September 30, 2020 Issue, Page 20 of 24

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Page 4 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma ‘Wednesday, September 30, 2020 The Census makes sense for you Opinion Page “ElkCituNews and cents for your community Serving Western Oklahoma since 1901 State Question 805 2020 U.S. Census because overall Census responses, improving the quality of life important funding decisions compared to the rest of the for vulnerable Oklahomans, are made based on Census nation. The Census takes is bad for Oklahoma participation. less than 10 minutes to com- including low-income fami- When you complete the plete and is key to shaping lies and children in foster Census, you ensure Okla- the future of our state and care. But, when you fail to By Angela Marsee homa receives vital funding local communities over the complete the Census, you State Question 805 seeks for initiatives like food as- next 10 years. sistance, education, infra- Oklahomans can easily fill keep your community from to change the Oklahoma structure and healthcare, as out the Census in a variety receiving the resources it Constitution to prohibit well as programs like Med- of ways: online, by phone or needs to support your fam- the use of prior criminal icaid and the Supplemental in person. The form is avail- ily and your fellow Oklaho- convictions to increase the Justin Brown Nutrition Assistance Pro- able in multiple languages range of punishment for re- gram (SNAP) for the next 10 online at okletscount.org or mans. peat offenders. By Justin Brown years. by calling 844-330-2020. Ten years can make a big This prohibition against Between a global pan- Last year alone, Okla- To fill out the Census in per- difference, and 10 minutes is sentence enhancements ap- demic, economic crisis and homa’s SNAP program son, Oklahomans can go to all it takes to fill out the Cen- plies to ALL felonies, ex- multiple natural disasters, distributed more than the Oklahoma City Thunder cept the 52 “violent crimes” there are few aspects of 2020 $840,265,422 in food assis- voter registration drive at the sus and ensure your com- Angela Marsee that any of us could have tance to 378,417 Oklahoma Chesapeake Energy Arena munity is set up for success, as defined on January 1, predicted, and many Okla- families. But without an ac- on Sept. 26 or to select Su- both now and through 2030. 2020. homans feel uncertain about curate Census count, Okla- permercado Morales grocery By enshrining $Q805 in the Constitution, these prohibi- the future. One thing we can homans will lose out on this stores in the Oklahoma City Please set aside time today tions can only be changed with a subsequent vote of the do to build a stable and pros- needed assistance, as well as. and Tulsa areas. to complete the Census at people. The Oklahoma District Attorneys Association vot- perous Oklahoma is for all an estimated $1,675 per per- At OKDHS, we see first- okletscount.org. ed unanimously to oppose SQ805. Oklahomans to complete the son per household. hand the impact the Census Justin Brown is the Secre- As President of the Association, I want to ensure citizens 2020 U.S. Census. Now, with the Census has on the 1.2 million Okla- understand what SQ805 actually does. It is critical that all Okla- deadline happening today, homans we serve each year. tary of Human Services and SQ805 is a terribly dangerous proposition that is mar- homans are counted in the Sept. 30, Oklahoma lags in Census funding is vital to Early Childhood Initiatives. keted, using terms like “non-violent crimes” without ex- Retired military leaders shouldn't plaining which crimes are included. Habitual offenders who will benefit from SQ805 include those committing serious crimes such as domestic violence (even if against a endorse presidential candidates. pregnant woman, by strangulation, or in the presence of a child); on-line predators who use a computer to solicit sex from a minor; animal cruelty; identity thieves; home bur- America is divided enough glars; repeat drunk drivers; vulnerable adult abusers, and many others. If passed, SQ805 would limit the penalties for these crimes to the same range of punishment for a first time offender forever, no matter how many prior felony con- By ML Cavanaugh, Los end of the Cold War, re- military. from the larger institution Angeles Times tired generals and admirals The more retired military that conferred them. victions an offender has. SQ805 constitutionally tips the Two weeks ago, 235 re- never endorsed presidential figures endorse, the more That institution has earned scales of justice in favor of career criminals. tired generals and admirals candidates. Since then, one Americans will see the the goodwill of the Ameri- Currently, there is no transparency in sentencing. A 10- signed an “open letter” sup- in seven has made such an military as partial. A down- porting President Donald endorsement, according to ward spiral may follow. One can people through compe- year prison sentence doesn’t mean 10 years. Offenders are Trump’s reelection cam- recent research published in president picks a brazenly tence and sacrifice. When an eligible for parole after serving just 25% of their sentences. paign. The letter is disgrace- Armed Forces & Society. partisan former general for American sees an admiral, For example, under $Q805, a repeat offender who commit- ful and runs counter to mili- Retired military officers some high office. The next they are likely to think of ted domestic violence by strangulation could be released tary norms. may vote, run for office and president of the other party Pearl Harbor or Okinawa. Unfortunately, a second provide public policy advice. picks an openly partisan for- When they see a general, after just nine months in prison. SQ805 applies the law, group is likely to respond in They should not offer presi- mer admiral for another high retroactively, and mandates the reduction of existing sen- kind with