The Finch Formerly Known As Gold

3 April 2004

Universal translator

The OkiePundit has identified code words used by Oklahoma politicians of a certain stripe:

"Second amendment Rights" means I'll make sure you get to buy as many lethal weapons as you want and shoot stuff. "Sunday school teacher" means I'm a Christian and I'll push the infidels to the margins of society and let them know this here is a CHRISTIAN nation by God. "Life long resident" means I ain't never gone nowhere and I'll fight to keep our district jus like it tiss. "Traditional marriage" means I hate gays as much as you do and we ain't lettin those perverts do their fornicatin round Oklahoma, by God.

Well, shooting stuff is actually a pretty good use for those "lethal weapons," but the Sunday-school teachers I've met — admittedly a small sample — didn't strike me as particularly interested in marginalizing people. Maybe it's different in Senate District 18, a narrow vee in the spirit of Elbridge Gerry which extends from east Tulsa to a corner of Grand Lake, where the Pundit doesn't actually dwell but did find these terms in a mailing.

Posted at 8:38 PM to Soonerland


Yep, that sounds about right. The one that really gets under my skin is "life-long" resident" and its variations. "Five generations of my family born and raised in Oklahoma," seems to be a popular one. Sounds kind of like 'we don't want none o' those dang furriners (folks from other states) comin' in here and forcing us into the 20th century.' to me. (Never mind the 21st century. It's too much of a leap.)

Posted by: Lynn S at 9:15 PM on 3 April 2004

This is typical of those on the Left today. They seldom actually argue for their positions. Like most of the Left, they start from the premise that they're right, and that anyone who disagrees is either stupid or evil. (See also this.) This reduces one's audience to:

1. The already converted,
2. Those upon whom haughty disdain and unearned guilt can enforce submission.

So why bother with them?

Some good comes out of everything, of course. The stream of intelligent, articulate emigrants from the Left's ranks has never been swifter.

Posted by: Francis W. Porretto at 6:35 AM on 4 April 2004

In Oklahoma "the Left" means anyone who does not believe that we should still be burning witches. (...and democrats and scientists and the easter bunny and...)

Posted by: Lynn S at 8:17 AM on 4 April 2004

Burn the Easter Bunny? They wouldn't dare.

Would they?

Posted by: CGHill at 9:38 AM on 4 April 2004

Burn him? Have you ever et burnt rabbit?

Roast him to a nice medium-well, maybe.

Posted by: McGehee at 10:45 AM on 4 April 2004

Of course. Don't you know that the Easter Bunny and colored eggs are pagan fertility symbols and therefore they're evil evil evil... nothing but evil and we're all going to hell!

Posted by: Lynn S at 7:09 PM on 4 April 2004

We run into some really weird people out here in the Bible belt.

Posted by: Lynn S at 7:11 PM on 4 April 2004

Ahh, I ate the Easter Bunny's liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti...

But seriously, I'm a Sunday School Teacher, and I'm not one to marginalize. Ditto on Francis' comments above. If you disagree with liberals, you're an evil, racist, inbred, ignorant, hick.

No respect, no respect, I tell 'ya.

Posted by: Dan at 11:23 AM on 5 April 2004