Words FAIL

A while back, Juanita Jean posted a news item that goes a long way toward explaining why it has become so difficult to recognize and distinguish between satirical internet sites and those reporting legitimate news.

In fact, she began the post by reciting the steps she’d taken to ensure that this bizarre proclamation was real.

It seems that the oil industry isn’t doing too well in Oklahoma because it doesn’t grow on trees, and since Republicans can’t possibly raise taxes on oil gazillionaires so they pay their fair share, the Governor decided to issue a proclamation in Jesus’ name.

Hold on.  I’m gonna let you read the whole damn thing because I believe, yes, I believe, in the power of crazy on a platter.

Whereas, Oklahoma is blessed with an abundance of oil and natural gas, allowing the state to be a prosperous producer of these valuable resources; and

Whereas Christians acknowledge such natural resources are created by God; and

Whereas the oil and gas industry continues to produce countless opportunities for wealth generation for Oklahoma families; and

Whereas Oklahoma recognizes the incredible economic, community and faith-based impacts demonstrated across the state by oil and natural gas companies; and

Whereas Christians are invited to thank God for the blessing created by the oil and natural gas industry and to seek His wisdom and ask for protection;

Now, therefore, I, Mary Fallin, Governor, do hereby proclaim October 13, 2016, as “Oilfield Prayer Day” in the state of Oklahoma.

As Juanita Jean herownself commented,

Oilfield Prayer Day.  Honey, I have no idea why it wasn’t called “Jesus Give Us Some Magic Money and Pollute Our Air At the Same Time.”  Or even, “Jesus Gives Us Gas The Natural Way.”

What amazes me is that the citizens of Oklahoma elected this person! (Or perhaps, given the language of the proclamation, it might be more accurate to say that the “Christians” of Oklahoma elected her.) I have been preoccupied of late with an effort to understand why voters cast their ballots for people demonstrably unequipped–by reason of ignorance or temperament or ideology– for the positions they seek. I have added Oklahoma to my “perhaps democracy is overrated” list…

I don’t know which is worse: the fact that the Governor evidently thinks her official prayer is needed to alert (a presumably all-knowing) God to Oklahoma’s fiscal problems and persuade Him (Her?)(It?) to improve the business prospects of the fossil fuel industry, or the fact that she is rather obviously unacquainted with the First Amendment of a Constitution that she took a solemn oath to uphold.

Come to think of it, wouldn’t the Christian God take a negative view of failing to uphold a solemn oath?

I truly occupy a different reality from Governor Fallin. (And for that, I give thanks to the Flying Spaghetti Monster….)

38 Comments

  2. Is this a slur on the solidly wonderful Italian-American heritage? Need I remind you of the Pizza God which passeth all understanding? And oil! Extra virgin and cold-pressed. Huh? Where would we be without it?

  3. I wrote almost a decade ago words I have since seem many times, ” their reality had lapped our satire.” This is just one more example.

  4. So it’s acceptable for the Governor of Oklahoma to issue a proclamation to pray to her God, but the Native Americans that are praying in North Dakota to protect their land and water are breaking the law? The religious nut wing of the GOP needs to decide which god is the right god for prayers. I will don my colander hat and pray for them.

  5. I have seen religious people all my life and the most obnoxious ones are born-again Christians. What is it about those folks that have to invoke their “god” with every breath? They cannot have a conversation with anyone unless they are “praising the lord” or ask for “prayers” for whatever ails them or those they love. Insufferable humans. If one cannot share a simple hello with another human without invoking their lord, they have serious issues and it isn’t with their church, it’s with their self worth. We must stop this, it’s completely out of hand. Separate Church and State – in schools, in law and in government. (My spouse is a Christian but you wouldn’t ever know it because he keeps it to himself, like the bible says to).

  7. When you know that your source of income is in trouble a good Christian should pray to the oil and gas Gods?

    I saw an interview of her a couple months ago. She was under pressure to do something about the continuous earthquakes being caused by fracturing. It has become so bad out there that the people who earn very good livings at the gas drilling companies realize this has to stop. Their homes are being destroyed and they say it just isn’t worth it anymore.

    So, you know, why not try to proclaim a public prayer to save their income sources? If Pence wasn’t so busy trying to become the next Prez, he probably would have joined her with his prayerful support.

  9. Well, praise the Lord! Isn’t it so sweet of those folks to be praying for more wealth from their oil fields instead of a halt to the earthquakes from those fields?

  10. I think the governor of Oklahoma has broken the constitutional covenant of not mixing church and state in a most egregious manner, and to be consistent, if God gave us everything we can sense, then we are the recipients of God-given war, murder, sloth, etc. etc. etc. Where was her proclamation on all these other gifts? She has framed the issue in such a way that to be against the oil industry is to be against God, a frame I reject, and in any event it is not the oil industry per se but its misconduct in sucking this black gold from the earth, transporting it, refining and re-distributing it for burning and the ruination of our land, water and atmosphere that has my negative attention, and if I may hazard a guess, that of God as well.

