It matters not how diverse we as a people make ourselves in terms of the sort of politics we embrace, religion to which we subscribe, professions we train for and practice to the best of our ability, sports teams with which we align, music genre in which we indulge, clothing style we sport, dining cuisine we…
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Veterans looking out for Veterans
On this gorgeous spring-like February Saturday morning I, the Route66Kid, made my way down the turnpike paralleling the Mother Road and attended a meeting of the Oklahoma Democratic Party Veteran’s Committee at the Oklahoma Democratic Party Headquarters in Oklahoma City. Even though there were only a little over a dozen members present, veteran demographics ranging from…
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Happy Birthday, Thomas Paine!
By the Western calendar, February 9th, 1737 is Thomas Paine’s date of birth. Of all the contributors to the American Revolution and to the fledgling American Republic, the work of Thomas Paine not only endures but still resonates loudly today. Paine was the first to promote the idea of an Estate Tax and a minimum wage. …
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Movie Review: Selma
When you undertake telling a story like Selma you are taking something down from altar and you had better do it justice. This historic drama directed by Ava DuVernay did exactly that. The intriguing thing about the final polished product is that it was done using British talent in most of the lead roles. Indeed, British actors David Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo delivered excellent…
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The Winds of Change are sweepin’ down the plains and to the Right!
According to the latest State of the States poll by Gallup, the American electorate is moving decidedly to the political Right. The findings of this poll however are lost on those of us residing along the most conservative stretch of the Mother Road as Oklahoma by any reasonable assessment is already there and has been for the past…
Continue ReadingReflections of national values on Super Bowl Sunday
Being a diehard Oklahoma Sooner fan and fan of college football in general, I do not follow the pro game other than maybe to see from time to time how former OU players are doing. Some who were drafted into the pros after their playing days at OU went on to have stellar careers. Admittedly, some have…
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Culture Wars: The Reddest State Front
The legislature of the state representing the Mother Road’s most conservative stretch has wasted no time in the new session introducing bills to outlaw or maximally marginalize those who do not share the values or belief system of the duly elected representatives of the cultural majority. One such elected culture warrior whose controversial views are…
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Movie Review: American Sniper
Clint Eastwood’s work, both directing and acting, has been something I have long admired and enjoyed from Dirty Harry to the spaghetti Westerns and most of the other pictures since. At the end of the day my all time favorite movie is still one in which he both acted and directed, The Outlaw Josey Wales. In…
Continue ReadingRoe v Wade at 42
Thursday, January 22nd was the 42nd anniversary of the Supreme Court decision on Roe v Wade effectively legalizing abortion on demand in the United States. The debate on the issue is one that has never not been polarized. In 2015 there are many places in the nation where Roe v Wade is purely academic due to obstructionist laws and…
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Is Heat melting Ice merely a Theory?!
Photo by foxnews.com Campaign season is over, those who emerged victorious have been sworn into office and now it is time for the elected to govern. The first item on the legislative docket for the new Senate was the Keystone XL Pipeline bill moving with the speed and certainty of a glacier. The first thing done to…
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