October 25, 2019 Issue, Page 4 of 12

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Friday, October 25, 2019 Opinion Page Humility say. You know when you ously in his own country, encounter humility because he replied he had run sev- “ElkCituNews you are irresistibly drawn to eral large companies and it and awestruck by its pres- was clear he had been in ex- Glynda Lomax is a Chris- ence. People with the qual- ecutive management. I was tian author and podcaster ity of humility are interested awestruck that he could do Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 who resides in the Ozark in everyone else. In conver- such menial work with such Mountains of Northern Ar- sations, they want to know a wonderful attitude toward cold kansas with her two very bossy dogs. She wrote her about you. They are not even the rude and drunken looking for ways you can be patrons, which were numer- first About Life.column in a blessing to them, they are ous that particular evening. 2003 for a newspaper in looking for ways they can “But,” he replied, “I now Dallas. She is planning her bless you. Humility is the have the privilege of serv- next book. very opposite of pride and ing others.” And with that arrogance. In a disagree- he bowed his head, laid I could ever attain, but that “None are as empty as ment, pride is concerned our check on the table and those who are full of them- with who is right, humility is walked off to assist other evening I added it to the top of my goals list. selves.” concerned with what is right. diners. - Benjamin Whichcote. Pride and arrogance are all How much nicer a world The rest of that evening we would have if there were about self, they are always and for many days after, I no prideful and arrogant peo- Have you ever met a pride- looking down at everyone thought of that gentleman ful, arrogant person? Pride- else. Humility looks up. and pondered the wonder of ple, if everyone were con- cerned with others instead of ful people are always telling One Saturday night in encountering true humility themselves. Abraham Lin- you about themselves, their April, a friend and I stopped up close. I felt I had held a accomplishments, and how in at a Denny’s Restaurant at rare dazzling jewel worth an coln once said that what kills Snowy weather can mean treacherous road. smart and wonderful they Walnut Hill and I-35 in Dal- entire kingdom for the brief- a skunk is the publicity it Be prepared and be careful. Photo by Metro are. Then they look at you to las for breakfast. Our waiter est of moments, and I longed gives itself. Why talk about Creative. continue talking about them was a tall man with a South to see more. I longed to stare yourself anyway? As soon and to affirm their magnifi- African accent. I watched at the different facets of that as you leave the room, there cence. Which of us could him as he hurried about be- rare jewel and enjoy the are plenty of people willing By Don Munsch, Editor not name at least one person tween tables working hard to glow that radiated from it. I to do it for you. Old Man Winter might not visit for good for another we know who acts like that? serve the many customers in knew I would be denied that “Humility does not mean Indeed they are around us in his section. There was a re- privilege, but I thought of thinking less of yourself than month or two, but temperatures will dip into the low 30s abundance. fined quality about him as he that encounter for many days of other people, nor does it for the Elk City area today after they dropped by around Humble people, by com- spoke and I wondered how afterwards. And I decided I mean having a low opinion parison, are very rare. So this gentle, intelligent soul wanted humility for myself. of your own gifts. 30 degrees between Thursday and today. what is humility, and what had ended up waiting tables I wanted to walk in that radi- It means freedom from Pretty dramatic. But weather in Oklahoma can be dra- makes humble people differ- in a 24-hour restaurant in ant glow and become a jewel thinking about yourself at ent? Humility is the absence Dallas. Asked what kind others were drawn to. I did all.” matic, what with the state located smack dab in Tornado of self in all we think, do or of work he had done previ- not know if this was a goal - William Temple Alley. Inmates I like the fall weather and changing of the colors, so the change in the weather, after a long, hot summer, is wel- need better conditions Muskogee Phoenix, OKla. but averaging one violent setting. The students were percent capacity with regard come. A series of coordinated assault every day for a five- screened by researchers and to its inmate population and Do I like the cold? I don’t mind it ... except for when assaults behind the walls at year period is an alarming considered psychologically staffing shortages. six Oklahoma prisons that statistic that deserves atten- healthy and normal before Both make it more dan- T have to grapple with driving on icy