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Silence won.

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Silence... That’s what Oklahoma heard yesterday in its primary and state question elections. Not sure what I mean? Look at the horrible turnout for yesterday’s primary races and the proposed state question in Oklahoma. The turnout should alarm everyone.  In the Democratic primary for Governor, only 172,366 voted out of 564,700 registered Democrats (30%).  In the Republican primary for Governor, only 402,917 voted out of 1,207,548 registered Republicans (33%).  For state question 832, only 630,085 voted out of 2.2M+ total registered voters (28%). It doesn’t matter what party you belong to or where you stand on the issues, every single Oklahoman should find this troubling.  It's easy to look at political outcomes and feel frustrated. I get it, really, I do. I have been frustrated a lot but seeing the turnout so low… makes me angry. I don’t care if it’s a major election or primary election, we must show up. We can't build a better Oklahoma when most of us leave the dec...
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Turning Off the Stadium Lights

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  Photo by Gabor Szucs on Unsplash I love social media for its ability to keep me connected to people I met years ago at camp and now using it to keep connected to others I meet in my work and day to day life. Connection is what I think a lot of people want, and yet, with angry sharing on social media, we seem to just make people angry and hateful. The digital porch feels less like a place to gather and starting to feel like a stadium where everyone is booing. Our communities are turning into opposing teams. Instead of cheering for the athletes, for a good game, and having a good time supporting teams, we just wait for the other side to seemingly make a mistake.   What breaks my heart the most when I look at comment sections is that the people tearing each other apart don't even know one another. They aren't arguing with a neighbor; they are screaming in writing at someone they most likely don’t know or have ever met.   Our manners, our empathy, and our humanity are gone...
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Hands Off Special Education!

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We need to sound the alarm on the proposed & recent cuts to the Dept of Education, specifically those to Special Education Services & the core functions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). These staffing cuts aren't just budget adjustments; they are a direct attack on the rights and well-being on our nation's children with disabilities. IDEA is a landmark civil rights law that guarantees a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) for every child with a disability. It ensures access to specialized instruction, related services like speech, occupational, and physical therapy, & essential legal protections. I have listened to this poem by  Lederick Horne  a few times since these most recent actions to the Dept. of Education's Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). I feel so many emotions like anger , disappointment , scared , & sad . I don't know what to think & barely know what to do.  Decimating the s...
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