8/11/2019 Emily Lang Edmond Sun 2 8-23-14

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ATUROAY. AUGU T 23, 2014 HE EOMOND SUN AJ

ARCH: tudents discuss how to improve race relations, justice in United tatesFROM PAGE A1

MARK CHIACHTENHAUFEN | THE EDMOND UN

Students and faculty march for justice Friday on the University of Central Oklahoma campus after the Aug. 9 shooting of ichael Brown in Ferguson, o. A panel discussion followed the march where students talked about how to prevent similar violence here.

merica.The number of

marchers increased as theprocession movedthrough the UCO campusto the student center for adiscussion about themarch and what to donext

Johnson, who facilitatedthe panel discussion, saidhe met with a group ofstudents Tliesday andthey wanted to do some-thing, bring awareness tothe campus and work toensure that the samething that happened inFerguson doesnt happenin the Oklahoma Citymetro area.

Johnson said the rea-sons for the march andforum were to educate

the UCO communityabout the shooting ofMichael Brown, to chal-lenge students to combatracial inequalities throughcivil engagement, toencourage discussionsabout race, privilege and

equality through curricu-lar and co curricularactivities, to give students

a platform for discussingexperiences and frustra-tions and to give studentsa platform for determin-ing the next step forbuilding a relationshipwith law enforcement.

Organizers stated the

Edmond PoliceDepartment andOklahoma City Police

Department were invitedto be part of the discus-sion but the agencies didnot send someone to bepart of the panel.

Before the panel discus-sion began, participantswere invited to stand and

speak about their experi-ence in the packed room.One participant was astudent who came all theway from CameronUniversity, located inLawton. nother was anOklahoma StateUniversity Oklahoma Citystudent.

Kareama Smart, whotraveled from Kansas City,said her sister went toFerguson. Smart said forthe UCO community tohold the event says some-thing about it. Other stu-dents spoke about howthe march evoked a feel-ing of empowerment.

Topics discussedincluded power and privi-lege. Leslie Smith, assis-tant professor of English

at UCO, said power andprivilege are real. They arenot tangible, but theyexist. frican mericanshave to make sure they donot internalize that inferi-ority complex, Smith said.

You cannot buy into

the idea that somehow byvirtue of being black, byvirtue of being off color,you are somehow inferi-or, Smith said.

The natural response isto say, "I dont think Iminferior, but sometimesour actions prove other-wise, Smith said. The bot-tom line is resistance, toreject the idea, the insinu-ation that due to colorsomeone is inferior, Smithsaid.

Marc Goulding, assis-tant professor of historyand geography at UCO,said the people who reallymade the Civil RightsMovement in the 1950sand 1960s work, whoinfluenced change, wereordinary folk including

college age individuals.Goulding said it doesnttake special training andit doesnt take a lot ofmoney or resources. Hereferenced how a few col-lege students establishedthe Black Panther Party

for Self Defense and citedthe value of communitybuilding. He mentionedthe importance of voting.

"Things arent all betternow because of the CivilRights Movement and theBlack Power Movement,he said. But theyre bet-ter. nd that had to hap-pen. nd it really did takepeople like you, all of you.

nd people like me, all ofus, right?"

Pope said events thatmay not seem to be rele-vant here in fact are, andit will benefit students tolearn about them.Goulding said, for exam-ple, if the United Statesgoes to war in Syria thatwill impact students here.

Pope said UCO

President Don Betz sup-ported the march andforum, but couldnt bepresent due to a schedul-ing conflict.

marks@edmondsun.com 1341-2121

ex . 108

RUNOFF: Republicans, Democrats asked to vote Aug. 26 to finalize nomineesFROM PAGE A1

political dialogue, Hillsaid. That is not the casethis year in Oklahoma oracross the nation.

Emily Lang, a politicalanalyst with Price LangConsulting, said everypoll she has seen for sev-eral years has indicatedthat job growth and theeconomy are at top ofmind for voters of bothparties, and the candi-dates are talking abouttheir business experience.

What we dont hear arespecifics, Lang said."How will these candi-dates create jobs? Howwill they help grow theeconomy?

Traditional Republicanissues have been toutedby both Douglas andRussell, Lang said. So vot-ers do not have much todifferentiate their viewson what is best for

mericans, Lang said."Theyre both pro gun,

pro life and antiffordable Care ct, Lang

said. "There hasn't been alot of contrast, so for vot-ers trying to make a deci-sion, theres not much tolatch onto.

t this point of the

political season, the racefor Oklahomas 5thCongressional District willbe the Republican candi-dates race to lose, Langsaid.

"However, the primaryhas been a battle of twoconservatives, toutingconservative records andpositions," Lang said. Itwill be interesting to see ifthat shifts going into thegeneral election as theytry to appeal to a widerrange of voters.

So what message driesthe Democratic primaryrunoff winner need toexpress in order to gainthe confidence of voterswhen heading to the Nov.4 election?

Both Democrats in therace would be consideredWashington outsiders inthe general election, Langsaid. This perception willhelp the runoff winnerachieve momentumagainst their Republicanopponent, she said.

Voters want someonewho will stand up fortheir values and theirinterests. They dont wantgovernment intrusion,Lang said.

Russell Douglas

Tuesday's winningDemocrat would benefitby communicating aneconomic plan to 5thDistrict voters early andto position themselves aspro Oklahoma and antiWashington, Lang said.

