Oklahoma mentality

[metro]

I wanted to start this thread for two reasons. One, it seems everyone likes to rant on Oklahomans thinking in other forums wasting valuable cyber space. This will give everyone a place to vent. Two, I was reminded today while driving how backwards some of our thinking is. I saw several cars with upside down Texas longhorns stickers. Most people say, well ok, whats wrong with that, they are our rival, well yes they are but most people dont realize that the University of Texas gets a royalty every time one of those stickers is purchased thus sending our funds yet again to Texas, instead of buying Texas memorabilia and turning it upside down, support your local school of choice!

[Midtowner]

I wanted to start this thread for two reasons. One, it seems everyone likes to rant on Oklahomans thinking in other forums wasting valuable cyber space. This will give everyone a place to vent. Two, I was reminded today while driving how backwards some of our thinking is. I saw several cars with upside down Texas longhorns stickers. Most people say, well ok, whats wrong with that, they are our rival, well yes they are but most people dont realize that the University of Texas gets a royalty every time one of those stickers is purchased thus sending our funds yet again to Texas, instead of buying Texas memorabilia and turning it upside down, support your local school of choice!

That's always been a pet peeve of mine. I don't flash the "horns down" unless I'm at the OU-TX game, which I've been priviliged to go to for the last 4 years! I guess it's just a little bit of our "little brother" mentality when it comes to the state of Texas.

[Pete]

Most people only know what they see.

A good percentage of Oklahomans have never lived anywhere else and haven't traveled much. They simply don't expect much from leaders, who for the most part are similarly constrained.

I don't see pervailing attitudes as an "Oklahoma Mentality" as much as a function of the surroundings and resulting lack of perspective.

And I think that's where the enlightened views expressed by many on this board are so valuable. Change is hard -- especially when the majority of people don't recognize the need to change in the first place.


The status quo must be repeatedly challenged in order for most to even consider the possibility that there might be a better way.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

I wish this thread to be locked. Utter bull crap IMO.

Yes we must be very backward, especially with Bricktown and all. We're just a bunch of hics with an internet connection. Nah, we don't know how to work it.

[Curt]

Everytime I have been there everyone has been real nice to me, so I have nothing bad to say here. You could be stuck in DETROIT, now talk about a backward bunch of stumblebums..

[soonerguru]

Yes, indeed the Horns Down sticker is as ubiquitous in Oklahoma as the Pissing Calvin stickers and gun racks.

If you really want to get a feel for the "Oklahoma mentality," check out any of the local evening newscasts.

Sadly, education is not a real priority in this state, and probably never will be.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

Not true. Our universities have some of the finest masters programs in the nation. OU has the world's finest meteoroloogy school, and also has a fine engineering program. OSU has many a fine ag school, and is it's own flip side with the excellant architecture school.

[mranderson]

This is a parody and is not to be taken seriously.


May 4, 1999. The corner of 12 and Janeway, Moore, Oklahoma. An interview with a tornado victim by CNN. The victim is wearing a t shirt, overalls, and a OU football baseball cap. He is holding a can of beer and a rope

Reporter: And what is your name sir?

Victim: Bubba.

Reporter: And your last name, Bubba?

Victim: Just Bubba.

(graphic is now seen that reads "Bubba Justbubba, typical Oklahoman)

Reporter: Your house was hit by the tornado. Is that right?

Victim: You betcha'.

Reporter: What do you think about al this? (reporter looks around)

Victim: That just don't happen here!

Reporter: This area was hit about six months ago. Did you have any damage?

Victim: You betcha' That tornadah done hit my trailer house then too.

(bubba spits)

Reporter: Excuse me sir, would you please stop spitting your tobacco on the camera lens.

Victim: ok.

This is the country's idea of the Oklahoma mentality.

[Midtowner]

If you've ever been the reporter with the camera, you'd know that most sensible people avoid you like the plague.

Unfortunately, you will typically have to settle for Bubba. Been there, done that

[metro]

so you don't think Maps for Kids and the lottery is a priority for education in Oklahoma?

[Keith]

so you don't think Maps for Kids and the lottery is a priority for education in Oklahoma?

I think MAPS for kids will be a priority, but the lottery will only be a smoke screen. You can call the lottery anything you want to, but it will not do anything to help education...it will just line a few pockets. That's why my main focus is MAPS for kids. Those in other states just believe that we are way behind times, and in some aspects, we are.

[Midtowner]

I think MAPS for kids will be a priority, but the lottery will only be a smoke screen. You can call the lottery anything you want to, but it will not do anything to help education...it will just line a few pockets. That's why my main focus is MAPS for kids. Those in other states just believe that we are way behind times, and in some aspects, we are.

You're right. Anything connected with gambling is inherantly evil.

More money to the schools can be nothing but bad.

I'm not serious of course.

My issue with the lottery isn't really a moral one, it's that it allows our school system to ignore a much larger problem that will result in too many kids getting substandard educations from podunk districts.

I did not agree with the lottery in the first place. Not because I don't like gambling -- I think that it's a voluntary tax, ergo, a good thing. i just think that the schools needed to fix a few problems, i.e., having 500+ school districts before we gave them more money -- you know.. trim the fat a bit before adding more calories to the diet.

