Immigration

A bill that would make English the state’s official language is nothing more than a GOP attempt to arouse hated against the state’s Hispanic immigrants.

The bill, proposed by state Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson (R-Oklahoma City), would designate English as the state’s official language and would allow government agencies to offer documents in English only. The agencies, however, could choose to offer their documents in other languages as well. Some social service agencies now offer documents in Spanish as well as English. This will surely continue to happen because of the quiet but altruistic spirit of the state’s social workers.

What is apparent about this bill is that it’s simply unnecessary on a pragmatic sense level. English is already the official language in the state and country. Why not just pass a bill that claims the sun is hot or water is wet or that George Washington was the nation’s first president? The bill merely plays on anti-immigration, especially anti-Hispanic immigration, sentiment among conservatives in the state.

Ironically, the GOP, led by President George Bush, has failed to bring about any immigration law reform during its recent domination in national politics. Conservatives, such as Wilcoxson, want it both ways. They want you to feel false and wasted anger against immigrants on a personal level by wildly claiming that somehow the English language is under attack, yet the leader of their own party favors a massive guest worker program that helps big business and keeps workers’ wages low.

These are right-wing fanatics now used to manipulating people with fake anger and wedge issues to gain personal political power. Here’s what Wilcoxson, in a bit of Orwellian Doublespeak told a Norman Transcript reporter:

""We all should realize the necessity of learning and using English as our common language. It is something that brings us together. It is that unification that I want to promote with this legislation."

Note the “unification ” comment. That’s rubbish. The bill’s intent is to divide us even further among ethnic and political lines. It’s one of these classic, GOP cultural-wedge issues that does nothing but play on the ignorant, misguided hatred of close-minded people. And then these same rubes support a warmongering presidential administration that will do absolutely nothing to reform immigration laws in this country because it might limit cheap labor for some big businesses.

All this local, wasted energy, ultimately tarnishes the state with a hick image that hurts our economic development.

What would be great is if we were all bilingual and or even multilingual, and there were no language barriers among people in this country. But that would mean supporting something as "radical" as studying other languages. That’s a concept that conservatives such as Wilcoxson, in their political hubris and anger, can’t seem to fathom.

Randy Terrill Leads Hate Frenzy

Oklahoma faces a myriad of challenges as it tries to bolster its economic base and improve its educational systems.

The state’s average household income, for example, is $35,129, ranking it 44th in the nation, and the state needs more college graduates if it wants to attract new jobs. Oklahoma has high rates of mental illness, teenage pregnancies, and children without health insurance. It has high rates of hunger and poverty.

You might think these issues, though daunting and omnipresent, would be the focus for any state legislator who really wanted to make a difference in our state. But not for state Rep. Randy Terrill (R-Moore), the archconservative legislator who is on a personal jihad against undocumented workers and the general Hispanic community in Oklahoma.

Terrill, using the politics of hate and anger perfected by presidential advisor Karl Rove and the Bush administration, is trying to win votes for the conservative cause by making the illegal immigration issue something that it is not. The issue is a federal issue, not a local issue. Terrill does not care. The bottom line is that his party on the federal level has failed to come up with any type of immigration reform because the country’s rich people—a Republican base group—want a cheap labor pool. He can pull as many publicity stunts as he wants, of course, but it is all hot air and hucksterism and freaky.

Terrill’s latest gambit is to decry the number of illegal immigrants in our state prison system. Before that, he wanted to deny the children of illegal immigrants in-state college tuition rates. Last legislative session, he failed to pass a bill eliminating state benefits for illegal immigrants. Again, every hateful gesture he makes is pointless on any real level.

All of Terrill’s initiatives are aimed at Hispanic people, and he is echoed by the Republican leadership up and down the political food chain, including its leader U.S. Rep. Ernest Istook, the religious extremist who is running for governor this year. What these hate mongers want you to do is join them in an orgiastic angry frenzy so they can subtly shift all the wealth in this country to a small group of elite, rich people, the same people who do NOT want immigration reform. Meanwhile, the Christian right stands idly by and allows this immoral shift of wealth.

Terrill and other Republicans attack Hispanic people relentlessly for political gain. Rove’s political playbook teaches Republican candidates to create anger against fictional scapegoats and then to instill fear in people. This is how the Republicans are winning votes these days, and especially in Oklahoma. Forget the real issues, they say, hate, hate, hate, and then hate some more. Last election season, it was gay people. This year, it is Hispanic people.

Meanwhile, energy prices skyrocket, wages remain stagnant, and our health insurance premiums and copays go up almost monthly. (I know someone who was paying more than a $1,000 a month at a state job to insure his family. He left Oklahoma for greener pastures.) Many people do not even seek medical help until it is an emergency because they do not have insurance. The state’s Republicans do not want you to think about these issues. If Oklahomans did focus on these issues, rather than fictional scapegoats in a failed Republican federal policy on illegal immigration, then there would be a Democratic sweep here in November.

The rest of the nation, according to recent polls, have realized what a mess the liar Bush and the Republicans have made of this country and their individual states. Let us hope Oklahoma wakes up soon, so we no longer have to endure the hate, anger and racism that now defines the Republican Party in this state. But the ultra-conservative media here, led by The Daily Oklahoman, will make sure people do not hear the truth.

