Impressions of ’23 as we look to new year
Happy New Year’s Eve, Oklahoma!
2023 was both an exciting and highly frustrating year. Exciting because so many of you showed how much you care about your communities, the state and allowing us to amplify your voices. Your columns and letters challenged state leaders and called them out when they fell short of expectations.
It was a frustrating year as state leaders chose to make laws and adopt policies based on culture wars instead of addressing real needs, such as hunger, homelessness, mental health and addiction, reducing incarceration rates, and truly improving our public education system.
So much time was wasted, hyper-focused on “woke ideology,” nonexistent “indoctrination” and teachersanctioned pornography in our public schools. Frankly, it made Oklahoma look like a backward state. Companies might want to take advantage of our tax incentives, but those that care about their image will not lean into a state that waves a flag of non-inclusiveness.
I’d like to say 2024 will be a more productive year, when we’ll see bipartisanship at work in the Oklahoma Legislature; when politicians will stop their unending campaign for public office; when there’ll be more amicable dealings between Gov. Kevin Stitt and the tribes; when Ryan Walters will stop using the farright national playbook to deconstruct public education; when the dysfunctional Oklahoma State Department of Education will again foster academic excellence and support teachers.
I’d like to say it’ll be the year when Republican leaders reverse the trajectory of taking us back to the 1950s and that women will fight back to regain autonomy of their health care needs, including when an abortion is necessary; that Christian nationalism is not synonymous with patriotism; that Stitt will remove his blinders and stop making DEI an issue about race instead of programs that lift all marginalized groups; and that society will stop ostracizing transgender kids and nurture them as they do for their own children.
I can’t say any of those things, but I can say we will continue to give you a platform to voice your concerns and demand that your representatives, whose salaries you pay, do better. And we will take on anyone and any issue where we believe we can make a difference.
Many Oklahomans have been in a constant state of unease in the last few years because there’s no political will to end divisiveness. With mental health services already strained, that’s not where Oklahomans want to settle. 2024 is a presidential election year and this one is shaping up to be messy. National politics is certain to reverberate here. So hang on, Oklahoma. We may be in for a bumpy ride.
Clytie Bunyan is managing editor for diversity, community engagement & opinion.
2023 top 10
Here are the top 10 opinion columns that appeared in Viewpoints in 2023 according to our page views and subscription totals:
Former Sonic CEO: If we want companies to come to Oklahoma, we must commit to welcoming all
Editorial: It’s time for Ryan Walters to end disparaging rhetoric or resign
Legislators, remove Ryan Walters. End his toxic crusade against Oklahoma teachers
Choctaw Chief: Stitt returns to unwarranted attacks on tribes
Pastor: We’ve heard much about ‘indoctrination.’ What do you call a Catholic charter school?
Several resources are available to help the 50+ generation explore entrepreneurship.
Guest: Carter County DA is wrong. Oklahoma lacks basis for seizing man’s firearm
College student view: Recreational marijuana would do more harm in cities like Norman
Bishop: Fear does not have to divide the United Methodist Church
With Markwayne Mullin’s D.C. antics, ‘Oklahoma values’ go down the drain