roads. Never a fun resulted with the death of tion. An agency spokesman they were allowed to take gerous for employees and one inmate and the injuries acknowledged every statis- part in the study. inmates. And both make it chore there. of dozens more captured tic involves “someone get- The students who were I’ve meet people who migrated south from the northern headlines across the state, ting hurt” but noted “a lot assigned to act as “prison- impossible to implement but statistics show these as- of these individuals are vio- ers” in the exercise began policies and programs that U.S. and never looked back. They often cited the climate saults occur too frequently lent.” to perceive each other as can make prisons safer spac- for not missing living back home. Those who endured the on a regular basis. The idea that prisons are the guards perceived them, es and promote rehabilita- An analysis of records ob- violent places because the and they began to act out ac- tion and re-entry after incar- snowy locales, especially in the inland U.S. where one can tained by CNHI Oklahoma prisoners themselves are vi- cordingly. The students who ceration. find bitter cold during winter months, seem to miss their turned up nearly 2,700 re- olentis a theory that has been were randomly assigned as Lawmakers have taken ported assaults that occurred proven false by a number of the “guards” internalized the steps to address staffing home towns and states the least. since January 2015 inside a studies. Prison violence and power they had been granted shortages by increasing ap- Some people live in the southern half of the country on state prison. The documents over the “prisoners” and be- propriations for corrections abuse has been found to be a provided by Oklahoma De- product that occurs more by gan inventing new ways to salaries. Voters took steps a season basis. My aunt and late uncle spent many a year partment of Corrections re- design and operation, not by harass them. to reduce inmate popula- being “snowbirds,” as they left Iowa to live the winter vealed 1,880 instances of the anti-social nature of pris- This study and examina- tions by approving criminal inmate-on-inmate assaults oners. tion of real-life situations months in South Texas. and more than 800 inmate- College students who par- found prison violence can justice reforms. Corrections ‘Those who grew up in the southern half of the U.S. often on-correctional officer as- ticipated in what has come be minimized by better officials must prioritize poli- saults, and a couple reports to be known as the Stanford management and improved cies that are implemented long for some wintry weather, the kind in which they and of guard-instigated violence. Prison Experiment changed conditions. Best manage- fairly throughout the system or their kids can go outside and make a snow angel or a We're not naive enough dramatically after spending ment practices are difficult and provide programs that to believe there never will only six days as guards and to implement when prisons promote rehabilitation, not snowman. be violence behind bars, prisoners in a mock prison continue to operate at 111 retribution. One of my former colleagues grew up in Southeast Texas and now lives in Colorado, and she posted several photos of wintry scenes on her Facebook page earlier this Good move by Oklahoma parole board week, explaining she loved the winter weather, which in- The Oklahoman, Okla- As The Oklahoman’s Dar- Violent offenders may be They include disruptive be- homa City la Slipke reported, the board given hearings every three havior, an inmate’s contin- cluded snow and beautiful leaves. A bill in the Legislature began to change its approach years. A longstanding con- ued risk to the public, or if On the list of the coldest weather I’ve ever experienced this year sought to require last month. cern has been the many in- aggravating factors associ- the state Pardon and Parole “All of the board members mates who, frustrated about was in Colorado, and it was right around this time of the Board to give a reason when feel very seriously that this being rejected by the board, ated with the original crime, year. I was on a trip with other university students to Den- denying an inmate’s parole will help the system,” board choose to forgo the process including victim’s protests. request. That effort failed, Chairman Robert Gilliland and instead serve their full outweigh considerations in ver for the Associated Collegiate Press/College Media As- but now the board is do- said. “Sometimes too much sentence and then get re- support of parole. sociation shindig one year, and Denver was hit with some ing so voluntarily. It’s the of this is done behind a wall leased without any supervi- Gilliland says transpar- right move. The change was that nobody understands. sion. Paroles are subject ency is a chief goal. The heavy snow and bone-chilling temperatures that year. among many recommenda- So we just want to make to post-release