Oklahoma City

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After reading this letter, please take a moment to write your city council representative (a map of the OKC City Council wards can be found at this link). And if you are lucky enough to live in ward 2, please write Councilman Ed Shadid (ward2(at)okc.gov)and thank him for not co-sponsoring this terrible law.

Dear Mayor Mick Cornett (mayor@okc.gov),
Dear Ward 1 Councilman James Greiner (ward1@okc.gov),
Dear Ward 3 Councilman Larry McAtee (ward2@okc.gov),
Dear Ward 4 Councilman Pete White (ward4@okc.gov),
Dear Ward 5 Councilman David Greenwell (ward5@okc.gov),
Dear Ward 6 Councilwoman Meg Salyer (ward6@okc.gov),
Dear Ward 7 Councilman John Pettis (ward7@okc.gov),
Dear Ward 8 Councilman Mark Stonecipher (ward8@okc.gov),

I am an Oklahoma City resident and regular voter in city council and mayoral elections.

I just read in the newspaper (The Oklahoman: Oklahoma City councilwoman introduces law on panhandling)that each of you have cosponsored an ordinance that would criminalize panhandling in the city of Oklahoma City, punishable by a fine of $500. I strongly oppose this ordinance.

In this letter I want to explain, from my perspective as an attorney and as a minister, why you withdraw your co-sponsorship of this ordinance.

First, wearing my attorney hat — I work part-time as an attorney, often in a criminal defense context in both Oklahoma County and OKC municipal courts and have seen first hand what often happens when poor people are charged with minor offenses. Defendants in these contexts are stuck with a terrible set of choices:

  1. Some are able to scrape together the money to make bond but then not have enough money to pay an attorney Others stay in jail and get their court-appointed public defender but end up sitting in jail for a long time to have their day in court. The lucky few win despite these long-shot odds but most never really have a fair shot at justice.
  2. Others plead guilty (since most are not represented by counsel, they often take a foolish naked plea) and then are stuck in an endless cycle of trying to make payments on court fines and probation costs. When down the road they stumble and are not able to make a payment, a bench warrant goes out and the cycle continues.

What is the end result of all of this? The taxpayers end up paying for most of it, since the fines often end up not being paid but the costs of incarceration and courts still are incurred. And as for the defendant, what about them? Does a criminal conviction help them in any way? No. It makes it harder for them to find future employment and better themselves.

This ordinance is a short-sighted approach to real problem. By imposing massive fines on the panhandlers, you are pushing them further into the mire of our rotten system. I agree that panhandling is not a good way to alleviate the problem of poverty but there are better ways to deal with this issue. I encourage you to actually take some time and visit with the many churches and organizations in this city who are working with our homeless population, or better yet why don’t you take a walk down the street from City Hall and talk to some of the homeless citizens of our city? They might have some good thoughts for you about not only this ordinance but all of the other ways that our city government pushes the poor down rather than helping them out.

OK, let me move on to discussing this with my minister hat on. Besides being an attorney, I also work part-time as the Minister of Peace and Social Justice of Joy Mennonite Church (we meet at 504 NE 16th St, just south of the state capitol).

I understand that most of you are church members and/or have publicly identified yourselves as Christians (see
Cornett, Greiner, McAtee, White, Greenwell, Pettis, and Stonecipher), so I think it is relevant for most of you to share scripture text that tells the teachings of Jesus on the current situation.

Luke 6:20-26 (NRSV):

Then he looked up at his disciples and said:
‘Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
‘But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
‘Woe to you who are full now,
for you will be hungry.
‘Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep.

‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

In light of this text, here are some questions for each of you…

Who is Jesus blessing, the rich or the poor?

Who is Jesus cursing, the rich or the poor?

Whose side is Jesus on? the rich or the poor?

And whose side is Jesus on today? How would Jesus answer the troubling problem of homelessness? Would he impose $500 fines and even jail time on those who have no resources or would he find a better way?

I hope and pray that you reconsider your decision to co-sponsor this bill, but I will be adding some action to my prayers by speaking to my congregation and our friends about the evils of this proposed ordinance.

Please do the right thing. If you want to alleviate the pain of homelessness, fix it with proactive help and not fines and jail time.

James M. Branum

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OKGazette.com: Motorists traversing Oklahoma’s roads will be sharing them with growing legions of bike enthusiasts – by Charles Martin

Here is the LTE I sent today to The Gazette…

Dear editor,

I am writing regarding the article “Street pedalers” in the May 26th issue of The Oklahoma Gazette.

