Mullin decides to stick around
MARKWAYNE Mullin said when he first ran for Congress in 2012 that he would serve no more than three terms. Now in middle of term No. 3, Mullin has opened himself to criticism by announcing he will seek re-election next year.
Some view this as just another broken promise by a politician, and technically that’s true. We see it more as a realization by Mullin that making the pledge in the first place was a mistake.
In his announcement, Mullin, R-Westville, said he initially made the pledge because he and his wife were concerned about the toll his time in Washington would take on their family and his business. Both have survived nicely.
Also, it takes time to get much of anything accomplished in Washington, and three terms isn’t all that long. Mullin has become a deputy whip, a position of leadership, but potentially could do more with additional time. It also benefits small states like Oklahoma when their members of Congress stick around awhile and build up seniority for committee work.
We don’t doubt that Mullin meant it when he made his three-terms-and-out promise, nor do we doubt his reasons for deciding to run again. Ultimately, voters in Oklahoma’s 2nd Congressional District will determine just how bothered they are by his backtracking.
Helping the homeless
Oklahoma City is giving residents a new and easy way to help those who are homeless in our community. By texting “Help OKC Homeless” to 41444 and following the instructions provided, donors can provide donations that will go to the United Way of Central Oklahoma. The United Way will then distribute contributions among 29 public agencies, faith-based organizations and private groups that work with the homeless. This idea is taken from a partnership that Ward 6 Councilwoman Meg Salyer learned about between the city of Denver and its United Way. Salyer then contacted local United Way executive director Debby Hampton. “I think it’s a good way for our public to give and feel it’s making a difference,” Hampton said. We have no doubt the giving people of Oklahoma City will make use of this new tool.
Importance of ATV safety
In Pushmataha County on Tuesday, a family’s Fourth of July holiday was marred and their lives forever altered by a fatal accident involving an all-terrain vehicle. According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, an ATV driven by an 11-year-old boy ran off a county road and overturned. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of head injuries. Two other boys, ages 11 and 12, were not injured. The OHP noted that none of the three was wearing a helmet. Presumably, they didn’t realize that state law requires anyone younger than 18 to wear a helmet when operating an ATV on public property. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends delaying ATV use until age 16. Those in Oklahoma who choose to do otherwise owe it to their families to know and follow the law. More safety information is available at the website of ATV Ride Safe Oklahoma (www.ridesafeok.org) or by calling (800) 887-2887.
Emotion over intellect
For decades, “progressives” have argued that government policy — and the control of millions of Americans lives — should be best handled by supposedly dispassionate government experts who base decisions on science, not ideology. This argument has surface appeal until you note the political arguments made by some scientists. Take Stephen Hawking. In a recent interview with the BBC, Hawking declared that President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement “could push the Earth over the brink, to become like Venus, with a temperature of 250 degrees, and raining sulphuric acid.” He added, “The best hope for the survival of the human race might be independent colonies in space.” Hawking is undeniably a brilliant man. But many experts concede the Paris agreement was more hype than substance when it came to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Hawking’s outburst shows emotion can overpower intellect even for the most brilliant people.
Beach closed (sort of)
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has seen his popularity with voters plummet in recent years. Christie didn’t do anything to help that last weekend, when he went with his family to a stateoperated beach that had been closed due to a government shutdown ordered by Christie during a budget standoff. When a newspaper published pictures of the governor’s family enjoying the sand, Christie was blistered on social media and elsewhere. The Republican governor defended himself at a news conference Sunday by saying he was using a state residence, and that his family didn’t use any state services while there. He also added, “Run for governor, and you can have a residence there.” That in-your-face approach, once endearing to his supporters in deep blue New Jersey, came off as tone deaf and selfish, and locals were right to be outraged.
Millennial views
The millennial generation often gets dinged for being out of touch with reality. That stereotype isn’t undermined by polling recently conducted the Higher Education Policy Institute, which surveyed 2,000 teens preparing to start college in England. Researchers found more than half of prospective students didn’t know how to pay a bill. Many also were unaware that rent is the biggest cost for students after tuition. Many participants in the research instead indicated they expected their biggest expenses after tuition to be “nights out,” “student societies,” “groceries” or “course materials.” The poll shows that millennial stereotypes exist outside the United States. But it also highlights a centuries-long trend in which older citizens insist today’s youth are clueless. Few people really understand the realities of adult life when they turn 18, yet prior generations have turned out alright. Ultimately, today’s millennials will probably follow a similar trajectory.
CNN’s mistake
President Trump recently retweeted a GIF of him “body slamming” CNN. We won’t defend the president’s action, which was juvenile, but have to note CNN officials didn’t cover themselves in glory with their response. The network tracked down the private citizen who created the GIF, and then basically reported they wouldn’t publicly identify him only so long as he didn’t engage in similar acts of free speech. Naturally, that announcement practically begged people nationwide to further ridicule CNN, and now the internet is flooded with new GIFs of Trump wailing on CNN. Among other things, you can now watch the climactic scene of 1984’s “The Karate Kid” with Trump in the role of the kid and CNN in the role of the face-kicked Cobra Kai. CNN would have been better served to keep the focus on real news, instead of running down rabbit holes.