I locked myself in my bedroom and cried the first time I read the memo.
It was January 2008. Two weeks before, I had sent a text message to a former high school teacher that read simply, “Oh no. I may be turning liberal.”
I had recently switched my political party affiliation from Republican to Independent, and, though not a complete swing to the left, I knew it was a big move for a small-town, Southern Baptist, Oklahoma woman.
My former teacher called me immediately and excitedly offered her congratulations.
But what she somberly told me next — and what the old memo she e-mailed me two weeks later proved — was that religion and politics are so strongly bonded in Oklahoma that anyone who disagrees with the religious right is made out to be despicable.
I realized that, in the minds of too many Oklahomans, the “L-word” will do nothing less than send a person straight to hell.
Outside the box
This teacher was infamous in my small hometown in north-central Oklahoma.
She was the one who told students to not use the word “gay” as an insult.
She was the one who kept a copy of the Quran in her classroom, to the dismay of the community and to my high school self.
She was the one who wore black the day after George W. Bush was re-elected in 2004.
The school board tried to get her fired. As did local churches, including mine.
And as did the principal.
In 2005, he asked her to sign the memo. It listed several points she must agree to, including:
“Understand that you work in a conservative community.”
“Stay on topic; be cautious with politics and sexual orientation situations with students.”
“Be careful with liberal and religious view points.”
And, the one that made me cry, “Remember who you work for and [the fact that] consistently being outside the box and parent complaints could cost you your teaching position.”
I suddnely realized I had been brought up in a community that forbids original thought.
I realized I had bought into the lie that it is a sin open your mind and just listen to what people who disagree with you say.
I realized my small community was a microcosm of the state of Oklahoma and that, as long as I stay here, the fact that I am a moderate who sympathizes with some — though definitely not all — liberal viewpoints will cause others to question my Christianity, my judgment and my intelligence.
The red state
Oklahoma is the most conservative state in the nation.
It is a somber fact here that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States.
Every one of Oklahoma’s 77 counties supported Sen. John McCain in the Nov. 4 election, making it the only state in the nation to have every county vote Republican.
Despite the fact that the rest of the country has shifted slightly to the left, Oklahoma has moved farther to the right.
For the first time in Oklahoma’s 101 years of statehood, Republicans this year gained control of both the Oklahoma House and Senate.
This year, Oklahomans re-elected to his third term in the U.S. Senate James Mountain Inhofe — a man who has crassly broken elections into three issues: “Gods, guns and gays.”
During his tenure in the Senate, Inhofe has been strongly opposed to finding solutions for global warming, calling it the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people,” and claimed that most evangelicals agree with him.
Oklahomans also re-elected by a 58 percent marjoity State Representative Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, who, in March, made national headlines when she said at a Republican luncheon that homosexuality “is destroying this nation,” and that homosexuality is “the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or
Islam.”
Also re-elected to the Oklahoma House was a man originally from my hometown whom I know well, Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs.
In 2007, Duncan refused a complimentary state centennial copy of the Quran from the Governor’s Ethnic American Advisory Council.
Instead of saying a simple, “No thanks,” Duncan wrote fellow lawmakers that he refused a copy because, “Most Oklahomans do not endorse the idea of killing innocent women and children in the name of ideology” and because he didn’t “know of another religion or ideology that employs terrorism and the threat of terrorism.’’
Months before, Duncan accepted a copy of the Bible from the Baptist General Convention in Oklahoma. He said it was a nice gift.
The religious right
Though many are questioning why Oklahoma is shifting to the right, I believe the answer is simple.
The state is becoming more conservative because it has politicized Christianity and turned liberalism into a sin.
Oklahomans are proud of the fact that their state is most conservative in the nation, despite the fact that it contains more registered Democrats than Republicans.
They view it as a final safe haven for Christians, morals and families and have no desire to “conform” to the idea that America can endure what they perceive to be dangerous change.
Obama had a difficult time gaining support in Oklahoma because people did not think he was a Christian, according to Ivan Holmes, chairman of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, quoted in The New York Times.
