As someone who graduated from the University of Oklahoma school of journalism in the early '90's, I understand your dilema all too well. Add to the fact that I'm a lesbian and you can see exactly why I knew I had to leave the (not so) OK state as soon as I got my diploma. My destination was the west coast where I now struggle to the best of my abilities to explain the nature of Okie-thinking to others, though, frankly, they still don't get it. With your permission, Ms. Branson, I think I'll borrow your line about how Okies perceive liberalism as a sin because it's entirely true. It's also entirely sad. The friends with whom I grew up and all of my siblings have left Oklahoma and all have expressed two things since leaving: a passionate love of OU football (go Sooners!) and a dismay at the hardening of the ultra-conservative nature of the state's mindset. It is this attitude, disguised as religious certitude, that has so deeply wounded the state in the eyes of the rest of the nation and, indeed, the world. If one is not a straight, white, fundamentalist Christian who always votes Republican, why would one choose to move to this state? And being a straight, white, fundamentalist Christian who always votes Republican is to be on the losing end of today's demographic trends, trends that will leave Oklahoma increasingly isolated and shunned. Ms. Branson, I hate to be the one to tell you this but you *are* going to have to leave the state when you graduate because you have already strayed outside the paramters of the Okie-thought box and once you do that it's impossible to go back in. Don't be afraid; there are 49 other states --and good chunks of the entire world, though I'd avoid the Middle East if I were you -- that will be happy to allow you to have your own mishmash of ideals, codas and beliefs as you see fit. Good luck and know that you are not wrong, you are not alone and you are most assuredly **not** a sinner.
Posted on November 29 at 7:03 p.m.Suggest removal
As someone who graduated from the University of Oklahoma school of journalism in the early '90's, I understand your dilema all too well. Add to the fact that I'm a lesbian and you can see exactly why I knew I had to leave the (not so) OK state as soon as I got my diploma. My destination was the west coast where I now struggle to the best of my abilities to explain the nature of Okie-thinking to others, though, frankly, they still don't get it. With your permission, Ms. Branson, I think I'll borrow your line about how Okies perceive liberalism as a sin because it's entirely true. It's also entirely sad. The friends with whom I grew up and all of my siblings have left Oklahoma and all have expressed two things since leaving: a passionate love of OU football (go Sooners!) and a dismay at the hardening of the ultra-conservative nature of the state's mindset. It is this attitude, disguised as religious certitude, that has so deeply wounded the state in the eyes of the rest of the nation and, indeed, the world. If one is not a straight, white, fundamentalist Christian who always votes Republican, why would one choose to move to this state? And being a straight, white, fundamentalist Christian who always votes Republican is to be on the losing end of today's demographic trends, trends that will leave Oklahoma increasingly isolated and shunned. Ms. Branson, I hate to be the one to tell you this but you *are* going to have to leave the state when you graduate because you have already strayed outside the paramters of the Okie-thought box and once you do that it's impossible to go back in. Don't be afraid; there are 49 other states --and good chunks of the entire world, though I'd avoid the Middle East if I were you -- that will be happy to allow you to have your own mishmash of ideals, codas and beliefs as you see fit. Good luck and know that you are not wrong, you are not alone and you are most assuredly **not** a sinner.
On