January 10, 2020 Issue, Page 3 of 8

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Friday, January 10, 2020 Labeling others Opinion Page But the one who is truly the bigger person is the one who “ElkCituNews refuses to participate in gos- sip, or who strives to say Glynda Lomax is a Chris- phrased something positive instead. Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 tian author and podcaster Many years ago, I worked Some people say we judge who resides in the Ozark as a waitress. In more ca- in another what we dislike in Radio legend’s Mountains of Northern Ar- sual restaurants, there was ourselves. “Each of us has a kansas with her two very always what waitresses call magic, unseen mirror. It is bossy dogs. She wrote her “the coffee drinker’s table,” to be used to beautify our- also known as “the gossip selves, but we normally look sign-off triggers first About Life..column in 2003 for a newspaper in table.” Every day, coffee right through it. The mirror Dallas. She is planning her was served, tongues wagged shows the ugliness resid- next book. and tales were told. All the ing in our heart we would Glenda Lomax memories latest scandals were dis- not otherwise see. When Every moment brings the An Indian Chief had four cussed and labels were ap- we judge wrong in another, opportunity for a new begin- sons. He sent them each on a plied to those who were said the mirror faithfully shows ning, a blank page on which By Don Munsch, Editor quest, one at a time, to travel to have caused them. Most the wrong is also in us. But you can write the story of a great distance to look at a of us have gone through at how does one know if one Mike Rhyner made his a mark on radio in Dallas-Fort the rest of your life. Labels pear tree. Each returned with least one season in our lives is judging and not simply Worth, where I grew up. have only as much power as a different report. One said when we became the object observing? If one holds an- you are willing to give them. Rhyner helped start the sports talk station The Ticket in the tree was ugly and bent. of speculation at the gossip other in condemnation, the Remember, too, that any- Dallas. He announced his retirement this week. He worked Another said it was green, tables in the city where we hand is grasping the mirror.” budding and full of prom- live. — John W. Morgan one who is narrow-minded in radio in the Metroplex for decades. He will be missed. ise. The next thought it was Every person is made up You may be in a season enough to think they can la- I once considered a career in radio but found the print beautiful and full of blooms. of a lifetime of experiences where tales are being told bel you in one word has is- side of mass media more alluring. As a kid, I had dreams The last said it was ripe and that you and I know nothing about you. There may or sues of their own. of becoming a big-league baseball announcer. As an adult, weighed down with fruit. of. We have no way to know may not be any truth to the If you are the person The great chief explained to what their experiences have tales, but is the character of spreading the gossip and I find myself in the press box covering games from differ- his sons they were all right been or what makes them someone so willing to wag labeling others, think about ent sports, and a few of those press box stops have included because each had seen only do the things they do, just as their tongue any better than this - in the end, if that per- some Major League parks. one season in the tree’s life. they have no way to know someone who is in a season son lived up to the terrible For people of a certain age, radio was the first introduc- He told them, “You cannot ours, so we can’t possibly la- of doing what is socially un- label you placed on them, judge a tree or a person, by bel each other appropriately. acceptable? Both are nega- what would it matter any- tion to broadcast media in their homes. That would carry only one season, that the es- Every life has its seasons. If tive. Neither is adding to the way? Would your time not over to subsequent generations, including my own age sence of who they are and it did not, we would all die of overall good of the world. be better spent tending to group. So many of our memories are tied with radio, and the pleasure, joy, and love boredom, with ourselves and What makes one so much your own life and your own that come from that life can with each other. We should better that they have the character than trying to de- many of them leave as indelible impression as those from only be measured at the end, be careful of judging others right to judge you? television. when all the seasons are up.” in any season in their lives, Just because someone pins stroy that of another? The Indian Proverb is right Those memories don’t just emerge from home, as many If you give up when it’s win- lest we enter a new season a label on you does not mean = you cannot judge life by of us can recall the