McCain was the “Christian candidate” — despite the fact that McCain, who rarely talks about his faith, was quoted by the Christian Science Monitor as saying he is not “born again” but is “just a Christian.”
According to everything I’ve been taught, to be a Christian, a person must confess a faith in Jesus Christ as lord and savior — which is commonly called being born again.
Obama also was badly hurt in the state by his pro-choice views.
Though many conservatives I have talked to said they agreed with most of what Obama stood for, they, as Christians, could not vote for a man who was “pro-abortion.”
Inhofe was re-elected because he represents vaguely defined “family values.”
He also initiated the “We Get It” declaration, along with Oklahoma Sen. Tom Cole, that protests climate-change action on the grounds that “our stewardship of creation must be based on biblical principles and factual evidence.”
Kern and Duncan were re-elected despite their hateful messages against people who are “different” because they believe these people are a threat to Christianity.
The red state, to me
It was after Kern and Duncan’s hate-filled “Christian” Republican rhetoric that I realized I was not a conservative Republican.
This had absolutely nothing to do with my faith in God, which is stronger than it ever has been.
It breaks my heart that, outside campus, I cannot discuss politics in my home state without my faith being questioned.
It breaks my heart that, in this state, there is little room for the middle ground. A person has to agree with everything — or nothing — a party stands for.
Yes, I voted Democratic this year. No, I do not believe abortion is morally OK, nor have I ever.
I also don’t agree with capital punishment, like many Republicans do, or continuing an unjust war based on false pretenses, or denying the existence of global warming.
If I voted Republican, would I have to believe in those? No.
It is not a sin to think independently. It is not a sin to listen to and befriend people who are different from you.
I don’t care how Christians feel about homosexuality. They should love homosexuals because they are people whom Jesus himself loves.
I don’t care that Christians do not agree with Muslims about religion. They are doing the opposite of what they as Christians are called to do when they approach them with hatred.
Christians are called to love. When did so many forget that?
Too many Republicans — though definitely not all — in this state are benefiting from stirring hatred that should not be there in the first place and fueling it by saying it is the Christian thing to do.
I have prayed and prayed and prayed, and I am happy with my stance on politics and religion.
But I am always saddened when I leave my protective bubble on campus and return to my hometown, where conservatism is sacred and change is feared.
Change is inevitable, and I’ve learned that how we react to it defines us, for better or for worse.
Oklahomans can’t continue to close their minds and hearts to the big, beautiful world around them.
My former high school teacher never signed the memo. She ended up leaving Oklahoma and now refers to that time in her life as “a witch hunt: ludicrous, vengeful, intimidating and just so wrong.”
If things do not change here, I cannot see myself staying.
And that breaks my heart.
Increase Text Size
Decrease Text Size
Print Story
Mail to Friend
More Stories
Comments
Great column. I love that it ends with her not signing the memo.
Hailey, this was a great article! It was very insightful and open-minded and I was very glad to hear you point problems that this state has been having. This is quality stuff here. Keep up the good work!
Wow. I think this article articulated how a lot of christian democrats feel. Thank you for writing this. And although it seems like the conservatives outnumber us here, there are quite a few open minded people in Oklahoma, and nationally of course you can see how the nation voted.
Branson:
Don't be down. I'm from Grant County myself. North Central Oklahoma is a great place to be from and I think Oklahoma will come around eventually it'll just take a while. Give it a little time. In the mean time don't feel bad about heading up to Denver and helping to solidify the bluing of Colorado. Conversely you could go back home and explain to your friends and family why the radical right is really wrong for small town Oklahoma. Be part of that 50 state strategy.
Either way, there's no need to cry. The future is bright.
Yeah I made the same argument a while ago to my friends. Oklahoma, the state I have lived in my entire life, is increasingly becoming backwards.
This is a beautiful article. I promise, many of us from Texas have similar experiences.
Great article.
So many of us are trying to figure out why Oklahoma voted (votes repeatedly) as it did. Thanks for sharing your experience and perspective. I really hope more young people will choose to stay and work to bring Oklahoma back to its progressive roots.