a similar statement dential endorsements, which office. And so on, with com- their minds may flash to red tences for habitual offenders currently in prison to what in support of former Vice are explicitly partisan and petence mattering less and waves crashing on Omaha President Joe Biden. uniquely divisive. At best, less until it matters not at all. Beach or white cemetery the penalty would have been had they beena first-time of- Every presidential elec- these endorsements sanction When America loses unity in crosses. Gen. Dwight D. fender. tion year, candidates seek one person, one party and this manner, our adversaries Eisenhower noted in 1945: Crime victims will no longer be able to rely on the sen- to embezzle the high trust one platform and in doing are more than happy to le- tence they were promised, and the prior decisions of judges Americans place in the U.S. so exclude roughly half the verage the division. It’s why “Humility must always be military, abetted by a grow- country. At worst, they lend the Kremlin-funded media the portion of any man who and juries will be overturned. ing group of retired generals military titles for favors and outlet RT recently ran the receives acclaim earned Proponents of SQ805 would have you believe that if and admirals with the wrong sell stars for high-profile po- headline, “Whose side are in the blood of his follow- SQ80S5 is passed, prosecutors can just avoid the con- stuff. But let’s start with the sitions. generals on?” ers and the sacrifices of sequences of the law by finding a crime on the “violent right stuff. The worst has happened Although their numbers his friends.” That acclaim ‘Ata Senate hearing in late far too much. Retired Adm. are rising, these presidential crime” list with a higher penalty to charge instead, even 2016, Sen. Lindsey Graham William Crowe endorsed endorsers are still a minority. should not be leveraged for though the facts, law and ethical rules require otherwise. (R-S.C.) asked Gen. Mark Bill Clinton in the 1992 There are a little more than partisan purposes. Not all crimes could even have an alternate offense that Milley whether he would election and got an ambas- 7,000 generals and admirals Codes of honor matter to consider Congress and Pres- sadorship to Britain. Retired of all ranks on the retired warriors. That’s why Ameri- could be charged. ident Barack Obama threats Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn en- rolls, and 6,000 of them have can military greats - Sher- If the stated goal of SQ805 is to reduce sentences for to the military if they were dorsed Trump in 2016 and not yet endorsed a presiden- habitual offenders, why are proponents of SQ805 the ones to cut defense spending. Ex- was named national security tial candidate. Given the man, Marshall, Mattis, all pressionless, Gen. Milley adviser. military’s hierarchical cul- the way to Milley - have asserting that prosecutors can just over-charge someone responded: “I’m not judging Endorsements ture, it would take only a held firm to nonpartisan- _politicize with a violent crime that carries a higher sentence range the president or Congress. I the military in ways both few well-regarded four-star ship. Hopefully our retired to circumvent the consequences of the very constitutional will abstain.” explicit and subtle. For one generals and admirals to servicemen can too, even as amendment they are seeking? It is circular logic, at best. Milley’s response was thing, the American pub- mobilize a no-endorsements forged by two centuries of lic tends not to distinguish campaign and reaffirm the everything else threatens to When you hear claims from proponents of SQ 805, I military tradition. Troops between active and retired political neutrality of Ameri- tear America apart. would encourage you to take a step back. The stated goal of live by codes, self-enforced generals. One 2019 poll ca’s armed forces. Lt. Col. ML Cavanaugh is this group is to lower prison sentences for habitual crimi- standards that guide conduct found that only about three This “Project Neutral” a US. Army officer and se- nals. They argue costs savings by reducing the number of even in the worst circum- in 10 Americans identified campaign could be predi- nior fellow with the Modern stances. One of these codes former Secretary of Defense cated on the principle that people in prison, but they fail to address the costs to public is nonpartisanship. Political James N. Mattis’ status as although presidential en- War Institute at West Point. safety. neutrality keeps the armed a Marine Corps general to dorsements may be legal, He is working on a book, If you want to know what the true costs of crime looks forces connected to all of be “retired.” (He retired in they surely are shameful. “The Art of the General: America. It also prevents in- 2013.) The signatories two Retired generals and admi- How Washington, Grant, like, just ask a crime victim. ternal divisions. weeks ago exploited this rals who endorse always and Eisenhower Won the Marsee, who serves as president of the Oklahoma Dis- Retired military figures ambiguity by titling their lead with their military ti- Wars that Mattered the Most trict Attorneys Association and has 24 years of experience now offer political endorse- statement “Open Letter from tles, as if those titles were ments to presidential candi- Senior Military Leaders,” as given at birth. But “general” and their Enduring Lessons as a prosecutor, authored this in her personal capacity. She dates every election cycle. if the retired officers were and “admiral” are not first for Leadership, Power, and is the district attorney for District 2, which covers Beck- This is a relatively new still serving and their views names, Those titles are on Supreme Command in the ham, Custer, Ellis, Roger Mills and Washita counties. development. Before the reflected those of the active conditional loan, inseparable 21st Century.” Send your letter to the editor to [email protected]