User loginNavigation1907 | Oklahoma | 2007![]() Oklahoma's first flag was discontinued after the socialist revolution in Russia and the resulting "red scare"in the U.S., and it is still illegal to fly a red flag in Oklahoma. We are not ashamed of our state's agrarian-socialist history, and we fly the flag proudly. Official Centennial site Centennial Project Oklahoma Historical SocietySearch |
Sexual Identity and Spirituality ConferenceFriday and Saturday, March 7th and 8th Central Oklahoma faith communities and organizations proclaiming that homosexuality is neither sickness nor sin are announcing a two-day "Sexual Identity & Spirituality Conference," to be held March 7 and 8, on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma, in Edmond, OK. "We support the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the life of all faith communities, and offer this conference to share scholarly interpretations of scriptures making exactly that point," said Rev. Kathy McCallie of Oklahoma City's Church of the Open Arms, UCC, a conference organizer. The conference begins on Friday, March 7th, at 7:00 p.m., with a keynote lecture by Dr. Deborah Appler, professor of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at Moravian College, in Bethlehem, PA. Appler's lecture will be held in the Liberal Arts Building, on the UCO campus. ( categories: )
Ballot Access Petition Drive Shows Strong Support for ReformThousands of Signatures Submitted, Campaign Continues Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform (OBAR) completed its 90-day initiative petition drive today by turning in about 14,000 signatures to the Secretary of State. This was below the 74,117 signatures required, but it demonstrates strong support for expanding the number of choices on the ballot. Oklahoma's restrictive ballot laws resulted in it being the only state limited to just two choices for president in 2004. “We know Oklahoma voters are ready for more choices. Oklahoma Democrats easily chose from nine presidential candidates in 2004, and Oklahoma Republicans will have eleven choices on Super Tuesday. Because of gerrymandered districts, half of state legislative races had only one candidate in the general election in 2006. Shouldn't Oklahoma voters have at least two or more choices?” said Joni LeViness, OBAR Chair. ( categories: )
Jim Goodnow's "Yellow Rose" Bus Destroyed by Suspicious FireUpdate: A fund has been set up for Jim. See end of this post. Jim Goodnow and his bus, the Yellow Rose, both have suffered a terrible tragedy. Jim, who was at Camp Casey with Cindy Sheehan in August of 2005, got the Yellow Rose shortly thereafter and has been a fixture at actions around the country ever since. In recent months, Jim has been providing transportation to Iraq Veterans Against the War for their various tours and other activities. Last night, Jim escaped a fire of suspicious origins that destroyed the bus. Luckily Jim is all right. This message was passed on by Bill Perry, a vet and anti-war activist.
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Gold Star fathers to lead anti-war demonstration at bipartisan political forum - Monday 1/7 on OU campusBackground: OU President (and former OK Democratic Senator) David Boren is hosting a political forum on Monday, 1/7 in Norman which will include Michael Bloomberg, (former Democrat, former Republican, now Independent) mayor of New York City, former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn and other retired politicians. The stated purpose is to promote a centrist, bipartisan political movement. The suspected purpose is to stroke the presidential ambitions of billionaire Bloomberg. What: Demonstration to End The War and Bring The Troops Home. Where: OU Campus, Norman, OK - Outside of Catlett Music Center - at Elm & Boyd. When: Demonstration begins at 10A - 11A Demonstration continues Noon - 1P (depending on how long the event actually goes) Who: Led by Gold Star Fathers: Warren Henthorn and John Scripsick School Poverty Research Positions @ OUOU Studies Poverty in Oklahoma Schools: Hiring VISTA Researchers The University of Oklahoma has announced that it will expand its examination of poverty in Oklahoma schools. The Office of the Vice Provost at the University of Oklahoma plans to hire two VISTA research assistants to study the relationship between schools and community poverty in rural and urban areas of Oklahoma. The research aims to identify Oklahoma schools that are having an impact on poverty. The VISTA researchers will apply state-of-the-art community mapping software and will make use of a variety of state and non-profit resources. The VISTA researchers should have some proficiency in Spanish. Some college experience is needed and a bachelor’s degree is preferred. Below is a copy of the OU VISTA positions announcement. ( categories: )