Great, great article!
Did you know that Oklahoma used to have the largest socialist party in the country? We are not a historically conservative/republican place, somehow we've just eaten the bull we've been fed more than other places. You know, Christianity is always going to be a stumbling block here, because you're just not going to change to many people's minds about it. Christ said, "I came not to bring peace but a sword." I think that's the attitude serious reform must have in Oklahoma. Of course the sword is only a metaphor for intellectual and philosophical vigor and resolve. We can't be so conciliatory to the radical red right here, we have to start kicking some A! We can't just sit and argue that Christianity is misconstrued here... that argument is old, worn out, and has never really worked. We need a change in the issues and ideology, that is, an issue driven attempt to change the hearts and minds of the people here. Oklahomans are smarter than the conservatives or liberals give us credit for. We like hard work, honesty, and a good sense of humor. The progressive movement here has to get off of its pleading knees and start asserting itself as legitimate and superior to the current bullcrap. Oklahomans respect someone who is, lets face it, an a**kicker. They don't like mopey little political voices, but robust confident voices that push the way forward. A progressive movement can take hold here, we just have to work for it and put the Oklahoma spirit, the spirit of Woody Guthrie and Will Rogers, in our movement's vigor.
I want Hailey to know that she definitely is not alone. There are hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans who agree with her on the dangers of blending politics with religion. Most of these supporters are mainstream Christians. We live in a democratic republic that the right-wing Christians want desperately to make into a theocracy. And they will do it, too, if people like Hailey don't stand up and let their voices be heard. Believe it or not, there are groups in Oklahoma who are supporting the separaton of religion and politics. I have been a volunteer with one such group called the Tulsa Interfaith Alliance. There is also the Oklahoma Interfaith Alliance out of OKC, as well as a group called Americans for the Separation of Church and State. Also, The ACLU of Oklahoma is one of the strongest proponents for religious freedom in the state. You can check out any of these groups' web pages for more information, find out when and where they meet, and more importantly, how you can become more involved. Freedom isn't free. We must fight for it every single day, and remember that for centuries the roots of democracy have been watered by the blood of American patriots so we could forever have the precious librties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, especially the freedom of religion but also the freedom from religion. Keep up the good work, Hailey.
Ms. Branson, I think nearly everyone is against abortion. Those of us who are against it, but want it to remain legal, are against the criminalizing of abortion. If abortion were ever made illegal, who would go to jail? The doctor? The doctor and the woman? The doctor and the woman and all who knew of her intent?
As for the body of your article, you're a brave person, as is your former teacher.
As a fellow Christian, I am disheartened by many Christians who focus on the crotch, abortion, premarital sex, homosexuality, etc., while so many go hungry and so many more Americans are sinking into poverty.
Sounds alot like my hone state: Alabama. Once you leave the Southside neighborhood in Birmingham....or Huntsville...you are in dangerous territory.
That is a great article. The same thing happened here in Texas. Only now are we getting out of it. I hope. . .
As someone who graduated from the University of Oklahoma school of journalism in the early '90's, I understand your dilema all too well. Add to the fact that I'm a lesbian and you can see exactly why I knew I had to leave the (not so) OK state as soon as I got my diploma. My destination was the west coast where I now struggle to the best of my abilities to explain the nature of Okie-thinking to others, though, frankly, they still don't get it. With your permission, Ms. Branson, I think I'll borrow your line about how Okies perceive liberalism as a sin because it's entirely true. It's also entirely sad. The friends with whom I grew up and all of my siblings have left Oklahoma and all have expressed two things since leaving: a passionate love of OU football (go Sooners!) and a dismay at the hardening of the ultra-conservative nature of the state's mindset. It is this attitude, disguised as religious certitude, that has so deeply wounded the state in the eyes of the rest of the nation and, indeed, the world. If one is not a straight, white, fundamentalist Christian who always votes Republican, why would one choose to move to this state? And being a straight, white, fundamentalist Christian who always votes Republican is to be on the losing end of today's demographic trends, trends that will leave Oklahoma increasingly isolated and shunned. Ms. Branson, I hate to be the one to tell you this but you *are* going to have to leave the state when you graduate because you have already strayed outside the paramters of the Okie-thought box and once you do that it's impossible to go back in. Don't be afraid; there are 49 other states --and good chunks of the entire world, though I'd avoid the Middle East if I were you -- that will be happy to allow you to have your own mishmash of ideals, codas and beliefs as you see fit. Good luck and know that you are not wrong, you are not alone and you are most assuredly **not** a sinner.