Not all Republicans are immoral, of course, and many are now bailing on Bush and extreme right-wing platforms, but the foundation of the Republican Party in this state and in this nation right now is vile and disgusting.

Blair Government Lies Again

You are a rube if you do not question the news coming out of England about terrorists blowing up planes bound for America.

The British government, led by feckless Prime Minister Tony Blair, has not offered one fact that proves people and places were in imminent danger. What we have here could simply be a generic plot already described in an older documents dealing with the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. People should demand the British authorities provide convincing evidence about the so-called plot. Already skeptics are writing about their concerns, but, of course, the first legal hearing on the plot was closed to public scrutiny. It sounds like yet another ploy to give the Bush administration some political leverage for its botched war on terror.

What is so disconcerting about this is that people can no longer count on the American and British governments to tell their people anything even closely resembling the truth. In addition, the United States has its lost war in Iraq and its surrogate war in Lebanon. Does that make you feel safe?

Oklahoma Heat

The heat in Oklahoma this summer has been oppressive and depressive and repressive and excessive, and it serves as one reminder as to why our population growth continues to lag behind national averages. Who wants to live in a scalding hot place more than eight hours away from the ocean?

Landlocked Oklahoma needs help. State and city leaders need to come up with ideas for new lakes and pools, and especially in the Oklahoma City area. How about a new, huge park and swimming area—no motor boating allowed--in downtown Oklahoma City near Bricktown?

Could it be done? Okie Funk hereby decrees that, yes, it could be done. But it will take visionary leadership.

Dugan Gambles Senate Bid On Racism

Drew Dugan, a Democrat running for state senate in Oklahoma City's District 46, has stooped to racist hatred in his last-minute campaign to win the seat. His campaign approach is ugly and disgusting, and it represents everything that is wrong with politics today.

Dugan’s campaign has been dormant for months. Where were his signs? What was his platform? Dugan is employed by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce. Some political insiders speculated he probably had support from extremist conservatives in both parties. Political observers thought he would probably get some Republican money in an attempt to stop the progressive political mojo of Andrew Rice, the best Democratic candidate running for the seat.

Then in the last two or three weeks, his signs appeared. Then he sent out a mailer in the last day or two that can only be described as racist as he apparently gambles his entire campaign on an empty emotional appeal.

The mailer focuses entirely on illegal immigration. It features photographs of Hispanic-looking people working and a supposed Hispanic gang member. (To me, the workers look like hard-working people doing extremely difficult physical work. The “gang member” looks like an actor. ) It blames most of Oklahoma’s problems on “illegal Mexican immigrants” (note the word “Mexican” here), and it claims Dugan will do something about it. This is it. There is nothing else on the mailer about other issues, such as education, privacy rights or high energy costs.

Worried about your next electric bill? How come your employer can look through your personal emails and, in some cases, listen to your personal telephone calls? Is your kid going to have a decent teacher in the fall? These are legitimate issues, but Dugan wants to talk about how he hates people from Mexico.

The advertisement is racist, and it is a ludicrous idea that a newly elected state senator in Oklahoma could do anything, not one iota of anything, about illegal immigration, which is a federal issue. But Dugan promises to “punish employers” in Oklahoma (some of which surely belong to his own chamber) and stop “Mexican made methamphetamine and marijuana” from coming here. What a joke. The local chamber of commerce apparently supports this racist campaign approach or Dugan would not be doing it, right?

This inane drivel is the crux of Dugan’s campaign. This is his racist gamble. Unfortunately, this type of ugly, last-minute campaigning has been successful in the past. Just because it is pathetic and tragic, folks, does not mean it will not work.

Everyone should be opposed to this type of targeted racist hatred in a campaign. Why the focus on “Mexican,” a word the mailer mentions three times? Why not just refer to all illegal immigrants? It even includes a photograph of the flag of Mexico. People who belong to any historically marginalized group in this district should be especially worried about Dugan’s agenda.

The clear choice in this upcoming primary election is Andrew Rice, a progressive who will represent the majority interests in District 46. Rice has run an intelligent, real-issues campaign, trying not to fight with other supposed Democrats. Rice is willing to discuss the illegal immigration issue with anyone in the district. But Dugan has crossed a line into racial hatred. He should be called on it by every Democrat in the district.

The election is Tuesday, July 25. Rice supporters will make sure their people make it to the polls on what could be a miserable, hot summer day. (The most recent forecast calls for a high temperature in the mid-90s that day.) I believe Rice supporters are more motivated than those who want to follow the racist agenda of Drew Dugan. Dugan’s campaign of racist hate is just one more reason to support Rice.

Blue Oklahoma
Blue Oklahoma is up and running and has recently published its first diary entries. Please take a look at the site, which is still under construction, and submit your material. I personally will only post informational material on the site because I have Okie Funk here. But I would love to help people get their diaries going. This is a perfect place for people who do not want to hassle with their own blog but want a real progressive voice on the Internet.

All you need is a valid email to register. Your progressive diary can be anonymous if you like. Create an account right now and get going.

I think the blog will be especially helpful once the primary and runoffs are over, and we come together to fight Republican candidates.