Friday, 05/25/2001

the keys to tulsa, part three

Thirteen "no" votes. Every single one cast by a Republican state senator. And yet they wonder why we feel that they don't want us.

In the meantime, The Oklahoman feels that the state should have a much more limited role than it has committed to, especially regarding reparations. This despite the fact that the governor said that he felt that payment to survivors should be allowed if liability could be shown on the part of the state, city or county.

Well, let's see -- according to the final commission report:

• the city deputized several people who then went out and committed crimes and murders; surely that is the city's responsibility.
• These "deputies" also started fires that the city's fire department either refused to put out or was deterred by these "deputies" from extinguishing; surely that produces liability on the part of the city.
• The National Guard arrested every black Greenwood resident they could find, ostensibly for their own protection; however, the result was that Greenwood was left defenseless -- neither the guard nor the police would protect the area, only the people. While it was admirable that they went even that far, even a token attempt at protecting Greenwood itself might have left it mostly intact. (The National Guard's charge, in fact, was to protect the white residents of Tulsa by putting down what they'd been told was "a black uprising".) Surely that is liability on the part of the state.
• Although Tulsa residents claimed $1.8 million in losses due to the riot, the city's own commission disallowed most of the claims ... with the notable exception of a white resident from whom guns were stolen; surely that produces liability on the part of the city.

Yet The Oklahoman feels that the governor should repudiate his words. That since it happened in Tulsa, that city should bear the brunt of the costs.

In what may be considered a mild miracle, should it come about, Tulsa may actually do something. To be sure, I suspect it's somewhat unlikely that Tulsa will authorize direct payments. After all, the events are years past; most of the actual survivors are dead. The one point on which The Oklahoman and I might be said to agree is that this has remained in Oklahoma's public eye for a startlingly long time. But now, the monument is authorized, the scholarship and redeveloment funds are established. Now that something has been done, the public will feel more comfortable in letting it fade somewhat. That would be unfortunate ... but very human. And, after all, the riot had faded from view for nearly 80 years before it came to light again.

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the last ten ...

12/19/2001: vive la france

12/19/2001: princess, redux

12/19/2001: yemen and rumsfeld

12/18/2001: you're NOT in the army now

12/18/2001: interesting donation

12/18/2001: shame on winn dixie, indeed

12/18/2001: saudi princess

12/17/2001: new resolve

12/17/2001: a victim of the attack ... yeah, right

12/17/2001: polluters ho!