times we've been on a long road trip ter, you will miss the prom- and ourselves become the you have to wear it. Because in the car and listened to a DJ who kept us company. Or ise of your spring, the beauty object of speculation. someone else views you in a one difficult season — yours of your summer, the fulfill- Many people label others certain way does not mean or someone else’s. perhaps it’s a game broadcast, which was the case for my ment of your fall. Don’t let negatively because it makes you then must view your- family one time when we drove home from Missouri and the pain of one season de- them feel bigger or better self that way. You can be “You can tell more about listened to one of the greatest playoff games in NFL his- stroy the joy of all the rest. about themselves. They feel who you want to be. You are a person by what he says ‘You cannot judge life by one so small inside they think not what you did in the past, about others than you can tory: San Diego at Miami in 1981. they need to make others though some would have difficult season. — Native by what others say about ‘We all find programming on the radio we enjoy listening American Proverb, para- look small to compensate. you believe that. him.” ~ Leo Aikman to, and that doesn’t just have to be music, although I will never forget the first time I heard Queen’s “We Will Rock ‘You/We Are the Champions.” Ignoring the past and financial reality For some people, they enjoy tuning to hear political talk By Jonathan Small ers, the governor now has bidding.” “trust me” approach to bud- or religion. For me, if I listen to any kind of talk radio, it’s Imagine asking your the ability to better restrain But, as already noted, the get requests, financial real- sports talk. I tune in to listen to people I’ve grown to like children if they want an spending. (By the way, that old “trust the bureaucrat” ity means agencies should personally, but I also appreciate hearing their knowledge of increased allowance, and change aligned Oklahoma system didn’t produce seri- restrain spending this year. stressing that money is no with the practices used in ous financial planning, just Amidst a standstill budget, the games. object. Obviously, the kids nearly every other state.) spending requests that far there are two ways to gen- Radio personalities have a certain way of connecting with will ask for more-probably a Some agencies have re- outpaced tax collections. erate money for new spend- their audience, a way that is perhaps more intimate than in lot more. sponded admirably, and Recall that a multi-county ing-through efficiencies or any other medium. Seems like Rhyner did that. I’m certain Unfortunately, it appears even announced they can grand jury found the Depart- tax increases. some legislators think the maintain services with a ment of Health effectively It’s reasonable to assume local radio personalities have those kind of relationships above approach is how bud- smaller appropriation. That’s kept two sets of books for those lawmakers upset by with listeners here in Elk City. geting should be done. Just in marked contrast to prior years to hide a slush fund. government efficiency ef- My experience with radio is confined to a radio movie re- ask agencies if they want legislative sessions when The grand jury found that forts are instead inclined to view programI did back at a station in the 1990s, with mov- more money without con- agencies normally submitted system “allowed the OSDH raise tax yet again-on top of cern for financial reality. But budget requests that, com- to spend beyond its means the $1.1 billion in revenue ies being rated on the “Munsch Meter.” It was fun while it the end result with agencies bined, exceeded available for years without running increases already approved lasted. My workmates back at the newspaper were only too will be the same as with chil- money by hundreds of mil- out of money.” since 2015. eager to critique my performance on the air, alerting me dren. lions. As the agency falsified The governor’s defiance when I said “uh” too much between words. Fortunately, Gov. Kevin But some lawmakers have financial reports, officials of business-as-usual budget Stitt is pushing back against responded to this change later determined it was also practices in state govern- As a kid, I listened to local radio in my bedroom, and I this practice. with distress, not praise. involved in “mission creep” ment could therefore not developed genre and station allegiances. I grew up listening The 2020 session will in- Senate Appropriations through unchecked expan- only bring financial sanity to to “American Top 40” with Casey Kasem each Saturday volve a flat budget with al- Chairman Roger Thompson, sion of programs and ser- Oklahoma, but also prevent morning. Sure, I enjoyed tracking the songs — I was much most no growth revenue, R-Okemah, told The Okla- vices. That’s no surprise. yet another tax-increase raid more engaged in the pop music scene then than I