Feather Headdresses and Sensitivity

   I don't see a personal need to rescue the governor from her own controversial issues, but her young daughter's aspiring efforts in fine arts are certainly worth a word of sanity against a political-correctness attack.

Christina Fallin, of the group Pink Pony

  Christina Fallin is an ambitious and dedicated artist in a pop music genre. To that end, she is promoting a new music project with a photo-shoot which includes a cultural symbol of America's great Indian territory.  She's in her mid twenties and driven to be her best.
  So when political enemies of her mother decided to pounce on the young lady as an attempt to disparage the family name, it became very transparent to many rational-thinking Oklahomans.
   Someone by the name of Ashley Greaves posted on the band’s Facebook,

“It’s amazing how many Americans still don't understand that it is very hurtful to us when non-native people play dress up or use native head dresses (or look-a-likes) for creative purposes.”

   This began a very strong debate on KRMG's website and other  media outlets and social media forums.  Beyond the obvious attempt to license the right to wear feathers on one's head, a far more dangerous message was embedded in the short complaint.

Christina & Mary Fallin
(both are native Oklahomans)

   Who are the "non-native people"? And who really is a native American?  The respected dictionaries of the English language have for centuries referred to a "native" as one who is born in the land. A native Oklahoman is one who is born in Oklahoma. It is only a certain contemporary political class who are trying to change the term into a racial group.
   Yes, most American Indians were probably born in America, but they are only a small segment of all the native Americans. The 2nd generation of German and Irish immigrants are also born here, hence; native Americans.
  The American federal & state governments officially refer to the American Indian tribes as "American Indian" That is the real ethnic distinction. even Young Christina Fallin and most journalists are deceived by this subtle subversion. In Miss Fallin's dignified and conciliatory response, she affirms the false ethnic label. Christina said she;

"felt the "deepest respect" for Native American culture and asking people to forgive her for wearing beautiful things."

public school theater arts education

  This new push to politically control the wearing of cultural costumes will likely find it's way into our public schools. Teachers may have to censor school plays and show-&-tell presentations. Children are already being disinherited of their birthright status of being a native American. words have meanings and words can bring harm.
  Then there's the issue of who owns what customs and has the right to illustrate them? Did an American Indian ever wear a cowboy hat? Can a black man ever wear a European fashion design? You can see the ridiculousness of this attempt at censorship.

Chocktaw Chief, Greenwood LeFlore

  What totally stuns the rational mind is how the black community continues to "give a pass" to Oklahoma Indian tribes who have long oppressed and abandoned the black people. Yet the urban black community still honor the racist and oppressive Indian chiefs with celebrated streets & districts named after them, like the famous Tulsa Greenwood district.
   The renown Choctaw Chief, Greenwood LeFlore was half French.  He wore a business suit and was a wealthy owner of a Mississippi cotton plantation. He owned and abused a massive number of black slaves. He was an influential Senator and close friend of Jefferson Davis (president of the Confederacy). Does any white group complain about an American Indian Chief wearing a business suit? No.

The Silence Strategy, In Politics

   Oklahoma is already seeing subtle hints of political aspirations through the overtures of national personalities who offer their services in the 2014 Oklahoma election cycle. And it is a very dicey situation where they can defeat their opportunities through putting their foot in their mouth. Some great leaders have, a times, been their own worst enemy. Effective campaign managers often tell their candidate to 1) raise a lot of money, 2) get an early lead, then 3) keep their mouth shut!