  11. I think the governor of Oklahoma has broken the constitutional covenant of not mixing church and state in a most egregious manner, and to be consistent, if God gave us everything we can sense, then we are the recipients of God-given war, murder, sloth, etc. etc. etc. Where was her proclamation on all these other gifts? She has framed the issue in such a way that to be against the oil industry is to be against God, a frame I reject, and in any event it is not the oil industry per se but its misconduct in sucking this black gold from the earth, transporting it, refining and re-distributing it for burning and the ruination of our land, water and atmosphere that has my negative attention, and if I may hazard a guess, that of God as well.

  13. Well, there must be a God, because yesterday I prayed for a Cubs win and I got it.

    It would seem far too many of our secular leaders were dropped on their heads as children. I propose we remove “In God we trust,” from all of our currency and replace it with “E Pluribus Unum.” That way, when Jesus returns he won’t be confused by the coins with Washington’s face, but His name. He will then be able to tell Donald to pay his taxes.

  14. Peggy – you nailed it both with the Cubs, the Second Coming and Trump the welfare recipient on taxes. You should go into comedy, except that some of what we smirk about is deadly serious. Keep on keeping on.

  15. Gerald E. Stinson – if you pray for forgiveness about that double entry, God will surely forgive you for your egregious mistake

  16. Mike Pence could have used his gubernatorial powers and his personal relationship with God to encourage the Indiana legislature, with God’s help, to repeal the law banning growing of hemp in the state of Indiana. God made hemp, too, you know. Think of the many uses it could be put to; at the top of that list put Hemp Oil for a number of medical uses.

    The ban is due to the similar makeup to cannabis but has anyone out there known of anyone smoking hemp? I worked in a methadone clinic and a court ordered inpatient facility for teenage drug addicts and never heard of it. It could be a first step to legalizing cannabis for medical use; other states have found the legalization beneficial regarding tax income, lower crime rates involving drugs as well as medical benefits. Indiana doesn’t have gas and oil beneath our corn and soybean fields; why not take advantage of our God-given land and weather conducive to growing hemp?

    Can I get an Amen!

  17. Give Mary Fallin a break. She’s the Governor of Oklahoma. And she wants to stay that way. All she has done is fulfilled the old adage: “When in Mars speak like the Martians.” She’s just from a different planet than most of us on this blog.

    Remember “The Day the Earth Stood Still”? I always considered it a documentary; Much more truth than fiction. It was a dire warning from our FRIENDS in outer-space and we failed to heed it. Consequently, the ENEMY aliens from outer space are now in command of Oklahoma. Texas will be next or were they the first to go ALIEN?

    Common sense rhetoric is useless. We need to try something else that might work.

  18. Marv; I agree with you regarding the message in the movie, “The Day The Earth Stood Still” – the original version. I have also recommended the move “Soylent Green” be required viewing in science classes; we are moving further away from science fiction and closer to reality with messages in both of these movies.

    Weren’t Jules Verne and H.G. Welles science fiction writers of their time?

  20. Thanks Nancy.
    I respect most religious people seriously, and my husband has proved that not all of them are “fill in the blank bad word.”
    Some great comments today.
    The Cubs WIN! OMG, I’m so excited I woke up at 4 am and got to witness the end of the game. Whoo hoo!

  21. Humans invented gods and their attributes, so Fallin’s proclamation was a natural extension of religion. ‘splains everything.

  23. Having vented my opinion regarding our “sitting” governor and his religious fervor, as evidenced in his original and rewritten versions of RFRA and his edict on abortion, I reread today’s blog and have to say the subject is thoroughly nauseating – the SUBJECT – NOT the blog.

    After Fallin’s lengthy list of whereases, culminating with her “Now, therefore…”; this appears to me to be a 21st Century form of state sanctioned sovereignty regarding access to Oklahoma’s gas and oil (provided by God) “to produce countless opportunities for wealth generation for Oklahoma families”; much as the southern states used sovereignty as their right to maintain slavery (considered their God given right to oversee due Massa’s higher level of intelligence) to maintain their “countless opportunities for wealth” . The Confederacy also ignored the Constitution, fought literally “to the death” passing the 13th Amendment, and based their beliefs on their version of God and the Bible.

    Just sayin’

  24. Pingback: Oklahoma's Christian Government Prayer for Pollution

  25. I have been quite for the last several weeks, still clocking-in to this site everyday
    for a read of the current events etc.

    I am so, rooting for Hillary … (if only Trump, could run around in a circle at 186 million
    miles per second and dissapear up his own rectum, he’d do us all a favor.)