Well, it's the reason I left the trucking company I used to work for in Tulsa. The politics and the anti-gay nonsense got so ugly I just couldn't stand being a part of the Oklahoma economy. That was 3 1/2 years ago, and I have never looked back in regret. Life is great outside of Oklahoma. I knew a lot of great people with Arrow, and I hated to leave, but this was just too much to stomach any longer. It doesn't seem to be getting anything but worse from viewpoint here in Tucson. Good luck and Godspeed with the revolution!
Thank you for writing this column, as I'm sure it took a great deal of courage to associate a face with these views.
I do have to say that I agree with you completely. During the lead-up to the election, I was constantly hounded for my political stance by locals, with the most popular question being 'Why Obama? Isn't he that muslim [insert random racial slur here]?'. Why something like this should matter to these back-ass-wards folk is beyond me but it seems that most people in Oklahoma are either: A. Too retarded to see the distinction between the left and right, liberal and conservative and/or B. Have never been out of the state for any prolonged period.
Even coming from Texas I can see the downfalls of this type of thinking.
But as many have said before me, you will probably have to leave the state to find a place where the default mindset is not some backwater hick mob mentality.
But hey, worse comes to worse, most of the backwards oklahomans will remain in OK where they belong, leaving the educated ones to flee by the masses. Just don't raise your kids here.
This really hits home with me. I grew up in Alabama and went through the same thing. Once I graduated high school a few years ago I knew I had to go to a college out of state.
Interesting article. I am from Oklahoma, and I used to be a Christian. Life makes a lot more sense now that I have left both behind. One of the biggest reasons I am no longer a Christian is the bible verse John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another". In my personal life and also in politics, I've seen a lot more love from non-believers (who tend to be thinking people). It might be noble to want to change people's minds and help them see the truth, but you only have one lifetime so you might as well spend it in a place where you can be happy.
You are free to leave the state at anytime. I love you "open minded liberals" who have believe conservatives can't think what they want to. Let me know when you get the U-Haul and I'll be glad to help you pack and get out of Oklahoma.
Bless your heart. It took me 42 years to accept the things you have so eloquently stated here. Eleven years ago, I left Oklahoma to bathe in the diversity of the greater world, and have not regretted it for a moment. I wish the same for you. Have a great life, Hailey.
Wow, I never realized just how conservative Oklahoma is. Being from Massachusetts, I've always taken such pride in the liberal ways of my state, and since we're one of the bluest states in the nation, being a democrat is easy. A situation like your teacher was in would never happen here, considering teachers here openly declare their political stances, and fear no criticism. While most of us are liberal, we respect conservatives.
I think that, with time, Oklahoma will change, as will the Midwest. I think becoming more openminded is something which comes eventually, and it really is only a matter of time. Soon, the whole "religious right" platform which those politicians you mentioned stood on will topple beneath their feet.
Amazing article, and be proud of what you believe in. Hopefully you'll gain more faith in this country as you see more of it in your coming years. Many of us are open-minded.
Now, in response to some fellow posters:
badoo: No, not nearly everyone is against abortion. Most of the people I've met aren't.
WeHoSooner: I agree totally with everything you said, and sometimes you do need to leave your home state to be yourself. Come to Massachusetts! We're bluer than blue, but not just a bunch of "sinners" or anything. Rhode Island is cool too.
Great column.
I'm the lone "liberal" in my family, and while I live in a very progressive environment (Washington, DC), I still feel the isolation that you describe. But just recently, I actually had the abortion conversation with my mom.
