“The Struggle”

I’ve been thinking as of late about this great state of ours, the good times and the bad.  It occurred to me that we have seen our share and then some, of the worst hard times.  Yet we always seem to weather whatever is thrown our way.  How in the world did early settlers survive a hole in the ground, with sod walls and a thatch roof as they set about scratching crops from what was then rich, fertile land.  But we moved past that.  Statehood, railroads and oil wells followed.  There were jobs available and it seemed as though there were banks on every corner.  Oklahoma was on the move and the future looked good.

Then October 29th, 1929 or Black Tuesday rolled around.  The Great Depression hit and overnight, the world changed.  Oklahoma went from riches to rags.  Every man, woman and child was affected.

On top of that came 1932 and the first dusters or dust storms.  At first they were a mystery to farmers and meteorologists.  In the colder months where were snusters… snow mixed with dust.  Over time the dust storms got worse until Sunday, April 14th., 1935.  That afternoon, the worst dust storm in history struck a number of states, including Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, Nebraska and Colorado.  Between 13 and 18 million Americans were already unemployed but on this day, the nation’s breadbasket was gutted.  There was no water, farms were blown away and there was no hope for the people in the region.

It would be another five years or so before Oklahoma and the rest of the nation started the slow, hard climb out of the ruins, but climb out we did.  Then came oil booms and busts, recessions, home, farm and business losses and a deadly domestic act of terrorism.  Like I said, Oklahoma has seen its share and then some, of the worst hard times.

Now we are facing another crisis,… again this one is economic.  A $600-million dollar budget hole, as its called.

Back in 1931 Will Rogers said, “There’s not a product that you can name that we haven’t got more of, than any other country ever had on the face of the earth,… and yet we’ve got people starving”

Did ya know that in Tulsa alone, 80% of the 40-thousand or so students in our public schools depend on the Federal Government for school meals?  And it appears likely Oklahoma schools will see cuts in state funding,… again.  I’m talking about all common education as well as higher education and career tech.  So who will benefit?  Right now it appears private schools will soon be getting taxpayer dollars, dollars that should be going to public education.  Also, where are all the jobs that we were told to expect?  You can’t blame a $600-million dollar shortfall on a brief period of low oil prices.

It appears those in the legislature need to stop worrying about changing curriculum in public education, a job they don’t have the training to do, and work instead on supporting education and bringing jobs to the state.

They are after all, the folks who always say,… “Our young people are our future.”  Course, they only say that, when they’re ‘running’ for office.  You don’t hear that after the election.

I’m Sam Jones and that’s my Perspective.