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 the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Wal-Mart off base?. Charles Hood, Tulsa. Despite our government's ever-increasing need to borrow from China, we continue to complain against China's inhumane treatment of its political prisoners and its manufacturing workforce. The political prisoners are jailed and deprived of all rights. And, although China's workers aren't "prisoners," they might as well be. They're forced to produce products while working extra-long hours in poor, unhealthy conditions - and they're paid just pennies per hour to do so. Despite being cautioned countless times to "be more considerate ... keep your criticisms to yourselves," our government continues to complain. Yet, one very greedy American sits on the sidelines and quietly - but gleefully - applauds these same working conditions. His name is "Uncle Sam" Walton. He supports these inhumane conditions, because these conditions support him and his 9,655 stores. Today, more than 90 percent of the goods Wal-Mart sells are "Made in China. How else could Wal-Mart sell its products at such cheap prices? These products lack quality, but what else can you expect from unhealthy, overworked and underpaid workers? What America fails to understand is that Wal-Mart's greed has forced untold numbers of U.S. retailers and manufacturers - and the jobs therein - to close their doors. After more than 20 years, the snowballing impact of Wal-Mart's greed has finally caused the demise of too much of America's production, the driving force behind a successful economy. It's a tragedy when America's largest retailer refuses to buy products "Made in America. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com..

Local Editorial

Global warming. World's Editorial Writers. In a video prepared for delivery to a United Nations climate change conference in Durban, South Africa, Oklahoma's Sen. Jim Inhofe declared victory in his efforts to debunk man-made global warming as a hoax. The global warming movement has collapsed and is being ignored by its biggest allies, he said. The senator's declaration of victory may be a bit premature. While he may have persuaded some people that there is no need to spend money to deal with the consequences of the increased burning of fossil fuels, the preponderance of scientific opinion is, as it has been, that Earth's climate is warming and fossil fuels use is the main culprit. To deny climate change is to ignore the evidence. Sea levels are rising and the oceans are warming. Global temperatures are rising. Glaciers are retreating and ice sheets in Greenland and the Antarctic are decreasing. All these things are happening at unprecedented rates. While there are scientists and politicians on both sides of the issue, those who see climate change as a genuine threat are mostly scientists and most of those who deny it are politicians. Even if Inhofe has "won" the debate, as he says, it is a dubious victory. The climatological consequences of global warming are already upon us. Weather extremes are becoming the norm. More intense hurricanes and resulting flooding, record-setting temperatures, drought and wildfires are all symptoms. According to the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "Scientific evidence for warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Disbelieving or discounting the facts simply delays the time when the nations of the world will take the steps necessary to address the issue..

From my local paper: Jay Cronley

Hollywood writers all out of ideas. JAY CRONLEY World Staff Columnist. Movies have never been worse. The same is true for television drama. Here's why. We're pretty much out of ideas here on Earth. And there are few talented writers and actors around to execute the remakes and rehashes, the horrifyingly bad update of "The Pink Panther" movie serving as an example of the importance of talent. There are only so many things of value around which to stage a caper, only so many ways to try to get away with murder, only a thousand ways to fall in love, 500 ways to fall out of it. And once they've all been done, and redone worse, there's nothing left to do but let some guy dress up as a woman and pretend to be his own sister. Some of what they're making are no longer movies in the traditional sense, they're computer-generated robotics whereby actors say their lines to Magic Marker lines drawn on blank screens, with monsters and what have you programmed in later. Classics ageless: A youthful age is no excuse for not knowing what was important or great. Students don't get to say that they were too young to know what happened in a world war. Nobody is too young to appreciate a masterpiece of art. Similarly, the great movies and television shows and books are easily available for anybody interested in improving. Not having the time for a classic is a weakness. Going to the movies is still a lot of fun, even in the cheap joints where sound blasts through the wall from the next room like you were at an economy motel. So is settling in with a bowl of popcorn in front of the television screen. Those who know what's good must lower their standards immediately or be left out by show business today. Evolving standards: As I watched "The Good Wife" this week, I will admit to wishing that Dexter could join this law firm - Dexter, the happy-go-lucky murderer of murderers from Showtime, the guy who slashes first and mops up later. But that attitude comes with high expectations. A radical lowering of standards could result in at least some interest in trying to keep track of all the law office affairs, dumb story lines aside. And although vampires aren't exactly real, and sex jokes aren't always funny, and characters are silly, and plots have no basis in reality, look at it this way. Get out, go, enjoy the show, what's on today is apt to be better than what is to follow..

Column from our local paper. Stop being stupid.

Stupid people need a dose of smarts. JAY CRONLEY World Staff Columnist. This is important. Everybody who is being stupid needs to stop it. You're ruining everything. They're making sitcoms for you. They're making movies for you. They're making tweets for you. They're arranging the 10 o'clock news for you. They're designing jeans for you. They're creating forensic cop shows for you. They're making exercise clothes for you. Worst yet, they're designing political campaigns for you. Being stupid is being unable to have an original thought. How do you get better? Every so often you read something great, and every once in a while you sit quietly and think about doing something wonderful. Lowest common denominator: Political campaigns seem aimed at people who think along bloodlines and party lines. Those with a political bias aren't preaching to the choir. They're preaching to the choirmasters. They're preaching to those who couldn't sing it any other way. Independents will decide the country's next direction. If you're wondering what the party-line people are doing, the answer is: It's the mean season, each side doing unto its own what you wish the other side wasn't doing to its own. Give fifty bucks to each party and you'll get materials aimed at cave dwellers with questions like these: Do you favor President Obama taking your hard-earned money and giving it to deadbeats? How do you feel about the tea party's plans to use your Social Security contributions to fund business expansion in China? It is doubtful that Hank Williams Jr. or Keith Olbermann could convince many to change their minds. (Channels, maybe.) I think, therefore I am: Independents aren't smarter than all party members. Smarter than those running the campaigns, sure. Here's what many independents are like: They can't be frightened. They can't be charmed. They can't be bullied. They know fake talk when they hear it. Here's something funny about what dominates television, not funny humorous, funny ironic: Independents dislike obvious bias more than anything. Votes are usually awarded in one of two ways. Best ideas win. Or most offensive loses..