: Warren Beckham was killed in an oilfield explosion near Ardmore, Oklahoma on March 11, 1968 at age 47.

            

History of Political Philosophies - 2016

   I think it's timely that I share my opinion on political philosophies, since it's the day after - the day after the November 8 elections. My opinion will be based on the standard definitions of political philosophies as applied to some misunderstandings of Tuesday's elections. Bear in mind,that these definitive philosophies are only one definition and anyone reading this blog may have an altogether different view. First of all, my definition of terms, according to Wikipedia, Webster, Brittanica, et al:

Conservatism - A political and social philosophy which promotes retaining traditional social institutions in the context of culture and civilization such as our public education system and our family farms.

Corporatism - A political and social philosophy which promotes a partnership between corporations and government in ruling a country. Sometimes called corporate fascism by conservative groups.

Neo-liberalism - A political and social philosophy which promotes government spending on corporations, as opposed to people. Sometimes called corporate welfare by traditional conservatives.

   These political philosophies played out on November 8 in an interesting and dynamic way. Many voters who considered themselves conservative, found out they were actually corporatists, as they voted for corporate interests on the State Questions. For example, many who voted YES on SQ 792 are in favor of corporate interests sharing authority with our government. SQ 792, which had over $ one million paid to the YES campaign by corporate entities, passed by an overwhelming majority. The only benefits of SQ 792 (the bill which allows corporations to sell liquor, as well as everything else in life) is to advance share-holder and company profits. The bill allows corporations access to liquor markets, which will ultimately destroy small business owners. Many traditional conservatives tried to point this fact out to their fellow voters, but it fell on deaf ears. Many voters actually self-identify as conservative, but are in reality, corporatists.

   Another example of corporatism disguised as conservatism was displayed by SQ 777. The bill actually was written by corporatists for corporations. Corporations working shoulder to shoulder with state lawmakers wrote the bill in 1996 at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). The corporate factory farms involved were Seaboard, Smithfield, Tyson, et al - while the state legislators involved shall remain anonymous. Anyone who should want to know names, however, can see them in a publication called ALEC Exposed. George Carlin ranted about corporatism in his 2005 routine, The American Dream, and Abraham Lincoln expressed his fear of corporatism in a letter to one of his civil war generals.
 

 

The Day After... Election 2016

   It's the day after the November 8 election, and I feel compelled to talk about several issues which were decided yesterday. I'm quite sure that everyone didn't get everything they wished for as far as election outcomes, but most received at least some gratification - as several state questions and many candidates were running. I feel the same way most do, as I won some and lost some. I'd like to talk about something which was put on the back shelf as election day arrived, but I think it now bears closer scrutiny. The jaw-dropping felony charges against the state superintendent and her campaign consultant, AH Strategies, just days before the November 8 elections should be looked at more closely. The charges relate primarily to the use of "dark money" in Joy Hofmeister's campaign and the charge that Hofmeister, through her campaign consultant Fount Holland, both knew about and helped coordinate negative TV ads in opposition to Janet Barresi. When dark money is used against an opponent's campaign, the sponsoring candidate cannot have prior knowledge of any TV ads, telephone ads, or mailings which will benefit himself/herself. If prior knowledge by the beneficiary candidate is determined to be present by a district attorney - then charges usually follow. The Oklahoma County District Attorney claims to have such evidence in this case. The evidence is said to be from confiscated text messages to and from Hofmeister and Chad Alexander, an employee of Fount Holland (AH Strategies). It seems that when Chad Alexander stopped by the police over 2 years ago, he was in possession of cocaine. At that time, his cell phone was confiscated - and the conversations between Hofmeister and her campaign consultant were discovered.
   It's too early to say if Hofmeister and Holland are guilty of what they're being charged with - "conspiracy" to coordinate dark money attack ads, but the penalty if convicted could be 30 years in prison and massive fines. I truly believe that Superintendent Hofmeister fell in with the wrong crowd on this deal. She was under the influence of Holland's dark money, which ultimately came back to haunt her. The first hint of corruption in my opinion, was when she hired AH Strategies for her consulting firm, several months before the primary election in 2014. AH Strategies was known for winning elections... at all costs, even breaking the law. As a matter of fact, I was a little surprised when Hofmeister hired it, as it was already widely known that Chad Alexander, an employee of AH, had been charged with possession of cocaine only a month before Hofmeister hired the firm. If there is "guilt by association", I guess this is it. Only time will tell if Joy Hofmeister is truly guilty of conspiracy.
   If Mrs. Hofmeister is guilty though, I think the district attorneys in all counties should take a hard look at all clients of AH Strategies, as the firm had several more out there who won elections on Tuesday. Remember, the charges of conspiracy stem from the fact that Joy Hofmeister and Fount Holland coordinated "dark money" attack ads against Janet Barresi. If Fount Holland is guilty of conspiring with Hofmeister to coordinate "dark money", then he must be guilty of coordinating "dark money" with several more clients out there. Maybe, or maybe not. In the case of Hofmeister, the evidence appears to be a confiscated cell phone, so the Oklahoma County DA, David Prater, just lucked into it. As in Hofmeister's case, a county district attorney would just have to "luck into" evidence which indicates a crime was committed. One such candidate who is a client of Fount Holland is Tim Downing of the District 42 House in Garvin and McClain Counties. He won in a landslide on November 8, over Liz George of Blanchard. There is no doubt that "dark money" attacked Liz George, as many voters received campaign cards in the mail from the "dark money" group "American Federation for Children" (AFC) in the days leading up to November 8. As a matter of fact, I received 2 cards in the mail from the AFC, telling me what a great legislator Tim Downing will make. Many people believe that Mr. Downing was fully aware of the dark money group, and knew what they were doing. Downing said early on, though, that his campaign knows nothing of the dark money attack ads and phone calls from the AFC and another "dark money" group - Nation United (Catalyst Oklahoma) also out of Washington D.C.. I suggest though, that if a candidate completes an application for funding from a dark money group, they certainly KNOW about the ads and mailers. I, in fact, received the AFC questionaire to fill out and return for possible campaign funding, but trashed it immediately, as I knew what it was - dark money.
   I know it's possible that Mr. Downing has no idea about "dark money" or that prior knowledge can be a crime, so it would be premature to jump to conclusions. Evidently, many people believe that Mr. Downing knew nothing about the dark money attack ads or phone calls, or they simply don't care, as he won handily on November 8, 2016.