Hill concurs.On the Democrat side,

a win by state Sen. 1Mc ffrey could be seen asa sign that 5th DistrictDemocrats are embracinga more progressive/liberalidentity since Mc ffrey isthe states first openly gaylegislator, Hill said. Yet,at the same time, TomGuilds policy positionsare all standard boiler-plate for a nationalDemocrat, so the out-come of that race mayreflect grassroots organi-zation and work ethicmore than anything.

The Republican pri-mary runoff winner will

need to continue anintensive grassroots cam-paign by listening to thevoters, Hill said.

"Democrats in the 5thDistrict have seen a slowclimb in their percentageof the vote in congres-sional races over the pastdecade, Hill said.

She pointed out that the2002 Democrat candidaterunning for the 5thDistrict received 32 per-cent, but in 2012 Guildgarnered 37 percent of thevote against CongressmanJames Lankford.

"It would be difficult tofind a believable messagethat would enable theDemocrat nominee toappeal to the conservativeDemocrat voter who hasbeen comfortable to crossover to vote Republicanfor the past decade, Hillsaid.

OTES BY THE NUMBERSIn the primary election,

Douglas and then oppo-nent, state Sen. ClarkJolley were pulling fromthe same pool of voters.

Much will depend onhow many votes Douglasor Russell will absorb

Guild cAffrey

from the Edmond ballotscast that Jolley received inthe primary election.

Within Edmonds 31precincts, Douglasreceived 3,452 votes,while Jolley received 3,256votes cast in the city.Russell had 2,613Edmond votes, accordingto information providedby the Oklahoma CountyElection Board.

"With Jolley out of therace, what his supportersdo at the polls on Tliesdaycould determine the out-come, Lang said. "Willthey support Douglas?Will they support Russellinstead? Or will they juststay home?"

In addition, state Sen.Connie Johnson will faceDemocrat Jim Rogers inthe statewide primaryrunoff election for theunexpired Senate seatbeing vacated by Sen.

Tom Cobum.Independent Mark Beard,54, of Oklahoma City is

also running for U.S.Senate. The winner willface RepublicanCongressman JamesLankford in the Nov. 4statewide general elec-tion. Independent candi-dates for the 5th Districtin the Nov. 4 election areBuddy Ray of Edmond,Tom Boggs of Thailand,and Robert Murphy ofNorman. Other races onTliesdays ballot include aprimary runoff forDemocrats Freda Deskinand John Cox vying forstate superintendent ofeducation; and StephanieBice and Mark Thomasare on the runoff ballotfor Senate District 22,which covers Piedmont,Deer Creek and portionsof Edmond, OklahomaCity and Yukon.

For more informationabout voting Tliesday,contact the OklahomaCounty Election BoardOffice at 713 1515.

lcobum@edmondsun.com 1341-2121

RYAN: Congressman's book explains his plan for lessening U. . debtFROM PAGE A1

save our country from a darkerfuture.

slower economy and a weakermerica serves to compromise

national security, Ryan saidRyan said he is encouraged

about the political tone of the U.S.as the nation moves toward elec-tions this year as well as electing anew president in 2016.

The conservative movement isprimarily an agreement of thenations founding principles.Secondly, conservatism is anagreement on policies, Ryan con-tinued. From time to time, peopledisagree with each other on tactics.

So I think its important to putthat into perspective, Ryan said. Ithink the intellectual fervency andthe ideas are on the conservativeside of the aisle right now.

The challenge for conservativesis to show how to replace the

ffordable Care ct, define theireconomic agenda and how theyplan to balance the budget andpay off the $17.6 trillion federaldebt, Ryan said.

His book accounts for the fourbills he passed to balance the fed-eral budget, which he believeswould pay off the debt. The federalgovernment is over extending itself

with borrowed money, he warned.The government is also crowdingout the local control of civil society,he said.

"How do we fight poverty? Howwould we restore upward mobili-ty? said Ryan, who said theremust be reform of entitlement pro-grams.

You have to switch to a patientcentered health care system, hesaid.

The Way Forward explains howhe would reform Social Security,Medicare and Medicaid, which hebelieves are the major causes ofthe nations debt

I think its important to tell peo-ple specifically how you would fixthese problems so youre honestwith people," Ryan said.

Medicare for people nearingretirement age should be kept as itis, he said. But no promises for asecure future for older mericanscan be kept without reform, hesaid.

Ryans political aspirations for apresidential run have not beendecided, he said. His decision willbe made in 2015 after discussionswith his wife Janna and their fami-ly. "Im focusing on the here andthe now, he said.

Cl IA PIONS tyCHARACTER

HO IN THE COMMUNITY EXEMPLIFIES

JOYFULNE ?Joyfulness: Maintaining a good attitude even when faced with unpleasant conditions.

j This month, The Character Council of Edmond wishes to recognize anEdmond resident that has transformed their outlook on life to maintain a

^ good attitude even in daily stressful situations.

To nominate an Edmond resident as a Champion of Character, log on atwww.edinond^haractcr.Qrg/nom in ate and tell us: (1) how the persondemonstrates the character trait, and (2) what the benefit was.

he best way to cheer yourself up is to try and cheer somebody else up.

- Mark Twain

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