News from housing protests in New OrleansFollow the news of the housing protests in New Orleans on the following sites: http://neworleans.indymedia.org/news/ Guerrilla news video of 12/18/07 action: Nativist Hatred in GoodwellAs I was fixing to leave Goodwell Saturday afternoon to run some errands in a neighboring town, I noticed the following two racist signs on adjacent dumpsters at College Corner, a local convenience store. Of course I didn't have my camera handy at the time, so I waited until the evening to get a couple shots of the offending signs. The only identifying information I could find was on one that claimed it was paid for by some entity called "Citizens for Public Awareness." A quick drive around town suggests that College Corner was the only location where these signs were posted. Given that store's location - right across the street from the university campus - I'm guessing the perps were shooting for maximum visibility. [Editor's Note: There was a similar story posted to OKIMC in April, Racist group strikes in Northeast Oklahoma City] --continued-- ( categories: )
Ice Storm Raises Issues For State LeadersReposted, with permission, from Okie Funk. It has been a tough week here for sure. Tragically, 23 deaths have been blamed on the ice storm that stunned Oklahoma this past week. At one point, more than 600,000 homes and businesses were without power, and thousands still remain in the dark. Some Oklahomans shivered through the storm with blankets and candles while others headed to shelters. The damage to the local tree population here is incalculable. Once the thaw is complete, we will know more, but it appears the state has lost thousands of trees. Meanwhile, the state’s college students trudged through finals week under some of the worst weather conditions possible. Overall, it appears the state’s emergency systems once again worked well during the storm, and no one can fault the utility companies in their immediate efforts to restore power. Crews came in from other states. These crews worked long hours in biting cold weather to get the job done. But the ice storm raises at least three major issues for Oklahoma’s leaders, and the severity of this storm demand new initiatives and open-minded, intelligent thinking. Will there be discussion and action or will this recent storm quickly recede into Oklahoma weather lore? Here are those issues: Coburn blocking 'Emmitt Till' legislation
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Oklahoma Weather-Related Road ConditionsMap and alerts from Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Hit link below to view. Please don't drive if you don't have to. Fund Drive for OKIMC.org --- Help us pay the hosting bills!Bumping this back up to the top: We still need $100 in donations in order to keep OKIMC.org online for the coming year. Please help in any amount, no matter how small. Thanks in advance! Update 1/2/08: We now have $70 pledged. Just need $30 more and we're good for 2008. Please pitch in! Hello friends, Well it's me again with my semi-annual request for donations to help pay the hosting bill for the Oklahoma Independent Media Center (www.okimc.org). ( categories: )
Gov. Henry appoints Chris L. Ross new D.A. in Pontotoc CountyWrongful conviction case in county was subject of bestselling nonfiction book by John Grisham The top assistant in the Pontotoc County district attorney's office has been named to head the office. Gov. Brad Henry announced the appointment of Chris L. Ross as district attorney for the 22nd District, which encompasses Pontotoc County, Oklahoma. Ross succeeds William Peterson, who is resigning effective Jan. 1. Chris L. Ross, who is 50 has 24 years of experience and has been with the prosecutor's office since 1983. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1979, Ross earned his law degree from the OU College of Law in 1982. Chris Ross is married and has two children. ( categories: )
Oklahoma Hate Actions raise awareness in Oklahoma City12/04/2007 - 4:00pm Etc/GMT-6 OKC Faith Leaders Protest Hate Crimes and Support Federal Anti-Hate Crimes Legislation Events planned in Oklahoma City, on Tuesday, December 4, will respond to the recent hate murder in the city of Steven Domer, targetted, according to Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater, because of his sexual orientation. ( categories: )
New serverWe have moved the site to a new server*. We were already planning the move, but there were some technical problems with the database that caused us to rush a bit. In working out those issues along with the move, there may be some glitches. Please report any errors or unusual behavior in comments to this post. ( categories: )
Oklahoma City's annual Fall Peace Festival, Sat. Nov. 1011/10/2007 - 10:00am 11/10/2007 - 4:00pm Etc/GMT-5 10 am to 4 pm, in the Civic Center's HALL OF MIRRORS Oklahoma City's annual Fall Peace Festival will be held on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 10 am to 4 pm, in the downtown Civic Center Music Hall's "HALL OF MIRRORS." More than 40 justice and peace organizations will display materials, crafts, pottery, weaving and artwork to meet every holiday shopper's needs. T-shirts, fair trade goods, organic coffee, books, calendars, clothing, carvings, etc, are on display. A supervised Children's Activity Area will be staffed all day offering face-painting, poster-making, and cooperative games. Free admission and free parking at street meters on Saturday make the Peace Festival affordable for all families. The Civic Center is located at 201 N. Walker in downtown Oklahoma City(p). ( categories: )
