Bravo to Councilors Bynum and Barnes for bringing this proposal forward -- it's long overdue! It looks like it faces little resistance.
UTW: just FYI, it's not called "Tulsa's Center for Equality". The facility is the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, and it serves as the headquarters for the non-profit organization Oklahomans for Equality (http://okeq.org). This mistake has been made before; I hope you make this distinction in the future.
Thank you for your feature article on nudism in Oklahoma and Oaklake Trails. Social nudism/naturism at a family resort is an entirely healthy, relaxing, and safe experience. And it's gaining popularity--as young adults face the stresses of their day-to-day routines and an unhealthy demands for physical appearance and body acceptance, more and more are finding the experience of visiting a nudist resort enlightening. One will learn and see for themselves that our bodies are just bodies--complete with "imperfections"--everyone has 'em, and everyone is just fine as they are. And thank you for helping dispel some of the rumors regarding Oaklake Trails. It's not a club of swingers and fetishists and voyeurs; instead, a visitor will be welcomed by friendly folks of all ages and backgrounds--infant to elderly, schoolteachers, public servants, doctors, clergy, and families. Inappropriate behavior is not tolerated, and children are exceptionally safe--to paraphrase one staff member, the people are expected to behave the same way as they would at Big Splash, Disneyland, or any other family attraction.
Nudism, of course, doesn't appeal everyone, and that's understandable. But thank you for portraying the lifestyle and Oaklake Trails accurately, and in such a positive light.
Liberal bias? More like self-stroking if you ask me. UTW put founder Keith Skrzypczak and lead opinion columnist Michael Bates on their own list.
Though the former's entry is rather telling, isn't it? "...Skrzypczak digs between the cracks of the city and fills them with the facts that only UTW can provide."
BubbaMan, if someone does not accept the concept of god(s) as factual, how is it offensive to call that person an atheist? The word isn't slanderous or insulting. If you are offended by someone's beliefs, it's not that person's place to apologize. I'm certainly not offended by your identification as a pagan voter, though Dr. Kengor obviously would be.
If someone DOES tell you that you must adhere to a particular religious doctrine (or abandon another), then yes, that would be offensive. But as near as I can tell, nobody has done that. Or do you think that by simply declaring one's atheism is a itself a form of religious intolerance or discrimination? (Note that nobody has done that either. Why would you say I live in a "spiritually dead universe"? That's a fairly harsh accusation.)
"Before considering the data, I want to be very clear: Obviously, I'm not saying that if you voted for Barack Obama, you're an atheist. Please, no angry emails."
Um, being labeled an atheist is not something anyone should take offense to. Whether or not non-religious voters swayed the election in Obama's favor is certainly of interest, however, the tone of this article seems to force that narrow-minded impression that "atheist" and "non-religious" are negative labels, insults--similar to the use of the words "liberal" or "progressive" as attempts at slander.
The final sentence is quite telling of the author's negative attitude (superiority over? hatred for? fear of?) towards non-religious citizens: "...count me as one who prefers to cede this vote to the Democrats", as if to say "well, us Republicans don't want their kind polluting our ranks anyhow!"
"But no one should delude themselves into believing that racism...is dead."
Of course not, it's alive and kicking in the same paragraph: "Barack Obama, after all, is only half-black, and not even half-African-American at that. Jeremiah Wright aside, Obama had a white upbringing. A product of the elite, he went to an Ivy League college...If we were looking at President-Elect Sharpton, I'd believe in this change. (Too scary? Exactly.) As things stand, the rich white people who own and run the country have little to fear."
What exactly, kind sir, is a "white upbringing"? For a man to be black, must he speak like Al Sharpton? Must he evoke some level of fear in a wealthy white audience? Is Obama "more black" due to negative attributes such as his association with Rev. White and admission of using drugs as a youth; or "less black" because of positive attributes such as an ivy league education, inspiring a record number of voters to cast their ballots, and, of course, being our President-elect?
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COMMENTS
Posted by: Dan
9 comments total
Sort Comments: Most Recent | Oldest First
Re: Hungry for a Decision
Re: Hungry for a Decision
Re: Surprised by Surprise
UTW: just FYI, it's not called "Tulsa's Center for Equality". The facility is the Dennis R. Neill Equality Center, and it serves as the headquarters for the non-profit organization Oklahomans for Equality (http://okeq.org). This mistake has been made before; I hope you make this distinction in the future.
Re: Welcome to Camp Naked
Nudism, of course, doesn't appeal everyone, and that's understandable. But thank you for portraying the lifestyle and Oaklake Trails accurately, and in such a positive light.
Peace,
Daniel
Re:
It's about they busted Bates for his nasty habit of fudging facts, and Skrzypczak for, well, being a dick.
Re: Hot 100
Though the former's entry is rather telling, isn't it? "...Skrzypczak digs between the cracks of the city and fills them with the facts that only UTW can provide."
Well said.
Re: "I'm Pagan and I Vote"
If someone DOES tell you that you must adhere to a particular religious doctrine (or abandon another), then yes, that would be offensive. But as near as I can tell, nobody has done that. Or do you think that by simply declaring one's atheism is a itself a form of religious intolerance or discrimination? (Note that nobody has done that either. Why would you say I live in a "spiritually dead universe"? That's a fairly harsh accusation.)
Re: "I'm Pagan and I Vote"
Um, being labeled an atheist is not something anyone should take offense to. Whether or not non-religious voters swayed the election in Obama's favor is certainly of interest, however, the tone of this article seems to force that narrow-minded impression that "atheist" and "non-religious" are negative labels, insults--similar to the use of the words "liberal" or "progressive" as attempts at slander.
The final sentence is quite telling of the author's negative attitude (superiority over? hatred for? fear of?) towards non-religious citizens: "...count me as one who prefers to cede this vote to the Democrats", as if to say "well, us Republicans don't want their kind polluting our ranks anyhow!"
Re: No We Didn't
Of course not, it's alive and kicking in the same paragraph: "Barack Obama, after all, is only half-black, and not even half-African-American at that. Jeremiah Wright aside, Obama had a white upbringing. A product of the elite, he went to an Ivy League college...If we were looking at President-Elect Sharpton, I'd believe in this change. (Too scary? Exactly.) As things stand, the rich white people who own and run the country have little to fear."
What exactly, kind sir, is a "white upbringing"? For a man to be black, must he speak like Al Sharpton? Must he evoke some level of fear in a wealthy white audience? Is Obama "more black" due to negative attributes such as his association with Rev. White and admission of using drugs as a youth; or "less black" because of positive attributes such as an ivy league education, inspiring a record number of voters to cast their ballots, and, of course, being our President-elect?