Letters: On representation of women, partisan politics, 'Oklahoma Standard'
Do women have a say in laws passed in Oklahoma?
In Oklahoma, women comprise only a small percentage of the Legislature. Oklahoma Watch provides the following comparison:
“Oklahoma has the fourth lowest percentage of female legislators in the nation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. There are four women among 48 Senate members, and 16 women among 101 House members. Altogether, women make up 13.4 percent of the state’s legislators, slightly ahead of Alabama, South Carolina and Louisiana. States with the largest shares of women are Colorado, 42 percent, and Vermont, 41 percent.”
With a male majority Legislature passing laws, a male governor signing them, and a male attorney general enforcing them, women don’t have much say in laws passed in Oklahoma, even though they make up 51% of the population!
— Ed Koonce, Mustang
'Many of us are tired of the extremism in Oklahoma politics'
Our state is at a crossroads. Do we work together for the greater good of all the 46th state’s residents, or will we continue to hunker down in our increasingly far-flung corners, feeding on our partisan views? Can we recommit to hard work, professionalism, integrity, truth, transparency and collaboration? The future of our state, and a future where our children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren will choose to call home, lies in the balance.
Many of us are tired of the extremism in Oklahoma politics and want to restore balance to a political status quo that is heavily weighted to one side. My vote will always go to candidates who are committed to working shoulder to shoulder with anyone, of any party, to make our state better.
As a lifelong Oklahoman, many are the times I have felt like a square peg in a round hole. For the first time in a very long time, I’m beginning to think Oklahoma may belong to me, too, and I can’t describe how that hope is fueling a belief that change is coming.
The tent is large, and the days are few. I encourage you to vote accordingly.
— Steffie Corcoran, Yukon
On electing people to Congress, where's the Oklahoma Standard?
The Oklahoma Standard refers to our willingness to come to the assistance of people in need. Perhaps we should consider another standard: electing qualified people to high public office. People who are highly educated and articulate.
Oklahomans have elected many to Congress who provided outstanding leadership and accomplishment. Carl Albert, Robert S. Kerr, Henry Bellmon, David Boren and Tom Coburn are a few that come to mind. People may disagree over their politics, but they all had outstanding academic achievement, knowledge of government function, a willingness to reach across the aisle, and proficient language skills to assure coherent dialogue and effective debate.
Markwayne Mullin, U.S. representative for Oklahoma's 2nd District since 2013, is running to succeed the retiring Jim Inhofe in the Nov. 8 special election for U.S. senator. In 2013, Congressman Mullin made this infamous statement on Capitol Hill (during a budget debate over shutting down the government): "...This country isn't ran by just one individual it's ran by four branches, but three branches that are in control of this. As long as those three branches control it, then we all have to figure out how to negotiate. Not all of us is going to get 100% of what we want, but we should do what's right.” This incoherent statement by a U.S. congressman resulted in news coverage that portrayed Oklahoma as a laughingstock. Mr. Mullin's challenged grammar is also apparent in his primary debate in August with T. W. Shannon.
Education matters. The U.S. Senate is a prestigious legislative body. Oklahomans cannot continue to look the other way by electing people to positions they are not qualified for.
— David Matz, Oklahoma City
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Letters: On representation of women, partisan politics, 'Oklahoma Standard'