Jim Hightower To Speak In Tulsa At Bill Of Rights Celebration11/10/2007 - 6:30pm Etc/GMT-5 National radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author Jim Hightower will visit Tulsa at a Bill of Rights Celebration hosted by the ACLU of Oklahoma on Saturday, November 10, 2007. The event will be held in the Manchester-Geneva Room of the Doubletree Hotel, 616 W. Seventh Street in downtown Tulsa. Festivities will begin with a reception at 6:30 p.m. A banquet will follow at 7:00 p.m. Hightower broadcasts daily radio commentaries that are carried in more than 100 commercial and public stations, on the web, on Armed Forces Radio, Radio for Peace International, One World Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio. Each month, he publishes a populist political newsletter, “The Hightower Lowdown,” which now has more than 125,000 subscribers and is the fastest growing political publication in America. The hard-hitting Lowdown has received both the Alternative Press Award and the Independent Press Association Award for best national newsletter. ( categories: )
Gold Star Fathers Call for Peace at Oklahoma City RallyLocal action part of worldwide events calling for peaceOklahoma City - Two Oklahoma Gold Star fathers were keynote speakers today at a rally against the war in Iraq. About 150 activists gathered at the intersection of North Meridian Ave. and the Northwest Expressway, from 1 am to 12:30 pm, to hold signs, listen to music and hear speakers calling for peace. “Support the troops, bring them home,” said Warren Henthorn of Choctaw, OK, whose son Jeffrey served eight years in the military before dying in Iraq, February 8, 2005. Mr. Henthorn is a regular participant in weekly public vigils where signs calling drivers to “honk for peace” are held. John Scripsick of Wayne, OK, and his wife Jan were also at the rally, in memory of their son Bryan, killed in Iraq on Sept. 6 of this year. Scripsick said he believes that the death and destruction caused by the war in Iraq is only winning more hostility and hatred against the United States. “Bryan had his doubts about the mission of the war, but he went to Iraq out of loyalty to his buddies in his unit, “Scripsick said. “We must end this thing and bring our troops home immediately,” he said.
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Green Party of Oklahoma to have 6th Annual Meeting in Stroud10/21/2007 - 3:00pm 10/21/2007 - 5:30pm Etc/GMT-5
Anyone interested in the Green Party, its values and positions, is welcome to attend, whether official members of the Green Party or not. The Oklahoma Greens are currently engaged in a petition drive to ease requirements for placing third-party candidates on the ballot. They are working with the Oklahoma Libertarian and Constitution parties, as well as Oklahoma Independent voters to change what many academics and activists call the strictest ballot access laws in the nation. More info about the coalition campaign, Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform, can be found at okvoterchoice.org. The annual meeting agenda will include a report on the ballot access campaign, proposed changes to the state party organizing structure, outreach projects and election of officers. ( categories: )
GI Rights Hotline to promote services to deploying Guard members during send-off rally in NormanGI Rights Hotline - action to inform deploying troops of their rights Tomorrow, the troops of the Oklahoma National Guard that are being deployed to Iraq will be sent off with a lot of flags, patriotic music, and tears of family and loved ones. The event will take place in Norman at the Lloyd Noble Center from 2-3pm. Volunteers and supporters of the Oklahoma GI Rights Hotline plan to be outside the event as attendees arrive, to respectfully offer our help for those who do not want to go. Oklahoma City Vigil To Save Children’s Health Care
As billions are spent In Iraq, Rep. Fallin, Cole, Sullivan and Lucas voted with Bush to block health care for 127,000 uninsured kids in Oklahoma. [Oklahoma City, OK] – On Tuesday, October 16, at 7:00 p.m., local parents and kids will hold a “Vigil to Save Children’s Health Care” in front of the Oklahoma Republican Headquarters. They will urge Representatives Fallin, Cole, Sullivan and Lucas to vote this Thursday to override President Bush’s veto of expanded health care coverage for millions of kids, including 58,200 additional kids in Oklahoma. Dan Boren (D) voted against it, but has stated that he will be voting to override Bush’s veto. Hundreds of events are happening around the nation, including a rally that will take place the next day, October 17th, at 12 noon on the State Capitol South Steps to Override the SCHIP Veto. Former Congressman Bob Barr special guest at Ballot Access event in OKC10/23/2007 - 3:00pm Etc/GMT-5 Former Congressman, Bob Barr, and National Libertarian Director to Speak at the north Oklahoma City Holiday Inn (NW 63rd and Robinson, just west of I-235). Join Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform to hear former Congressman Bob Barr and National Libertarian Chairman, William Redpath, in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, Oct. 23rd. This OBAR fundraiser will help put the ballot access initiative petition to a vote of the people. The fundraising dinner will take place at the north Oklahoma City Holiday Inn (NW 63rd & Robinson, west of I-235). The minimum required donation of $30 includes dinner. Seats with Bob Barr or William Redpath are $200, while available. Tuesday, Oct. 23rd schedule of events ( categories: )