  We often see polling firms float names of prominent Americans in presidential preference polls. Some amusing names occasionally float to the top tier, even though the public knows next to nothing about their policies or executive skills. Yet, when the celebrity candidate actually enters the 'fray' and set up a campaign operation, they destroy their prospects with the words of their own mouth.
  Some historical examples:

John Adams

Attorney, John Adams

 In the Continental Congress, Attorney, John Adams, was a strident 'in-your-face', and nit-picking personality who often wore down other delegates and squabbled over grammatical structure of resolutions. He really didn't have very many loyal friends by the time the Declaration of Independence was released.
   Immediately, for the safety of many of the signers, Adams and others were dispatched to France, where they would serve as ambassadors and enjoy French protection. As the war cemented American resolve for independence, many came to eventually see John Adam's passion as more reasonable than they did in 1776.
  After the British relented and recognized USA sovereignty, John Adams was a consensus choice to be the 1st U.S. ambassador to England. Perhaps that was seen as a punishment to King George, from the new U.S. government.
  After Adam's 12 years in Europe, the American States ratified a new constitution and called for new elections. John Adams decided it was time to come back to the land he loved. When his ship entered Boston Harbor, a massive crowd instantly gathered and welcomed the great hero to the home nation he gave up so much for.
  When the new congress was seated their first duty was to select federal leadership. Only George Washington collected more national votes than Adams. The rules placed Adams as our first vice president. 

   Little did Adams know, He had just replaced his 12-year exile from homeland for a 8-year exile from significance. After less than a year as V.P., he wrote;

"My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived; and as I can do neither good nor evil"

    So after 8 years of doing less than he had in England, his countrymen elected him to succeed President Washington. Little was the congress ready for the new executive's pent up desire to regain influence. Very few men from that 1776 Continental Congress were still active in public life. But Jefferson was. He may have been the only suitable man to stand up to Adams. And that he did. The two had been charged to draft a declaration. The two had served together as ambassadors to Paris. But the two were fierce competitors in the art of debate and persuasion. Adams didn't stand a chance and he was turned out of office after only one term.

Fred Thompson

The drafted candidate, Fred Thompson

   There was broad disappointment with the 2008 Republican field, in the summer of 2007. So much criticism had been lodged at every Washington figure, so that a draft campaign was well underway to bring in a former senator and lawyer-turned-actor, Fred Thompson.

   Thompson looked very authoritative in his selected movie roles. He was a darling of the 1994 conservative takeover of congress. But the same folks who convinced Thompson to run for president became so disheartened by his anemic political drive and skills. Thompson fell flat. Not because he was obnoxious like Adams, but because he lacked the passion to run. He, like Adams, was more popular before his candidacy than after entering the mix.

The Huckabee Oklahoma Collapse

   In 2008, Gov. Mike Huckabee was the darling of the religious Right and his Oklahoma primary networkers were forerunners of the 2010 Oklahoma Tea Party machine who obliterated the democrat party in the Sooner state.  In 2011, Huckabee announced that he lacked that "fire in the belly" that is needed to run for president.

Committeeman Steve Fair, Gov. Mike Huckabee,
& Charirman Dave Weston, at RNC 2014 Winter Meeting

   Now Huckabee is laying the groundwork for a 2016 presidential bid. His "Huck's Army" machine had moved over to the Santorum 2012 campaign, and will not likely revert back to their former allegiance.

   Huckabee's political contacts have also moved eastward. He left Arkansas and built a mansion on the beautiful Florida beach, near Panama City. He flies into New York for his weekly Fox News Gig. His other associations seem tied to establishment politicians like Senator Mitch McConnell and Lamar Alexander. Huckabee may claim ties to Tea Party causes, but very few Tea Party groups claim ties to Mike Huckabee, anymore.
   In Oklahoma, Mike Huckabee actively campaigned for Congressman John Sullivan in previous years. Yet Sullivan sided with McCain even when Huckabee won Sullivan's 1st district presidential primary, in 2008. Huckabee's original Oklahoma campaign organizer, Dave Weston, is now the state GOP party chairman. But most every member of the old Huckabee-Oklahoma campaign is now very disappointed with the Huckabee policy statements, like:

• Support for the Michelle Obama school food restrictions
• Proposed ban on words like RINO within political speech
• Support for Common Core mandates

