Friday, June 27, 2003

Hargis Dissed, Biboists Outraged

Biboists in Oklahoma are up in arms over the dissing of Burns Hargis by Governor Brad Henry. As you may recall, Biboists regard the sayings of Burns Hargis as the revealed truth and thus have a high regard for the man that comes to us in the forms of a banker, TV pundit, and Chamber of Commerce official. The offense of the Governor was to agree to appear as keynote speaker at a Hargis-hosted OKC Chamber fund-raising function earlier this year - and then to fail to appear. And to offer no apology, no explanation.

Of course for Henry to fail to show for an event is no great surprise. He does that very often. But, Burns Hargis, was on Henry's Transition Team - a Republican that stuck his neck out to help Democrat Henry. The thanks Hargis gets? Public embarrassment at being stood up by the Governor.

The buzz around Oklahoma is that this governor is the worst in memory at sheer rudeness as exhibited in unkept promises, missed events, very late arrivals, and dissed supporters. Many are overheard saying that the only work this Governor does is to work overtime to rub everyone the wrong way.
A Letter from Walter Cronkite

A "personal" appeal from Walter Cronkite arrived in my mailbox today. "Well, it's about time!", I thought to myself. Walter's letter told me of his disapproval of the Religious Right but singled out Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson for attack because they blamed 9-11 on America's ho-hum attitude toward gay marriage, feminism, etc. Walter pointed out that the two Christian Coalition leaders had also, in essence, blamed God for inflicting 9-11 on us in retribution. Walter said he didn't agree with these two characters and said they did not represent most "people of faith" (is this the politically correct way to say "religious folks"?) like him.

Walter was writing on behalf of an organization called the Interfaith Alliance and invited me to contribute to the group's effort to promote an acceptance of all faiths and an agenda of loving kindness rather than a hateful political agenda dressed in religious clothes. Checking the organization's website I see where the Oklahoma City and Tulsa chapters of this group are having a seminar in OKC on Monday, June 29th.

I'm with Walter on this issue with one request - what do they have to say about people of no faith? Do such people exist in equal standing?