I explained to her that abortions don't make me happy; never is that procedure a cause for celebration. I can't claim to know when life begins and when a collection of rapidly multiplying cells is invested with a human soul (or if I even believe in such a thing), but that in not knowing, every time I hear about an abortion, I'm saddened and anxious.
And, at the same time, I believe that the so-called "pro-life" movement is doing nothing to protect the lives of the unborn. Instead, they're trying to criminalize women who receive abortions and the doctors who perform them, while doing nothing to prevent unwanted pregnancies from happening in the first place. Like it or not, I told my mother, we live in a society where many, many women who are pregnant and don't want to be will terminate that pregnancy. The question that Roe v. Wade helped us answer is whether or not she will have a doctor or an outlaw conducting that procedure (or whether she'll attempt a do-it-yourself abortion, at home).
As a pro-choice liberal, I believe it's much more effective to provide children with appropriate-yet-comprehensive sex education so that they have the knowledge necessary to become pregnant only when they want to bring a child into the world - and in this way, I can vote for a pro-choice candidate, who typically believes in comprehensive sex ed, with absolutely no qualms.
Sadly, the "pro-life" movement will likely be satisfied once abortion is criminalized, and will not act (and will in fact refuse to take necessary steps) to prevent unwanted pregnancies once the jailings of women and their doctors has begun. That's neither meek, humble, nor righteous. I actually find it morally repugnant.
What you're going through is a rite of passage into adulthood. I know it's heartbreaking to come to the conclusion that some of the things you've known and understood as "the way it is" in your 20 years have become offensive to you. That's what happens as you reach the point where you can think critically about the world you live in, form your own opinions about it and, most importantly, try to do something about the things you dislike. This isn't about just politics and religion, either. It's about everything in life.
As someone studying journalism, you're training for a career that can take you as close by as Oklahoma City or as far away as some flyspeck of an island you didn't know existed until you were sent there. You have a golden opportunity to gather lots of perspective, and how far you go is up to you. Perspective is a wonderful thing. You don't have to accept everything you encounter as right, but it helps to know that people think differently than you do and, more importantly, why they think that way.
I don't share your chosen profession, but in the 20 years since I graduated from college, my work has taken me all over the U.S. and the world. Let me tell you, there's nothing as eye-opening as being on that flyspeck of an island, sitting over a lunch of the favorite local delicacy, reading the English edition of the local paper and understanding how people there see the rest of the world. A close second on the eye-opener list is realizing that as an American, your country has cultural and political reach around the world like no other.
As for your own situation, I don't see Oklahoma changing. People who find themselves on the "wrong" side of the prevailing local political or religious fundamentalism are going to depart for greener pastures, and each departure leaves the pool of die-hards just slightly more in the majority than they were before. Eventually, the moderate conservatives start looking like wild-eyed radicals to the die-hards, and the problem gets progressively worse. (Sorry, no pun intended.) There's nothing that says you have to stay someplace where you're uncomfortable when you have the option of leaving. Life is too short to be miserable.
Best of luck to you.
Haily, a wonderful mind, open and secure. Keep up the process.
Larry Thomlinson
Los Angeles, CA
Born and Raised in Tulsa
Ms. Branson,
What a wonderful article. As a Lesbian you cannot imagine how painful it is to hear what people like Sally Kern say about me just because I was born different than her.
Your article has filled me with a great deal of hope for the future. You are a wise young lady who understands the value and beauty of an open mind.
Thank You!
Becca
San Francisco, CA
Haley,
Ever since the election and the NYTimes' "no blue in Oklahoma" map, this very issue of Oklahoma staying rigidly closed-minded against the wind sweeping the rest of the country, the reddest of the red now, has popped up off and on in Daily Kos. I'd love to get your column there, or some other major blog where the national audience, in hindsight post-Nov. 4, has tried to figure out Oklahoma, You have a simple yet eloquent grasp on it from a front row seat.
