Arrogant President Insults Oklahoma

[This Marlin Oil advertorial appears in the June 2, 2010 edition of The City Sentinel.]

Other than avowed partisans, most of us could normally be feeling sorry for the president of the United States about right now. But this presidency is not following a normal trajectory. Even many Democrats are longing for the 2012 elections, when there will be a chance to replace one of the worst chief executives in American history.

An anemic 16 percent of Americans approve of Barack Obama’s handling of the Gulf deep well oil spill. His overall approval ratings are almost as bad as those George W. Bush had by the middle of his second term in office.

His efforts at a costly “second stimulus” fell apart last week – due to the defections of key moderate Democrats who no longer want their political ankles hooked to the anvil of the Obama presidency. He avoided the normal Memorial Day honors to American war dead in Washington. He negotiated with military leaders phaseout of “don’t ask, don’t tell” policies – then undercut them by violating the process they expected.

This president is remarkably and deliberately tone-deaf, and unsympathetic in politics. That makes it easier to feel less than sympathetic to him.

One recent illustration of this is announcement of his intention to appoint a Washington, D.C. lawyer to the judicial position on the Tenth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. That job has always been been held by an Oklahoman.

The present occupant is Judge Robert Henry, the governor's cousin and a respected Oklahoman who is about to become president of Oklahoma City University. A former Democrat legislator and state attorney general, Judge Henry is moderate with some liberalism, and even a few conservative sprinkles, in his record. Even those who disagree with him respect him.

There are good Democrats who would make a fine appeals court judge. But in Obama’s mind, apparently none of them live or work in Oklahoma.

The point here is simply to note that Obama’s decision to bypass the state should be considered exactly what it is – an insult to Oklahoma. This is another example of the out-of-touch arrogance and disdain that is becoming characteristic of a disastrously poor presidency.

Great Wolf Lodge

Great Moments in Condescension

In Democracy in America, Tocqueville warned that if despotism were to come to America, it wouldn't be your garden-variety despotism. "It would be more extensive and milder, and it would degrade men without tormenting them." He speaks of a "regulated, mild, and peaceful servitude" which "does not tyrannize, it hinders, compromises, enervates, extinguishes, dazes, and finally reduces each nation to being nothing more than a herd of timid and industrious animals of which the government is the shepherd."

Comes now Mr. Neil Brannon of Arkoma, Oklahoma. A former school principal and superintendent, the avuncular and well-meaning Mr. Brannon represents District 3 in the state House of Representatives. On May 21, Rep. Brannon, a Democrat, argued against legislation which would give more school choices to parents of special-needs students.

Now in some cases, the benevolent solon from LeFlore County magnanimously allowed, mothers and fathers "know what's best for their child." Yes indeed, in some cases, mothers and fathers are actually "very good in making decisions about their child." But in other cases, he warned darkly, "I've seen students with disabilities where the parents had disabilities also. Are they really the ones that ought to be making the decision about where that child goes?"

One can only speculate as to what's going on in Arkoma, what reproductive practices and resultant disorders are fueling this multi-generational cycle of unreliable decision making. I find it difficult to believe it's a widespread problem. And I find it difficult to believe I'm the only Oklahoman who resents the paternalistic impulses of a politician (Tocqueville warned of "an immense tutelary power" which would take charge of watching over us) -- especially when that politician hails from a town where the high school's average ACT score is 18.1. It's altogether possible, Rep. Brannon, that we are grown men and women in a free society and that we can get along just fine, thank you.

The simple truth is that Rep. Brannon wants politicians and bureaucrats -- not parents -- to choose what's best for children. Because given a choice, parents may well head for the exits of their local public school. And "I don't think we need to open the door, to just throw it wide open," he says. After all,

Parents "may think they know what's best, but do they?"

Wow. Gotta admire the candor. Bless his heart for just saying that right out loud on the House floor.

All of which leaves me with a very important question for Rep. Brannon. If the parents of House District 3 aren't capable of choosing a good school for their children, how can they be trusted to choose a competent official to represent them in the Oklahoma House of Representatives?