    I get tired of the over religious types, you know, the ones who say the loudest “A-Mens”
    in the service. I keep my religion to myself (its a personal experience).

  26. Last night, similar to AgingLGrl, I awoke after falling asleep much earlier than usual and was still able to view the 9th and 10th innings of the World Series. Unlike AgingLGrl, I’ve always been an Indians fan and celebrated their World Series triumph in 1948 when I was ten years old. Bob Feller, the great Indians pitcher, was always my baseball hero. Naturally, I wasn’t a celebrant so I changed channels to the Decades TV Network, which I believe is only available in South Bend for those of you who live in Indiana.

    I was pleasantly surprised to SEE that Daniel Ellsberg was being interviewed on a re-run ofThe Dick Cavett Show. It was an hour long interview of Ellsberg in 1970. At 3 o’clock in the morning, it seemed much longer. I spent most of the time transcribing what Ellsberg was saying. This was an interview before his big time troubles really started. This was about as close to an UNCENSORED PUBLIC ELLSBERG that you will ever find.

    He said something very important that resonated with our comments yesterday on this blog. Dick Cavett asked Ellsberg about the reaction from the public to The Pentagon Papers. It was disheartening and gives wait to today’s title on the blog: WORDS FAIL.

    Ellsberg’s answer which I transcribed was, “no one would take RESPONSIBILITY [with me].” Unfortunately, that’s a very difficult hurdle to overcome, probably impossible. He was, for the most part, left alone with his rhetoric. We all need to learn from this. Our only chance for the survival of democracy is to move toward DEPICTION and not more rhetoric. “Rhetoric alone just won’t cut it.”

    “The Day the Earth Stood Still” [the original version] was much more than just rhetoric it was DEPICTION at its finest. And JoAnn and I will never forget it.

  28. Hey Marv, my spouse gets up at 4 am every day so sometimes I know it, some days I don’t. Growing up 80 miles from Chicago, I’ve only been to one professional baseball game so you can guess which team. It was a bus trip back in the mid-80s I believe. I don’t really remember it much but remember who I went with. WGN broadcast all of the games so we could watch whenever we wanted.

  31. Gerald,

    “She has framed the issue in such a way that to be against the oil industry is to be against God”

    Next, she will be framing the issue so that anyone against racial and religious warfare is to be against God like during the Crusades. We’re going to go backward in time way past the Civil War. I hope to find me a horse and a sword. Could this spell the end of the National Rifle Association? Will it be replaced by the American Sword Crusade?

  32. “Come to think of it, wouldn’t the Christian God take a negative view of failing to uphold a solemn oath?”

    The Christian God is frowning at another elected official who took a solemn oath to uphold the duties of her office and now is back in the news. Rowan County (KY) Clerk Kim Davis, a devout member of the Oneness Pentecostal movement, is refusing to pay the legal fees for the same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses in her office.

    http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article112014812.html

  33. I just returned from attending a Democratic party campaign stop in Wabash, IN. Was able to meet and talk with Evan and Susan Bayh, John Gregg, Christina Hale, Lorenzo Arredondo and others.

    For a county that bleeds red, there was a very good turnout of Democrat voters there to meet and support the candidates. It gave us all hope.

  34. Should we take some comfort now that we know what is in store for us? Many did with the outbreak of World War II. Much of our anxiety comes from the unknown.

  37. Pete,

    “Remember when we were sure that being so stupid as to throw away democracy was inconceivable.

    Maybe you, not me. How could it be otherwise, if democracy has ABSOLUTELY no organized defense? What other outcomes could you expect?

  38. Our enemy has two faces:

    Corporatism is the enemy of SOCIAL DEMOCRACY which Bernie Sanders was attempting to expand.

    Fascism is the enemy of PROCEDURAL DEMOCRACY which Trump/Pence, as we’re observing, is turning into a farce. It has no organized defense. I hope I’m wrong, but without it, the first female President of the U.S. could someday be a Mary Fallin, instead of Hillary Clinton, at the rate we’re going.

    Both of the above are being controlled SYSTEMICALLY at their nerve center by CERTAIN MEMBERS of the DEEP deviant elite just as it was at the beginning of the Nazi regime. See “German Big Business & The Rise of Hitler” by Henry Ashby Turner, Jr. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1985)

    The first page in the book is a copy of a political poster from the Nazi era with a picture of Adolph Hitler as a puppet entitled: Instrument in the Hand of God? Puppet in the Hand of Thyssen! “The Great industrialist Fritz Thyssen, owner of a fortune of 125 million marks, leader of one of the largest trusts, has been named economic dictator of Germany’s most important industrial region, Rhineland-Westphalia.”

    Believe me, it could happen here.

Comments are closed.