As for your own journey--I miss tornado season, football season and family; I don't miss August humidity, or the equally shut-down economy/outlook and ever-more fundie/rightwing mentality. Having one's own beliefs is one thing; attacking even a moderate dissent as extreme is another. The thought of moving back is ever present as we age, but it really gives me pause for my sanity. Good luck as you sort out your own growth--you are just the latest to face that choice.
Larry--LA area since 1994;
Norman native/Area raised & schooled
It's a good piece. She writes with thoughtfulness and conviction. I see a wonderful future for her. Although one could comment at great length about Oklahoma politics, I won't. Instead, I will urge this young reporter to consider staying in a state that needs her abilities. The bright keep leaving. Just look at what's been left behind.
Awesome article. As a student journalist in high school I have seen some of the same things you're talking about here. It's a shame that there are people who are literally too ignorant to realize that there is a bigger world outside of their own.
Peace out, and good luck in the Newspaper business!
Bravo. I myself an a former Fine Arts editor for the Daily who fled the state as quickly as possible.
The unfortunate fact is that, laudable as it may be, attempts to change Oklahomans are simply non-starters.
It ain't gonna happen. So don't bang your head against the wall; anyone reading this, for Heaven's sake as well as your own, get OUT of Oklahoma as soon as possible.
How sad. Oklahoma is a beautiful place, and will always be my home. Unfortunately my home has been overrun with Bad People and is no longer a fit place to live.
I apologize if this seems too devoid of hope. At my age I no longer believe in the essential "goodness" of Okies.
Fantastic article! I think WeHoSooner may be right though. You probably will have to leave. Don't be sad, I was born and raised in OKC. I left the first time at age 18, stayed away for four years. I went back at age 22 thinking it was probably where I belonged, close to family and all. It was even worse than before. I have been on the left coast for the last 31 years and while I still root for the Sooners and make my annual visits to see my immediate family, I would never, ever live there again.
It's not that I hate Oklahoma, my roots are deep there, Grandparents were part of the land rush, North Central wheat farmers. I suppose I was never able to cope with the extreme conservative views held by most of the people I associated with.
You appear to be a bright young woman, do yourself a favor and get out and see the world. It's a wonderful place. Approach this with a positive attitude and remember, you can always go back, you might not stay, but you can always go back.
Wishing You The Best
Mike
Portland, Oregon
I really enjoyed this column, so much to the point that I created a user account just to comment. Although that probably doesn't mean much.
I'm a New Jerseyian and most of the people in my state, or at least most of the people I have political discussions about, point to the Midwest and say that it's the part of the country that's holding progression back the most. I think this is a wrong view point to take. I've spent time in the Midwest, my mother grew up there, my Grandmother lived and died in Kansas. As a child I planned on attending school in the state. I know there's a mix of people there, even though the state leans extremely far to the right compared to the people here in the North East. I think you'd be wrong to leave the state, unless employment opportunities are better for you elsewhere. I think staying and helping to spread tolerance would be a better move. There have to be more like minded people there and you can probably find them with the most ease and least social persecution here on the internet. Mike from Portland, Oregon probably did have the best words of wisdom for you though. Get out and see the world, go back if it's where your heart is. But, leaving because you can't cope with the minds of those around you isn't the best answer. Changing the minds of those around you passively is.
"I don’t care how Christians feel about homosexuality. They should love homosexuals because they are people whom Jesus himself loves."
This really said it all for me. I don't understand the intolerance. (Also, Christians bomb and blow up abortion clinics. To point again would be what was the faith of the man who was behind the Oklahoma City bombing?) To say that one religion is devoid of it's extremists is wrong. To think that Islam is comprised of extremists is wrong. Here in New Jersey I've had the pleasure of meeting Pakistanis, Jordanians and Lebanese. Who are all practicing Muslims, their faith is just as peaceful in its aspects and teachings as Christianity is.