The article quoted a local bicyclist who said that cyclists should ride in groups because it is dangerous to ride in groups, and also says that urban cyclists are hindered “by the fact that Oklahoma city prohibits bike riding on sidewalks, yet doesn’t provide bike lanes to protect them from cars. Murray that riders have to either ride on a shoulder – if there is one – or hug the curb and hope passing cars on the lookout.”

This is not the way to safely ride a bicycle in Oklahoma City. Contrary to what your article says, in most situations bicyclists are best off “taking the lane.” By riding assertively in the lane (rather than hugging the curb), motorists are more likely to see cyclists and are more likely to pass with enough clearance. Riding like this is not only safer, but it is also legal. Oklahoma law says that cyclists shall ride as far to the right as is safe, but does not mean that bicycles must hug the curb. Instead it requires cyclists to use common sense.

There are lot of good resources out there on how to safely ride a bicycle in an urban environment. OKbike.org has an excellent education section on its website. I also would recommend the book “Effective Cycling” by John Forester.

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It is hard to believe that 15 years have passed. I remember that day so vividly. I was a freshman in college at SWOSU in Weatherford, so I heard the news while at the campus newspaper office where I was working. I was terrified when I first heard the news as my Dad was often in the Federal Bankruptcy courthouse next door to the federal building (he thankfully wasn’t that morning).

I later remember going to Oklahoma City and seeing the wrecked building lit up with giant floodlights while the search operation was going on.

And a few days after that I interviewed one of the rescue nurses (a SWOSU nursing professor) for the campus newspaper. She told me about the trauma that caregivers experience and about the bombing survivors who were in shock and roamed OKC for hours on foot before someone found them.

And I remember attending the memorial service. My girlfriend at the time and I were at the “overflow” location at the state fair ball park. So many people were crying. I’ve never experienced that kind of collective grief before or since.

And now it is 15 years later. It seems like yesterday. It is even a sunny day today, like it was in 1995.

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UPDATE: The Counter-demonstration is cancelled. The synagogue has been advised by the ADL that the best response is to ignore the bigots. I’m not sure this is the right action, but it is their house of worship and will respect their decision.

I think Fred Phelps’ insanity is growing, as apparently he now only hates gay people and US soldiers, but is now a vicious anti-Semite too. I gotta say his announcement of his Rosh Hashanah protest is a new low (WARNING: This is a link to Fred Phelps hate website)

Here’s an announcement I received from the OKC Peace House of a response planned for this event. I hope to be there and I hope you’ll consider being there for the support action for Emanuel Synagogue too:

WHAT’S HAPPENING?
“Rev” Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka will picket Oklahoma City’s Emanuel Synagogue this Friday evening (Sept. 18th) as congregants gather to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the most holy time of the year for the Jewish Community. (Westboro has been protesting Jewish communities this summer, possibly because gay rabbis are being ordained in both orthodox and progressive Jewish traditions.)

SOLIDARITY WITH THE SYNAGOGUE
The Interfaith Alliance and Peace House invite participation in a silent vigil of solidarity and support for Synagogue members as they enter the Synagogue for worship. Rabbi Abby Jacobson welcomes us in the spirit of support for her congregants.

This is NOT a media event, but an expression of support for Synagogue members.

JOIN FRIENDS OF THE SYNAGOGUE:
WHEN: 7:20pm to 8:20pm, this Friday, Sept. 18th
WHERE: east end of parking lot of Emanuel Synagogue, NW 46th Street and Francis Av. (block east of Western Ave.) Please park on 46th or Francis to keep the lot open for congregants. Signs of support are welcome, as “We’re with you tonight” or “Love Overcomes”.)

DO NOT engage or communicate to the Westboro protestors, whose permit is for the 47th Street (north side) sidewalk at 7:30 pm … those doors will be locked,
and congregants and friends will use only the south side (46th Street side) of the Synagogue. We are gathering ONLY to show support for Synagogue congregants,
and NOT to protest or engage the Westboro protestors.

– – – Jeff Hamilton, The Interfaith Alliance, and Nathaniel Batchelder, The Peace House

P.S. Do not even approach Westboro members, who finance their operation by suing anyone who touches them.

Earlier on Friday, Westboro will picket the Hillel Foundation in Norman, where O.U. students plan a “Diversity Celebration” inside …. then the Jewish Federation in OKC, which will be locked and empty …. then Temple B’Nai Israel which will also be locked and empty. … then Emanuel Synagogue.