What It's Like, Six Months In

A friend of mine recently e-mailed me to tell me about a friend whose baby girl died. She asked if she could pass along my phone number in case this person wanted someone to talk to, someone who might "understand what she is going through." I said of course, wanting to help and yet not knowing if I really can. I know that in the past months some of the things that have helped me so much have been from people who have also lost babies and children. I know that no situation is the same and that grief is different for everyone, and yet it helps to know you're not alone and that what you're feeling is normal.

After six months I still feel like I have an "open wound." Everything still feels so fresh and so raw, so I don't know that I could offer much wisdom to anyone. Perhaps all I could offer would be my own feelings:

At first you wonder if you will ever be happy again. If you will ever really laugh. If you will ever experience joy. And then one day you will catch yourself laughing, a real laugh, and you will write it on your calendar and thank God for it. Someone will ask you how you're doing and you’ll say that you’re doing OK, and then as soon as you're alone you will burst into tears. You will be sitting at a stoplight crying and be embarrassed that the driver next to you is looking at you. You will cry like you have never cried before, heaving, sobbing cries from deep inside you and you won't know that it was possible to cry so much.


There will be Sundays when you want to be anywhere but church, and then there will be days when Sunday can’t come soon enough. There will be times when you want to be alone, and times when you're by yourself that you will feel so, so lonely and just want someone near. You will be more grateful for your children and try to love them better and then cry when you still fail.

You will have nights when you won’t be able to fall asleep and mornings when it will take all your strength to drag yourself out of bed. And in the mornings, during the half-second between asleep and fully awake, you will feel the dreaded feeling that something is wrong and then it will hit you all over again: she's gone. You will feel guilty and wonder what you could have done differently. You will wonder what it is you have done that necessitated you being tested in this way, and you will wonder if God took her because you loved her too much. Through it all, you will be grateful that God picked you to be her mother. You will sit at the cemetery for hours because even though you know she’s not there, it’s where you feel close to her. And you will bring flowers and garden clippers trying to make her spot look beautiful because you will still want to "do something" for her. You will be outside and feel the air on your face and breathe in the sunshine and the ache you have for Heaven will be so strong you can hardly stand it.


You will hold her picture and kiss it, remembering her soft skin. You will smell her blanket and try as hard as you can to smell her and then cry because you can’t. You will play her videos and rub the computer screen aching to hold her one more time. And you might wonder if you are crazy, and then feel better because other moms tell you they have done the same thing.

You will be humbled by the prayers offered up for your family from people you have never met and grateful for family and friends who have loved you through this. You will be grateful when someone asks you about her and hope that your crying doesn’t bother them. You will pass people -- in the grocery store, at the ball field, at the gas station -- and wonder what sadness they are carrying around that no one knows about.


You will be more purposeful in prayer and when you say you will pray for someone, you will. You will know that God's sovereign plans are perfect and that her days were appointed before she was even one day old, and then there will be days when you forget this and are full of questions. You will wonder if anyone understands, and God will remind you that "the man of sorrows" truly understands and you will beg Him to please help you. There will be times when God seems so far away, like He has left you, and times when He seems closer than ever. More than ever you will see that you were not made for this world and pray for Christ's return. You will be more grateful for Christ and His sacrifice. And you will ache for the day when Christ welcomes you into His arms, when you will see Him face to face and He will wipe away every tear. That glorious day when you will finally be home.

And you will be grateful for her. Grateful for her short life. You will know that if given the choice between not knowing her and not knowing grief or knowing her and experiencing a grief like you've never known before -- you would pick her. Over and over you would pick her.

Tiny Dancer

Had a great time with the family in Dallas. Here's Mary Margaret earlier today doing her best 007 impersonation.

Who's Your Caddy?

Several weeks ago, Lincoln planned to go play golf and was going to take Jack Henry along to be his caddy. Before they left, Jack Henry wrote down a list of his caddy responsibilities.

Homeschool Track Meet

We've been going to the homeschool track meet since Lincoln was Jack Henry's age. Each year we pack our lunches and ice chests and drive to a park in Midwest City to watch hundreds of homeschoolers compete. It is one of our favorite days of the year. Here are a few pictures from Thursday:

6 Months

Six months ago tonight we said goodbye to Anne Marie. At just about this time we were getting ready to put her lifeless body into the arms of Amanda, our nurse that evening. It's so hard to think about those last few minutes before we had to leave her.

