This State of mine allows mine water to roll down Tar Creek 40 years without outrage into a drinking water reservoir understanding that at this rate another 30 years may pass before it runs clean. This state of mine will find a way to allow runoff from passive treatment systems in the Tar Creek Superfund site to be loaded with nutrients and celebrate it as a success, replacing metals with nutrients. This state of mine puts up with decades to complete the cleanup of the once largest superfund site and celebrates success because it will be deemed smaller.
This state of mine passes bills to give polluters rights so quickly and quietly no one knows it is happening.
This state of mine could pass rules to protect children from living in housing that is known to contain lead paint. It could pass legislation to protect children and teams of people could be taught how to renovate, repair and paint safely and be protective of the young. State-wide and individual towns might seek funding opportunities to address the issue of the OLD housing stock we have in Oklahoma. Homes which were built before 1950 almost always have been painted and that OLD paint was probably loaded with lead and poison children living in them.
This state of mine protects oil and gas by not allowing towns to ban plastics bags while 59 countries like France, Greece, Mexico AND India, the largest democracy in the world has. 6 US states including New York have, too. But this state of mine stands tall with Alabama to not allow a ban of any sort for plastic bags. Goodness, we must stand with our state's real blood, oil.
Oklahoma won't be able to keep oil and gas alive all by ourselves. the world is waking up, and someday Oklahoma will too. The choice does not have to be a state's choice. Each individual can walk into any store in the state and BRING THIER OWN reusable sack or vessel to carry your goods home. You and I have choices each time we make purchases. Forget the styrene food containers, too. Bring your own take home containers, have them filled or use a bit of aluminum foil. This state won't say a peep against these personal efforts until they find out it is a movement and then they will attempt to ban personal choices somehow.
This state of mine is an example of what can go wrong very wrong. But as a land owner and Tar Creekkeeper I will not remain silent. But this state of mine could use new thinking not "stinking thinking" as Albert Ellis the Behavioral Therapist would call it. The great land run taking place now will place more fertile ground under roofs of chicken barns and more fracked land ruined and the water underground tainted with chemicals we can't even pronounce, should we be privy to be given their names.
The great land run will take all our water this time, too and the old lead paint and Tar Creek's chat will leave ever more children too dumb to know better.
This all sounds so dire and negative because sometimes we have to face where we live and the choices being made here are looking dire.
But the look on the faces of the children living in the home in Commerce, OK where a couple of gentle old souls spent some time sealing the lead paint on their front porch, made all the difference. Why bother and fret over what the state does or doesn't do, when we as individuals can lift our own selves up and make someone else's life better.
That is what Jennifer Lunsford did every time she got up in the morning, she brightened the lives she encountered, ones she went to school with, worked with and spent her life loving. She came into my life when I first went to work in Miami at Will Rogers and Indian Education agreed to let us start an Indian Club and start assisting our students in designing and making their tribal dance clothing. Barbara, her mother was set on making sure Jennifer could dance in her Apache dress and made it. I remember the color and weight of the skins that were used.
I do have to admit, some years back I prepared photo albums, so looking through them, there she was as a 7th grader doing the Lord's Prayer in sign language. So many people have seen her perform. She was such a young child. And really that was how I felt again, seeing her in her Apache dress in her coffin, she was so young, a gift and bright light now gone.
So be good to your kids, go gently upon this earth, think about your garden because:
"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."- Audrey Hepburn
Respectfully Submitted ~ Rebecca Jim
This state of mine passes bills to give polluters rights so quickly and quietly no one knows it is happening.
This state of mine could pass rules to protect children from living in housing that is known to contain lead paint. It could pass legislation to protect children and teams of people could be taught how to renovate, repair and paint safely and be protective of the young. State-wide and individual towns might seek funding opportunities to address the issue of the OLD housing stock we have in Oklahoma. Homes which were built before 1950 almost always have been painted and that OLD paint was probably loaded with lead and poison children living in them.
This state of mine protects oil and gas by not allowing towns to ban plastics bags while 59 countries like France, Greece, Mexico AND India, the largest democracy in the world has. 6 US states including New York have, too. But this state of mine stands tall with Alabama to not allow a ban of any sort for plastic bags. Goodness, we must stand with our state's real blood, oil.
Oklahoma won't be able to keep oil and gas alive all by ourselves. the world is waking up, and someday Oklahoma will too. The choice does not have to be a state's choice. Each individual can walk into any store in the state and BRING THIER OWN reusable sack or vessel to carry your goods home. You and I have choices each time we make purchases. Forget the styrene food containers, too. Bring your own take home containers, have them filled or use a bit of aluminum foil. This state won't say a peep against these personal efforts until they find out it is a movement and then they will attempt to ban personal choices somehow.
This state of mine is an example of what can go wrong very wrong. But as a land owner and Tar Creekkeeper I will not remain silent. But this state of mine could use new thinking not "stinking thinking" as Albert Ellis the Behavioral Therapist would call it. The great land run taking place now will place more fertile ground under roofs of chicken barns and more fracked land ruined and the water underground tainted with chemicals we can't even pronounce, should we be privy to be given their names.
The great land run will take all our water this time, too and the old lead paint and Tar Creek's chat will leave ever more children too dumb to know better.
This all sounds so dire and negative because sometimes we have to face where we live and the choices being made here are looking dire.
But the look on the faces of the children living in the home in Commerce, OK where a couple of gentle old souls spent some time sealing the lead paint on their front porch, made all the difference. Why bother and fret over what the state does or doesn't do, when we as individuals can lift our own selves up and make someone else's life better.
That is what Jennifer Lunsford did every time she got up in the morning, she brightened the lives she encountered, ones she went to school with, worked with and spent her life loving. She came into my life when I first went to work in Miami at Will Rogers and Indian Education agreed to let us start an Indian Club and start assisting our students in designing and making their tribal dance clothing. Barbara, her mother was set on making sure Jennifer could dance in her Apache dress and made it. I remember the color and weight of the skins that were used.
I do have to admit, some years back I prepared photo albums, so looking through them, there she was as a 7th grader doing the Lord's Prayer in sign language. So many people have seen her perform. She was such a young child. And really that was how I felt again, seeing her in her Apache dress in her coffin, she was so young, a gift and bright light now gone.
So be good to your kids, go gently upon this earth, think about your garden because:
"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."- Audrey Hepburn
Respectfully Submitted ~ Rebecca Jim
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