Nicaraguan music benefit for Manos Juntas10/12/2007 - 7:00pm 10/12/2007 - 9:30pm Etc/GMT-5 Internationally recognized Nicaraguan singing duo: Inspiring songs of liberation, freedom, justice, and peace. Friday evening, they are performing a FREE concert to benefit MANOS JUNTAS, the nonprofit offering a free medical clinic Saturdays at Epworth Methodist Church, annual Medical Missions to Nicaragua, and other worthy causes. (Free-will donations gratefully accepted). Open Arms Church Building, 3131 N. Pennsylvania ( categories: )
Oklahomans Rally to Override Bush Veto of Children's Health Care10/04/2007 - 5:00pm 10/04/2007 - 6:00pm Etc/GMT-5 ![]() Parents, Kids and Local Groups in Oklahoma City to Rally For Children’s Health CareAs Billions Are Spent In Iraq, Rep. Mary Fallin Voted With Bush To Block Health Care for Kids In Oklahoma.[Oklahoma City] – On Thursday, October 4, at 5 PM, local groups, parents and kids will hold a “Rally For Our Children’s Health” outside of Rep. Fallin’s Oklahoma City office. They will urge Fallin, all other representatives of Congress and President Bush to stop blocking health care for Oklahoma children. 225 similar events are happening around the nation. ( categories: )
Study: Oklahoma Op-Ed Pages Dominated by RightReport: Black and White and Re(a)d All Over Unprecedented Study of U.S. Daily Newspapers Shows Conservatives with Distinct Advantage in Syndicated Op-Eds Nationally and in Oklahoma
State-Based Data Are Attached (below) as a PDF, while the Entire Report With National Figures and Detailed Analysis is Available Online at www.mediamatters.org/reports/oped/ ( categories: )
Oklahoma GI Rights Hotline to begin operations on Monday, September 24Counselors will offer free, confidential legal information to service members, veterans, potential recruits and their families Nationwide network assists those who seek to get out of the military OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma GI Rights Hotline will officially begin operations on Monday, September 24, undertaking its mission of providing free, confidential, and accurate information on US military regulations and practices to servicemembers, veterans, potential recruits, and their families. The Hotline can be reached at (405) 231-1138. Live counselors will answer on Mondays from 10 AM to 5 PM. On other days messages will be returned within 24 hours. More live hours will be added gradually in the future. ( categories: )
International Day of Peace celebrated in OKC with children's "Pinwheels for Peace" project
Thousands of Students create pinwheels for peace Celebration at the Gold Dome Multicultural Society N.W. 23rd and Classen on Friday, September 21st from 5:30-8:00 OKC – Students and other community members throughout the greater Oklahoma City area will participate in the United Nation’s International Day of Peace Celebration at the Gold Dome. From Norman to Edmond and beyond, students are creating pinwheels with words about peace and harmony. These works of art will spin in the wind, decorating schools, homes and businesses on the International Day of Peace. As students create these pinwheels, they are asked to reflect on Peace: A state of calm and tranquility, with no anxiety or violence. ( categories: )
500+ show support for Jena 6 at OK capitolOKLAHOMA CITY - Hundreds, including state legislators, gathered on the steps of the state Capitol Thursday, in solidarity with thousands in Jena, La. and around the country to show support for the "Jena 6". ( categories: )
OKC Citizens Said, "No to Bush's War"
Familiar signs saying “Honk For Peace” were supplemented with signs relating to President Bush's speech Thursday calling for a US military presence in Iraq which could last for decades. “Say No to Bush's War” was one of the themes expressed on signage at the demonstration. Click image for more ( categories: )
Ballot Access Petition Filed with Secretary of State![]() OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform (OBAR) filed today to circulate an initiative petition to put a question on the 2008 ballot. The initiative seeks to reform Oklahoma's ballot access laws, considered the most restrictive in the country. "It is time to hear what Oklahoma voters think about our state's biased electoral system," said OBAR Chairman Matthew R. Jones. "With half of our state legislative races unopposed last November, we believe Oklahomans will support more voter choice." OBAR will collect approximately 90,000 signatures over the next 90 days, and plans to integrate petitioning with an awareness campaign, including T-shirts for petition circulators and information cards for signatories. ( categories: )
Sept. 15 Rally in OKC in solidarity with national march on Washington
Oklahoma City Holds Rally To Support Mass March On Washington DC This Weekend As thousands gather in Washington, DC, this weekend, calling for an end to US military involvement in Iraq, a demonstration in solidarity with them will take place in Oklahoma City. Nathaniel Batchelder of the Peace House said the local demonstration will take place from noon to 1 pm, Saturday, at the intersection of N. Meridian Avenue and the Northwest Expressway. |
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