I've spent a bunch of time in parts of the bible belt. Texas is also very Christian. The trick to talking about politics is to make analogies that are simpler to understand and take the abstracts that politics make them, into real life scenarios and see if people's opinions change. You're no longer talking about the murky ether of never never land, you're talking about an incident that's really had an impact on your life. Pro-Life, Pro-Abstinence aren't going to be impacted because someone in Power is allowing them to happen. If the values at home are strong enough they can persevere. Although, I honestly hope they don't.
Sam
New Jersey
I think perhaps the saddest part is the self-fulfilling prophecy that this creates. The state is becoming more conservative. This drives out moderates, the progressive-minded, and liberals. That in turn makes the state more conservative.
It's a sad cycle, but it begs the question of how to end it. Where is the starting point for bringing progressives and moderates back to Oklahoma? Unfortunately, I think that has to come from people like you, the moderate who is disgusted with Oklahoma politics, but whose disgust is manifested in the desire to try to change things here instead of moving away. I think it will take people like that to change it because otherwise the drain of progressive thought will only let the state continue on its downward spiral.
I have a new hero and Hailey is her name! Thanks for having the courage to say what you did. According to the pollsters, at least 37% of all Oklahomans voted for Obama and I suspect each of us can relate to the treatment you've described by the neocons around us--at least I can. I love Oklahoma; but, I'm embarrassed at the representation we have at the state and national levels that demonize anything that isn't the least bit WASP. The television advertisements that I saw during the election were filled with lies, half-truths and insane generalizations that were calculated to create a climate of hatred and fear. For a state that is known for having a church on every corner, I am amazed at the vitriol that spewed forth. There is much work to do.
David
Oklahoma City
Hang in there, Hailey, and don't give up on Oklahoma just yet. After all, we need your voice in the mix to help balance against the crazies... (I mean, the religious conservatives). I used to call myself "the only Democrat in Tulsa" until I met the other one standing in line in front of me during a general election. ~:-) I love everything about living in Oklahoma EXCEPT the politics, but I'm not willing to be run out of this beautiful state just because my politics are different from the other people. It takes a strong person to stand up and be different, and it sounds to me like you have the makings of just what Oklahoma needs. Like I said, hang in there.
As an agnostic, and a former vehement atheist who managed to find some sense of spirituality in his life, I really appreciate this article.
I was a kid in a military family, but I've spent more time in Oklahoma by far than any other place I've lived. In the eleven years I've lived in Oklahoma, I've come to think of it as home. Yet my years in Edmond left me feeling alienated and fearful of bringing up religion because I would literally get yelled at by my peers in high school. I feel much more comfortable here in Norman, one of the few places in the state that seems to have a liberal majority. Because of the atmosphere of acceptance I've found in this great town, I feel at home and able to find like-minded people.
I don't judge people for their beliefs, but I often feel judged for mine. I have strongly conservative friends that I have to avoid certain issues with to avoid butting heads. I dislike feeling that my friends think I have no morals, when I am, in fact, a person who stands strongly by his morals. They just have a different basis than my conservative Christian friends'.
I'm from Oklahoma and I can say with utter confidence that the problem with Oklahoma is religion. Not Christianity, which is fine, but the institution of religion. The mega-churches and the Republican party have formed an alliance that says that in order to be a good person you must be a conservative gay-hating fundie Republican. This is simply not true and any person with two neurons left firing will realize this and leave the state post haste. I would have stayed if there were any opportunities, however, the republican fundies are anti-taxes, which means there is no infrastructure in Oklahoma, hence, no jobs.
A thoughtful, perceptive article, Hailey. You're at a crossroads and have a choice: stay and fight/struggle or move on. Born and schooled in Oklahoma, tutored in Southern Baptist doctrine (not as extremist in the '60's--but aspects with which I differed even as a youngster), as soon as I finished college (Edmond), I chose to move on and have always been glad I did, eventually settling on the West Coast and migrating northward to one of the most spectacular and bluest of states--Oregon. I agree with Mike in Portland: There's a big, beautiful world out there. It has much to offer; as do you. Go try it on for size....