And today, on her six month celebration in heaven, her grave marker was put in. I know I've said this many times before and that I'll say it a million times more -- we miss you, Anne Marie. We miss you so, so much.

Here's a picture of Jack Henry patting down the dirt, making it all smooth:

'The Coming Extinction of Oklahoma Democrats'

National Review Online's Jim Geraghty has the story.

OK, It's Official. I Love Alabama

Private Property Saved Jamestown

Four hundred and three years ago today, David Boaz writes, "105 men and boys disembarked from three ships and established the first permanent English settlement in North America."

Another CapitolBeatOK Scoop

Despite a $9 billion unfunded liability, CapitolBeatOK reports that the Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System is throwing away perfectly good furniture and spending $105,000 on renovations.

Does Dan Boren Want Nancy Pelosi to Be Speaker?

This ad is running in PA-12, but I'd love to see a similar ad running in OK-2. By all accounts Dan Boren is a swell guy, and he's certainly not a hard-core lefty, but the unavoidable truth is that he voted to empower Nancy Pelosi. Not all Democratic congressional candidates are committed to Pelosi. Is Boren? His constituents need to be asking him that question.

'Somewhere More Holy'

I can't remember exactly how I found Tony's blog. It was years ago, late one night when I was searching for something online. And I'm not sure why I call it Tony's blog, as if I know him, but it's what I've always called it, instead of its proper name, Sand in the Gears.

I remember that night laughing out loud at something he had written and then minutes later crying over another post about his daughter, Caroline, who had died of a brain tumor. I stayed up late that night reading the story of Caroline. I remember sitting exactly where I am now praying for Tony and his wife, who had lost their daughter, knowing that I absolutely, positively could not make it if my daughter died in my arms.

And over the years, Tony continued to make me laugh and cry. Along with his humor I think one reason I liked his blog so much was because of the stories he tells about his family and his honesty about his fears and failures as a parent, his brokeness, and God using his children to teach him. And I will always remember my favorite post, The Shape of Eleven.

When I realized he had a book out I wanted to wait and read the "real" version, the one that I could mark up and write in with a pen, but I couldn't wait and so I read the e-version instead, even though I hate reading books from a computer screen.

In this book, Somewhere More Holy, Tony walks the reader through the rooms in his house telling stories about his family, the grace and mercy of Christ, and what he has learned about what "home" should be. Among other things, home is a "sacred place," a place "where sometimes we are wounded," and "the place that makes us better than we could ever be alone."

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and I was going to treat myself and stay up late and watch a movie; instead, I stayed up late and read Somewhere More Holy from beginning to end.

It was definitely the better choice. I had been crying off and on all day, and even though I thought I was all cried out, I kept crying off and on throughout the book. But I laughed too. I laughed at the stories of his boys and I could relate to the fact that some days their home classroom is "like an insane asylum" and sometimes it is "the most peaceful of places."

This little blog post doesn't do the book justice, but don't let that stop you. Buy the book -- you'll love it!

Is Help on the Way for Oklahoma Special-Needs Kids?

Don't look now, but Oklahoma may soon join Arizona (see clip below) and four other states which offer school choices for special-needs students. Learn more here.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Get this: 153 Oklahoma school districts now offer preschool for three-year-olds. Nearly 2,000 such "students" are in pre-K classrooms in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Democrats ♥ France

CapitolBeatOK reports that state Sen. Jim Wilson (D-Tahlequah) yesterday "pointed to France as a model for health care." This calls to mind Gov. Brad Henry's trip to France and his fondness for French-style institutionalizing of infants and toddlers.

Oh, Baby, That Would Be Ironic

Barack Obama, the man who famously wouldn't want his daughter punished with a baby, is the most pro-abortion president in U.S. history. (As a state senator, he even voted against legislation which would have protected living, fully delivered babies who somehow managed to survive an abortion.) ObamaCare, if left standing, will probably result in the largest expansion of abortion since Roe v. Wade. Indeed, the onslaught is already beginning.

But wait. Could the Supreme Court find ObamaCare unconstitutional? The case will be decided by a Roberts Court, bequeathed to us by President George W. Bush, whose election was made possible because for three decades Democrats have been aborting their own voters.