Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Wooden-headedness. Curtis Payne, Tulsa. The letter by Mack M. Braly ("Benighted heathens," Jan. 21) goes a long way in explaining why there are so many uninformed voters. The writer only wants to have his opinions reinforced and isn't at all interested in reading a point of view that he does not share. That I believe goes a long way in explaining the current political landscape in Oklahoma. That is why I am thankful to see a conservative-owned paper allowing both a liberal and conservative point of view be represented. As one writer put it: "Disagreement shakes us out of our slumbers and forces us to see our own point of view through contrast with another person who does not share it. Having a paper that is willing to represent more than the majority view in an area should be considered a good thing, but apparently Braly would prefer to remain blind and scared of having his opinions challenged by others who don't agree with him. Braly's condition is symptomatic of "woodenheadedness" and far too many Tulsans and Oklahomans suffer from it, not to mention the rest of the country. Nor is it a very good prescription for providing uninformed citizens with the knowledge to retain our representative form of democracy. I recall a quote by Gen. George Patton that is applicable: "If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. Unfortunately that is apparently what this letter-writer strives for. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com..

Letter to our local newspaper

Letter to the Editor: More of the same. Larry Shepard, Broken Arrow. Recent ads on TV tell us oil for the tar sands of Canada is a safe and clean source of energy. Would you also believe that Jack the Ripper only tickled his victims? They are strip mining vast tracts of boreal forest and turning it into a lunar landscape dotted with pools of toxic and hazardous wastes. Take a look at National Geographic March 2009 issue. It is not pretty. The proposed route of the Keystone pipeline is being obtained by eminent domain, not by the purchase of the right of way. So they are taking the land they want, not paying the people who own the land. Our governor told us jobs would be created. She did not say they are only temporary, mostly diggers and welders who will be gone once the pipeline is finished. Nor did she say the product going through the pipeline needs high pressures to get it to flow, with good chances of blowouts and spills all along its track. The company owning the pipeline does not have a good clean-up record, but it may still need to hire someone to clean up its mess. None of this is leading us down the road to a sustainable energy future. It is only giving us more of the same with more problems and a higher environmental cost. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com