With Markwayne Mullin's D.C. antics, 'Oklahoma values' go down the drain

21st-century congressional leadership in Oklahoma has sunk to a new low. Once known as a state that produced statesmen like Robert S. Kerr, Carl Albert, Wes Watkins, J.C. Watts and Henry Bellmon, now our leaders far too frequently place an unwelcome spotlight on Oklahoma as the center of idiocy.

Tuesday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin instigated tense moments during a Senate hearing when he challenged the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters to a fist fight. Right there in space where the most deliberative body in the world convenes for decisions that arguably affect the entire world.

Instead of remaining deliberate in addressing labor laws and conditions for workers in factories and warehouses across this country, Mullin believed the time was right to revisit perceived grievances and start a brawl on the floor of the U.S. Senate.

That behavior may be just fine for Mullin and those who think everything can be settled in a fist fight but, contrary to what he said in an interview later, it does not reflect “Oklahoma values.”

Mullin would have the nation believe that Oklahomans want to go back to dueling to settle disagreements. No people in this country crave violence less than Oklahomans. We’re still trying to overcome the legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre. We’re still coming to terms with the brutality of the Osage killings, now more widely known because of the movie "Killers of the Flower Moon." And far too many people still bear physical and emotional scars from the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing that resulted in the deaths of 168 men, women and children in Oklahoma City.

So how dare Mullin, as a representative of this state, portray Oklahomans as people who support violence of any kind!

His actions are the latest in a string of embarrassments for the state.

We’ve had to contend with former Sen. Jim Inhofe’s kindergarten attempt to demonstrate the absence of climate change with a snowball, ignoring all scientific data in his argument.

More recently, we’ve watched the theatrical maneuverings in the U.S. House of Representatives: Tom Cole, considered by most as the reasonable adult in the delegation, last month proudly put his reputation on the line and introduced far-right Jim Jordan for speaker of the House. Oklahoma’s entire delegation in the House later supported election denier Mike Johnson as speaker.

In 2021, most of the state’s delegation voted against certifying the 2020 election. Sen. James Lankford was perched to do the same, then changed his mind after having to run and hide from the armed mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

Each of our representatives is so concerned with retaining power that they remain silent as leaders in their party trample traditional Republican dogma.

True, Oklahoma is a red state, but Republicans used to stand up for democracy, not against it.

Where the delegation falls short on the mortification scale, other state leaders carry the torch of ignominy.

In March, state Rep. Nathan Dahm thought he would make his argument for gun rights in an interview with Jon Stewart on Apple TV. Instead, Stewart underscored the hypocrisy in his position ― that Dahm’s crusade to protect Second Amendment rights does not protect children from gun deaths. All of America saw that dress down, which went viral on social media.

And then there's state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters, known for his divisive rhetoric and wacky policy of teaching about the Tulsa Race Massacre, just as long as it's not tied to race. Walters would rather take his cues from culture war preachers and Moms for Liberty instead of from the state’s top educators ― all in an apparent audition for higher office.

More: Editorial: It's a new school year. Teachers want politics out of education

When we elect leaders, we expect them to demonstrate a level of intelligence and decorum that does not make the people who elect them look dumb. Their leadership is supposed to elevate the status of their state and the people they represent. Embarrassments happen, but we do not expect them to be of their own making.

Congress is not the place for thin-skinned people who, like the schoolyard bully, would pick a fist fight over a public slight. Voters have re-elected Mullin several times, first to the House and now to the Senate. They, like us, have high hopes that he will mature into a skilled statesman who can work with friends and enemies to craft policies that benefit Oklahoma. But if Mullin wants to use his mixed martial arts skills, he should find a different arena.

Clytie Bunyan is managing editor for diversity, community engagement and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Editorial: Markwayne Mullin brings embarrassing spotlight on Oklahoma