am now — based on current projections. homan he is “concerned that Government officials will on working families’ pocket- Thus, Stitt has urged agen- we're not getting exactly always find ways to spend books. but I also liked other aspects of the show, such as Kasem’s cies to request increases of what the needs of the agen- more money. This doesn’t Jonathan Small serves as tidbits and stories about performers and the long distance no more than 2 percent. Be- cies are.” House Democratic mean agencies really need president of the Oklahoma dedication. To this day, when I hear Climax Blues Band’s cause lawmakers, to their Leader Emily Virgin told the more money. Council of Public Affairs “T Love You,” I think about the LDD Kasem received from credit, gave Stitt the ability paper that agency officials Even ignoring the high (www.ocpathink.org<http:// to name major agency lead- “are doing the governor's likelihood of abuse from a www.ocpathink.org/>). a fan who asked for that song — for an event in his life that was profoundly tragic. Other times as a kid, I would flip on the radio to see what It’s time to end partisan gerrymandering I could heard from far away. Sometimes late at night I could pick up AM stations, some with little static, such as KOA. By Andy Moore the dangers of gerrymander- I’m proud to say that since partisan rhetoric, politicians America’s founding fa- ing during his time in office, we filed our ballot initiative, will do whatever it takes to in Denver, WLW in Cincinnati, WLS in Chicago and WHB thers were suspicious of pol- calling it “a national scan- we've raised thousands of hold on to the power they in Kansas City. iticians and didn’t want the dal,” “a conflict of interest,” dollars from Oklahomans have. Whenever and wherever you tune in, radio — and its pro- kind of predatory govern- and “un-democratic and across the state - a clear sign They’re trying to pit gramming and personalities — always will have a way of ment by elite insiders they un-American.” —_Likewise, that Oklahomans are tired neighbor against neighbor saw in England. in 2017 former Oklahoma of the status quo. Ending so we'll fight one another reeling in people. Alas, we got it anyway. Governor Frank Keating and gerrymandering isn’t a par- instead of fighting against Our current system provides Ohio Governor John Kaisch, tisan issue - it’s a power is- their ability to rig their own so many perks to incum- along with Senators Bob sue. And the power to draw elections. Our founding fa- bents, reinforced by blatant Dole, John McCain and oth- district lines should belong thers knew that power often gerrymandering, that nearly ers jointly authored a letter to the people, not the politi- corrupts, which is why they every race in the state Legis- to the U.S. Supreme Court cians. placed the ultimate power lature might as well be fixed condemning partisan gerry- For decades, politicians with its citizens to ensure on both sides of the aisle.mandering and encouraging from both parties have put our country’s government Ending gerrymandering the court to end the practice. more focus on getting re- remains truly of the people, isn’t a new idea. In fact, When the Court decided elected and staying in office Oklahoma Republicans ran a not to rule on the issue and than they have in taking care by the people. Opposition to giving the people of Oklaho- Send your ballot measure in the 1980s to undo the bizarre districts drawn by Democrats that instead leave it up to voters to decide, I, along with hun- dreds of other Oklahomans of Oklahoma’s real prob- lems. That’s why we’re still dealing with the same is- ma the opportunity to form a citizen-led independent divided Oklahoma City into who want to end gerryman- sues every year - education redistricting commission is editorial to three separate Congressio- dering in our state, formed funding, poor quality of life, nothing more than a power nal districts. Regardless of People Not Politicians for overcrowded prisons, crum- grab by a disengaged and which party is in power, it’s the purpose of doing just bling roads and more. When out-of-touch —_ Legislature, clear that politicians have al- that. Our coalition includes politicians know they'll get members of which are rely- editor@ ways been and continue to be more interested in protecting their power than doing what people from all political re-elected no matter what, they spend more time cater- backgrounds and all parts of ing to lobbyists and special the state. What unites us is ing on tired political scare tactics to bully Oklahoma voters. We can’t let them is in the best interest of the the recognition that our po- interests than doing what’s win. ecdailynews.com people of Oklahoma. litical system is broken, and right for Oklahoma. President Ronald Reagan we understand that it’s up to repeatedly warned us about the voters to fix it. Whether it’s with district lines or misinformation and Moore is the executive di- rector of People Not Politi- cians