   All of these recent developments have created one of the biggest political suicides in Oklahoma presidential primary politics.
"Renewing the American Dream" dinner with Governor Huckabee

  Last year it made sense to the OKGOP leadership to invite Huckabee to headline a swanky fundraiser at the Renaissance Hotel Ballroom. But as the days grew closer, Huckabee became more toxic. His financial contract with the OKGOP was based on a percentage of the event proceeds going to Huckabee's political purse.
 When it became clear that HuckPAC was funding establishment candidates whom Oklahoma Tea Party activists were strongly opposed to in their primary races; the event ticket sales were hampered. The OKGOP hoped to sell sponsorships for as much as $6000 each.  Some respected Oklahoma poitical bloggers actively encouraged skipping the event and instead dropping off a contribution directly to their county or state party office so that Huckabee would be denied any of the support. Finally, the threat of bad weather created a convenient way to "postpone" the event for an unspecified future date.
   No mention of the event even exists on the OKGOP website. and no future event is yet to be announced, with Huckabee.

Homeschoolers Betrayed For Money

   You won't believe who's fighting AGAINST Home Educators' freedom, at the capitol!

   The Homeschool Book Fairs & Conventions that are held in OKC & Tulsa each year, are a very big business which heavily funds the lobbying budgets for OCHEC.

   OCHEC does not want homeschoolers making deals with the state, because free curriculum and inclusion on the school district's varsity squad would undercut their business venture as well as the business partners who pay massive booth fees for the big convention halls.

   It's not enough for them to personally opt out of public school teams. No, they want the state legislature to shut down the effort for every other family who educates at home.

"My Big Homeschool organization's success depends on shutting down the only viable sport options for rural home educators."

   The big metro homeschool sport organizations have several hundred athletes. For recruiting, they really don't want to compete with public schools for attracting the best homeschool athletes. But remote areas of the state have no practical options for the home educated athlete.

   I was a board member for NOAH as well as a multi-sport coach for teams my kids were on. I flatly told my fellow coaches and board members that I support whatever gives the most freedom for homeschool families. The metro homeschool sports teams are essentially saying; "My organization's success depends on shutting down the only viable sport options for rural home educators." I do not want to be part of that organizational policy, so I resigned.

   Like an Amish man who dares to wear a plaid shirt, anyone who reject's the strict guidelines of OCHEC is shunned. Home education co-ops are under the same threats and a significant number of them have been rejected by the self-appointed spokemen of Oklahoma home education. OCHEC won't even voluntarily refer to disobedient co-ops as real 'homeschoolers'.

   What's even worse is that OCHEC uses terminology which refuses to acknowledge other homeschoolers who disagree with them. They forced affiliates to kick out families who tap into state resources to enhance their kids' education. Oklahoma has unprecedented arrangements to give families access to a portion of the funding which public schools get. At least now, families can get traditional homeschool curriculum paid for by the Oklahoma Dept. Of Education.

   OCHEC hates that because it undercuts the book fairs they've made fortunes off of. Those book fairs fund the entire operations, lobbying, and board retreats.

   OCHEC makes a very subtle and corrupt redefinition of what home education means. They define it by where the money comes from and goes through. Home educating literally means 'educating at home', but that's too inconvenient to their strategy and growth.

   Money corrupts. That's the message OCHEC uses to convince families to "Fear The State". But money has clearly corrupted the OCHEC strategy of putting their business in front of the families they claim to represent. See OCHEC lobby against homeschool opportunities

Listen To Oklahoma Senate's Electoral Vote Debate

On Feb. 12, 2014; the Oklahoma Senate was surprised by a parliamentary move which resulted in the near-stealth passage of legislation to give Oklahoma's electoral college votes to an interstate treaty compact.

In the past 4 presidential elections, that compact would have resulted in Oklahoma (America's most 'red' state) casting all of their electoral votes to the most liberal candidates in American history.

Listen to the audio of the parliamentary process and pass this on to your friends.