supervision board’s executive director. tions made in 2017 by the it clear that these are (the) that, in theory, should reduce Our hotel had limo service so students could venture out Steven Bickley, says this Oklahoma Justice Reform reasons, and I would hope the chances of recidivism. into the city. One day, I hopped into the limo and asked the Task Force created by for- that the inmates would take Providing an inmate with move brings some dignity to mer Gov. Mary Fallin. The these to heart.” Since 2012, a reason for a “no” from the the process. driver what the temperature was at that moment. task force placed consider- the parole board has had the board should help increase Board members “care “Two,” he said. able emphasis on ways to authority to grant parole for the chances for a “yes” the about making the right deci- I walked through a lot of snow on that trip. control the growing prison nonviolent offenders. Before next time around. sions,” Bickley says. “They population. that, the governor had final The board received train- care about listening to every- Ah, snow. Having lived in Amarillo for six years - not One wayto do that is at the say on all parole recommen- ing in August on national one involved, and that’s why to mention the time I spent attending college in Missouri back end of the pipeline. Yet dations; now that’s the case best practices from the head they explain their reasons.” until recently, the tradition only for violent offenders. of the National Parole Re- - I’m accustomed to snow, so when it hits here in Western has been for parole board Those who are imprisoned source Center. Board mem- This change is overdue Oklahoma, I’ll be prepared for its effect on the roads. members not to offer feed- on nonviolent charges have bers and staff came up with and should be beneficial, back to inmates when reject- parole hearings every year, five reasons that might be The board is to be com- I just need to buy an ice scraper now. ing their parole requests. once they become eligible. cited in denying parole. mended for adopting it. Legislators need to earn their pay raises Some members also noted that Oklahoma's average median household salary is ary is $41,110 (that figure didn't include Oklahoma's new salary). Alabama, The Oklahoman, Okla- It's a stark turnaround but ago. At Tuesday's meeting, better salary should broaden roughly $52,000. Maryland, New Jersey and homa City not without some merit. some questioned why sala- the pool of potential candi- Oklahoma is one of 26 Washington are hybrid Two years ago, members Instead of $35,021 per ries had been cut by the pre- dates. states that have what the states. whose lawmakers of the board that determines year plus per diem ($166 for vious board -- the 2017 deci- "We're really trying to get website Ballotpedia consid- earn more than $47,500. Oklahoma legislators’ pay each day the Legislature is sion followed considerable the brightest from our state to made it clear they weren't in session), lawmakers will criticism of budgeting deci- go to run and represent us," ers a "hybrid" legislature The new salaries will place pleased with what they were get $47,500 plus per diem sions made by lawmakers in Dodson said. "Whether it is -- not full time or part time, Oklahoma's legislative pay seeing at the Capitol. They when the raises take hold in previous years. a single parent, or they're in but one in which members ahead of bordering hybrid cut pay by 8.8 percent; one November 2020. In addition, Following that move, the fire department, they're devote 74% of a full-time states Arkansas, Colorado, member said he would have members who serve in lead- some including House job to legislative duties. Al- retired or it's their first job, Missouri and Texas. liked to cut salaries in half. ership positions in the House Speaker Charles McCall those are the people we're though Oklahoma's Legis- The compensation board's This week, the Oklahoma and Senate will see bumps in wondered whether it would trying to draw." lature is in session just four chairman, Robert DeNegri, Legislative Compensation their stipends. lead to more wealthy Okla- The raises, approved by months each year, members who preferred a salary boost Board sent a different and It's worth noting that the homans seeking office and a vote of 7-2, are the first stay busy year-round with to $42,500, said the group more mixed message by ap- nine-person compensation fewer average folks serving. for lawmakers since 1999, interim studies and other du- needed to consider legisla- proving pay raises totaling a board, consisting of non- Current board member Jona- something that was men- ties. tors but also "keep in mind whopping 35% for the 149 elected officials, has all-new than Dodson, a developer in tioned during the board's Among Ballotpedia's hy- what the citizens of Okla- members of the Legislature. members since two years Oklahoma City, noted that a discussion. brid states, the average sal- homa might think."