The Hay's in the Barn... on State Question 777

      Barry Switzer had a favorite saying when he was winning National Championships at O.U. and when he coached the Dallas Cowboys, winning a Super Bowl in 1992. After the last practice or last film session before a big game, Switzer would survey the team as they looked to him and say "well boys, the hay's in the barn". After I became a football coach at Duncan High School, we continued to say, at the end of each practice on Thursday evenings, "the hay's in the barn". It meant that the preparation for winning the next game was finished, and all that was left was to go out the next day - and "kick butt and take names". And so be it with State Question 777, the right to harm our family farms and environment - by the corporate factory producers and packers. As the facts have proven out, this bill is being fronted by a corporation, Farm Bureau, and was originally written by Shuanghui, Seaboard, and Tyson factory farms. These three corporate factory farms have convinced many of our family farmers and ranchers that this bill is for us. They have convinced many of us that the real enemy is the Humane Society, and we must protect ourselves from the evil HSUS by blocking Oklahoma from enacting any farm crippling legislation. Seaboard,et al, have convinced many Oklahomans they are family farms, and the only way to stop HSUS from invading our family farms is to give constitutional protection to international and foreign factory farms. Farm Bureau is fronting 777 because these foreign factory farms (their biggest customers) have told FB that it must. We (family farmers and ranchers) have tried over the past several weeks to educate the public about 777, by providing facts and data on what this bill actually does. The time is finally here to determine if our hard work will pay off. Election day is tommorrow, so as Barry Switzer said - "The hay is in the barn", Vote NO on SQ 777!