[Patrick]

I did not agree with the lottery in the first place. Not because I don't like gambling -- I think that it's a voluntary tax, ergo, a good thing. i just think that the schools needed to fix a few problems, i.e., having 500+ school districts before we gave them more money -- you know.. trim the fat a bit before adding more calories to the diet.

I completely agree. Throwing money at a problem isn't going to fix it.

The main problem is having an administration for a district with one building which contains the elementary, middle and high school.

Take Hinton, OK for instance. All grade levels are combined in one building, and they couldn't have over 300 or 400 students. Instead of having to pay a 6 figure income to administrators in Hinton, nearby Binger, and Fort Cobb, why not combine the three districts, and hire 1 administrator to oversee all 3 schools?
Good gosh.....overseeing 3 rural town schools would be much easier than overseeing a metro area school district.


Better yet, for rural areas, let's go to county districts. In my above example, let's create a Caddo County School District, to cover Binger, Hinton, Ft. Cobb, Anadarko, Lookeba, Carnegie, Apache, Bridgeport, Gracemont, Eakly, Cement, and Cyril. The Cado County School District can have its main offices in the county seat, Anadarko. Each school will still be independent and have their own sporting teams and all, only adminisstration costs will be reduced drastically. This district would still be smaller than a larger district like the OKC Public School district.

Problem is, districts are already set, and you're not going to get a town like Hinton to agree to be run by an administrator from nearby and competing Binger.

[okcpulse]

The fact is this- western Oklahoma is dying. Combining school districts will be inevitable, as one the districts will have to close. It will happen, and continue to do so unless living out on the rolling open prairies becomes a fad someday.

[Curt]

The lottery here in Michigan does nothing to help the schools, although people will argue with me on that here. Some how so much of that money just somehow disapears, I am sure a few people know where it goes, maybe their beach house on Lake Michigan? maybe their cottage in Harbor Springs? who knows.

[mranderson]

The lottery here in Michigan does nothing to help the schools, although people will argue with me on that here. Some how so much of that money just somehow disapears, I am sure a few people know where it goes, maybe their beach house on Lake Michigan? maybe their cottage in Harbor Springs? who knows.

My main enjoyment is the fact we FINALLY threw away those stupid blinders and got a lottery. The money could go in the pocket of the Governor for all I care.

[MadMonk]

I love living in OK, but we ARE backwards in some respects (but not as much as people believe). For instance, you cannot legally obtain a tattoo, but you can pierce yourself until you look like a human pin cushion.

[ErnieBall]

My main enjoyment is the fact we FINALLY threw away those stupid blinders and got a lottery. The money could go in the pocket of the Governor for all I care.

That would be appropriate. I love the lottery. There's nothing better than taxing people for their stupidity... unless it's taxing people for their addiction to being stupid.

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

My main enjoyment is the fact we FINALLY threw away those stupid blinders and got a lottery. The money could go in the pocket of the Governor for all I care.

Well you really are an invisionary. Say we propose a tax on doctors, and you aren't a doctor obviously. The tax is nearly HALF of all profits. Well since it must not pertain to you, you are all for it. And even more... would you still not care where it went? Would you still not care whether or not your brother's and sister's hard earned profits went to line the pockets of the greedy, or help a poor family living on a single income?

Truly, an invisionary. Bravo!

[mranderson]

Well you really are an invisionary. Say we propose a tax on doctors, and you aren't a doctor obviously. The tax is nearly HALF of all profits. Well since it must not pertain to you, you are all for it. And even more... would you still not care where it went? Would you still not care whether or not your brother's and sister's hard earned profits went to line the pockets of the greedy, or help a poor family living on a single income?

Truly, an invisionary. Bravo!

You guys are missing the point... As usual.

We have a lottery. THAT is the point. We beat Claunch!

[Keith]

. Ok, let's not turn this into a lottery thread...we already have one somewhere else. Let's stay with Oklahoma mentality.......let's hear some good things about Oklahoma mentality.

[Midtowner]

My issue with the Oklahoma mentality is that at least from a government standpoint, we are still dominated by rural interests. Development in our cities is stimied by people who are bitter that they can't have cock fighting, they want to protect their 200 kid school districts from big city intervention, they want to have 4 lane highways where they're not needed, they want our tax dollars going to support them, etc.

[metro]

amen brotha

[Sooner&RiceGrad]

My issue with the Oklahoma mentality is that at least from a government standpoint, we are still dominated by rural interests. Development in our cities is stimied by people who are bitter that they can't have cock fighting, they want to protect their 200 kid school districts from big city intervention, they want to have 4 lane highways where they're not needed, they want our tax dollars going to support them, etc.

I would argue that many highways, busy highways in our state, like US 62, that are two lane, are quite dangerous.

Also, at least they can't have cock fighting! And yes, school district consolidation is what needs to happen, and that lack of it is KILLING us.

[Midtowner]

The school district thing is overblown as a single issue. I think of it as a symptom to a larger problem -- that problem is the current permissive attitude we have in Oklahoma as far as the rural areas being allowed to 'loot' the urban centers.

By loot, I mean, pay for their neato roads that go from nowhere to nowhere, pay for those roads when they start falling apart, pay for their inefficient school systems, pay for their inefficient municipal governments (last I checked, there were entire municipalities that depended on traffic tickets from speed traps to fund well over half of their city budget), the list goes on and on.

It's not just one thing -- it's everything.