Hi Hailey, I read your column that was reprinted in the Observer and then found it here, it is one of the best coulmns I have read throught this political season, certainly better than anything in the Oklahoman and better than these crap local papers that we have. I am someone who went to college in Oklahoma (at UCO) left the state and moved back. I just hope you don't get too discouraged by all this, there are good people and more than you realize are very tolerant of people from all walks of life. I understand your struggle I am a Christian and also a Democrat, and yes at some churches I would be unwelcome because of the latter. However I have found myself becoming friends and being welcomed by people that I wouldn't have thought of associating myself with just a few years ago. I am also a teacher and I work in an urban school district that is more tolerant than where your old teacher was at, but I have worked in small districts as well and for sure never backed down from my convictions or my obligation to expose my students to all points of view. I again want to say thanks for writing a great cloumn and I hope when you graduate you will find your place here in Oklahoma, it is a great state and the best way to change things is to have more people like yourself comeout and push for the tolerance that is needed in our society.
Take care,
Matt
Excellent article, Hailey. I assure you, you are NOT alone. There are few of us in the Woodward area that have made the same observations you so skillfully outline in your article. I have been shocked and appalled at the hatred (and uniformed lunacy) that 'good Christian folks' out here in NW Oklahoma have been vocalizing over the last several weeks. (The trickle-down effect to their young children is equally appalling.) I can only hope that more Oklahomans will step up and begin to think for themselves as you have.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, Hailey, for your excellent/thoughtful/disturbing essay, which I read actually in THE OKLAHOMA OBSERVER. Please don't give up on our state, Hailey! We were once a progressive state; we can be again, but we need people like you to make it happen. Check out Red Flag Press, and the new online journal oklahomarevelator.com, for example, to see that progressive movements are alive and well here. And, with all appropriate modesty, check out my books, "AN OKLAHOMA I HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE" and ALTERNATIVE OKLAHOMA, both published by OU Press; part of my mission is to get this state which I love back in touch with its progressive roots, and I believe one way of doing that is through an approach to our history which emphasizes those parts of our past. Keep up the good work! Davis D. Joyce, Ph. D., OU, 1968
You believe everything I believe. I just got a message from a friend of mine called "to all of my liberal friends" and it was about Christmas and dodging the fact of it being the birth of Christ. I replied saying that being a liberal has nothing to do with my religious affiliation and it shouldn't! Just because I am a so called "liberal" doesn't mean that I can't also be a Christian. When I go home to my tiny town, it destroys all my hope that Oklahoma can become what we wish it could become, but then I talk to my "liberal" friends and family and I do have hope once again. (like djoyce above) :)
Thank you for having an open mind and believing that everyone should be able to have their own opinions and believe the way THEY want and not the way that people want them to.
Great, great article.
Haley, although I hate to say this, just give it up, it's hopeless. Oklahoma will NEVER change. I figured this out years ago. If I were you I'd just start packing, as the people and politicians in this state are terminally ignorant. People get real, this is NO hope for Oklahoma, I learned that years ago and left this place forever. I'm much happier now living in Missouri. I wasn't surprised at all to see the outcome of the 2008 election in Oklahoma. Just face it, Oklahoma will forever be redder than a tomato. Change will NEVER come to Oklahoma, I'm afraid. Oklahoma is without a doubt, the new Texas. Face it people, its a somber fact, but it's true, and it won't EVER be changing. The state's Democratic party should just disband, there's absolutely no point in wasting money or resources on a hopeless cause.
Haley,
Run for your life. I was dragged here by ignorant parents who believed my father's ignorant evangelical "healer" brothers and his parents that this was the place to be as a 16 year old girl from a wonderful state with fantastic schools to Sand Springs, OK. I tried to stay for my family. I am 48 and fighting the ignorance, religious abuse, con artist faux christians has made me to ill to ever work again. I have a ten year plan to get out of here once I have paid off my house. But you are young as I once was. You have seen the light. Run for a place where people are intelligent, open, loving. Oklahoma is the last place Jesus would endorse. Not to mention, you can't breathe here for half the year because of sweltering humidity. Run!
Post a comment
Commenting requires registration.