Chinese Owned Farms and Corporations

   The proponents of SQ 777, The Right to Harm, have publicly stated that this bill is not about Chinese and international farms. But let's look at the facts:
1) China owns the largest hog farm in the world, Shuanghui, located in Virginia. It produces 25% of all hogs in the U.S.A.
2) Seaboard foods, an international hog farm, is the 3rd largest hog farm in the U.S.A. located in the panhandle of Oklahoma. It is directly responsible for forcing the closure of most of the family hog farms in Oklahoma since 2005, reducing the "competition" by 1,626 family hog producers from 2005 to 2012. I personally know several hog farms that have "gone under" because they could not compete with the giant hog factory.
3) Oklahoma chicken farms have been reduced from 6,105 family owned farms in 2005 to only 3 factory farms in 2012.
4) Besides factory farms, China owns approximately a dozen other giant corporations in the U.S.A.
5) All told, the rise of corporate-industrial agriculture in Oklahoma coincided with the largest decline in the agricultural workforce in Oklahoma history. 77% of farm and ranch jobs disappeared in Oklahoma from 1990 to 2014 - greater than the decline in subsistence farming during the Dust Bowl.
6) The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is an industry group that represents the pork industry. Its leaders are executives with factory hog farms and industry lobbyists from pork producing and packing corporations like Shuanghui and Seaboard. They have been identified as a supporter of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where bills are handed to state lawmakers which will benefit share-holders and executives.
7) The NPPC, working hand in hand with Seaboard and Suanghui factory hog farms, wrote "The Right to Farm" bill in 1996. They may have had assistance from the corporate insurance industry.
8) Right to Farm was rewritten in 2013 to fit the bill into a state question, where it was picked up by several states. Oklahoma lawmakers picked up the state question in 2015 at an ALEC conference.
9) The gist of the campaign effort by proponents of SQ 777 has been to instill fear of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) into local farmers and ranchers. Even though HSUS has never passed a state law inhibiting our right to farm, proponents of the bill (corporate owners) say that HSUS will take away our right to farm if we don't pass this bill (pure BS).
10) Ultimately, SQ 777 is all about corporate profits and share-holder gains, and has absolutely NOTHING to do with the right to farm. It's about the right to harm our family farmers and ranchers and the right of CORPORATIONS to harm our environment.

   The above 10 points are all based on documented facts - VOTE NO on SQ 777!

Dark Money Update

    According to the "Daily Oklahoman" newspaper, "State schools chief charged with campaign violations, conspiracy". You've seen the story by now, so know the state superintendent of schools is involved along with her campaign management firm - AH Strategies. What is alleged to have occurred is that the state superintendent had prior knowledge of the actions that a dark money group would take to ensure victory in the race against Janet Barresi (two years ago). It was dark money television ads which ran, as a way of depicting Barresi as being out of touch with public schools. It's legal for dark money groups to run negative campaign commercials or send out negative mailers against candidates for political office, but it's not legal for candidates to actually have advance knowledge of negative campaign ads or mailed campaign brochures. This is where the conspiracy charges originate - that the state superintendent along with her campaign consulting firm, AH Strategies, knew in advance just how much money would be spent and which dark money group would be spending the money - for her campaign. "Authorities believe Hofmeister, (Fount) Holland, a political adviser and founder of AH Strategies, and others worked together to solicit excessive funds for the state campaign by coordinating activities between Hofmeister's committee and an independent expenditure, which came to be known as Oklahomans for Public School excellence (OPSE). They allegedly funneled excess contributions to benefit Hofmeister's campaign as she fought to defeat Superintendent Janet Barresi" (Tahlequah Daily Press). The press also reports that "An Oklahoma City-based campaign strategist facing criminal charges... has consulted for other 'House candidates', according to financial disclosures filed this year."
   Among the several House candidates represented by AH Strategies, is Tim Downing, who won the House District 42 seat in Garvin and McClain Counties. While Mr. Downing received over $40,000 in support from the dark money groups American Federation for Children (AFC) and Citizens United, it is still unknown who their major donors are. It is also unknown if Mr. Downing had prior knowledge of this dark money support, as he denies it. However, documents have surfaced which indicate that Mr. Downing did have prior knowledge - such as the "application" document for AFC support. There are also indications that prior knowledge of Citizens United support exist, as it discussed possible support with candidates. It will certainly be interesting to note if the "net widens" on this investigation, as it will take a good investigative reporter or inquisitive district attorney.

State Question 790 (The Right to Pray)

   State Question 790 will also appear on our ballot for the November 8 election. If SQ 790 passes, Article 2, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution will be stricken. This is the clause which separates church from state. It prevents monuments related to all religions from being erected on state property. Oklahomans decided many years ago that if a monument such as the "Ten Commandments" was allowed on public property, a monument such as "Baphomet" (the goat-headed figure) for pagan idol worshipers must also be allowed. The "separation of church and state" was then added to our Oklahoma Constitution, so that NO monuments could be placed on "PUBLIC" property (emphasis on 'public'). Article 2, Section 5 not only prevents pagan idol monuments from being placed on public property, but it prevents the public funding of private religious schools and corporate charter schools. Corporate entities such as the American Federation of Children (an ALEC and "Big Club" member), a school voucher advocacy group, would certainly like Article 2, Section 5 of the Constitution removed, so that public tax dollars could be siphoned to out-of-state and foreign charter schools. Foreign charter schools, such as the Fethullah Gulen's charter chain (Turkey) would stand to benefit greatly, if only Article 2, Section 5 was removed from our Constitution. It's no small wonder that the American Federation of Children (AFC) has poured $ millions into the "vote yes on SQ 790" campaign. It's also a sad fact that the AFC has poured $ thousands into state candidate campaigns which support the AFC's vision of sending Oklahomans' public tax dollars to out-of-state private and corporate schools. Tim Downing, a House District 42 candidate from Purcell, is one such campaign which received $33,000 in support from the AFC. Any voters in House District 42 who received campaign literature from the Downing campaign, just check the disclaimer in small print - Paid for by The Oklahoma Federation for Children Action Fund.
   Entities such as the non-profits and corporations which belong to the secretive club, ALEC, have dubbed SQ 790 - "The Right to Pray", to get it passed. I believe, as most Christians believe, that God's Word gives us the right to pray, any time - anywhere. Permission to pray doesn't come from corporations or any fascist group, such as ALEC - just as the "Right to Farm" (SQ 777) is provided by God's Word, not corporations. Corporate entities, such as the AFC and Seaboard farms use "the right" to do anything, as a way to trick people into supporting ALEC inspired state questions. I believe SQ 777 (The Right to Farm), SQ 790 (The Right to Pray), and SQ 792 (The Right to Buy liquor at Wal-Mart) are for corporate profits only, NOTHING ELSE... and ample evidence says so.

One More Wooden Stake to the Heart of SQ 777 - The Right to Harm

   Conservative groups across the state are lining up to say "Vote NO, on SQ 777", including the Oklahoma Conservative PAC and the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. There is actually a long list of entities state-wide that say "VOTE NO", including many family ranchers and farmers, which includes family hog farms in particular. Of course the reasons for voting NO, are numerous and varied - but the most prominent reason for family hog farms to vote "no" is as follows:
   Out-of-state and foreign factory hog producers decided as early as 1996 that they wanted to "corner the market" as far as hog production was concerned, but to do that they needed state laws in place across the nation which would increase their bottom line - profits (both for shareholders and company executives). Of course, there are only a few corporate hog farms across the U.S.A., including Seaboard Farms which is international, and Shuanghui (Smithfield), which is owned by China. Critics of these corporations, including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), have complained for many years about corporate mistreatment of livestock by these two farm "factories". As a matter of fact, in my opinion, several corporate factory farms have persuaded our local farmers and ranchers that this SQ is for them. They have done this by enlisting what many people believe are grassroots organizations such as Farm Bureau and the National Pork Council.
   I think the best way to find out about SQ 777 would be to ask any of the 50 hog farms statewide what they think of it. For obvious reasons, I believe its best not to ask Seaboard what it thinks (LOL).
   A very important aspect of corporate control in ANY industry, is to put the competition out of business, so to speak. We see it all the time in our everyday lives as Wal-Mart enters a community to "corner the market" and run the local competition out of town. Grocery stores, tire shops, restaurants, pharmacies, and many other local vendors fold - when Wal-Mart comes to town. Wal-Mart does this by receiving tax breaks, free property, etc that our local businesses never had access to. SQ 792, the liquor modernization bill, is designed to run our local liquor stores out of business. As a matter of fact, Wal-Mart is the largest contributor to the vote yes on SQ 792 campaign at $1,613,507. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Wal-Mart would like to corner the liquor market!
   SQ 777 is to farms what SQ 792 is to our local liquor stores. Several years ago, there were 1,689 hog farms in Oklahoma.Seaboard factory farm entered Oklahoma in 1992, and the number of hog farms was slashed to only 53 full-time hog farms by 2012. This phenomenon was not because 1,636 hog farms decided to just quit the business, but because Seaboard began to corner the producer market. Many people believe that's "just too bad" (sarcasm intended), but it's because they have no friends that were forced out of the business. In my opinion, Seaboard and Tyson are the forces behind "Yes on SQ 777", as they "control" what many people believe are "grassroots" supporters of the bill. I have ample evidence to support my opinion, as ALEC is definitely involved.
   In summary, I'll be voting NO on SQ 792, as well as SQ 777 because I support our local business owners as well as our local farmers and ranchers, and neither of these bills do that...