Michael I appreciate your editorials. Thank you again for your insight and thoughtful opinions. It is a welcome respite to the knee-jerk opinions, of which I'm sure you know are a dime-a-dozen (and sometimes you can get them on sale). Your analysis of this particular situation maybe as close to correct as it gets. You could easily segue this editorial into the article on the next page about the government's education monopoly and see the parallel universe our city shares with this and other monopolies.

Michael,
I do not disagree with much of what you say. However, "Councilors Medlock, Mautino, Turner, and Henderson are all men of devout Christian faith" is off base and makes you appear a bigot. I will remind you that without the jews in Tulsa, this town would be extremely pitiful. They are the quiet givers, the annonymous ones, many more than just the Kaisers', Schustermans', and Zarrows'!
MJS

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1021-23.htm The Most Important Criminal Case in American History

wow... I didnt realize Sullivan, Christianson, Baker, Martenson & Neal were Jewish!

Sanditen,
I'm can't figure out what that article you pointed us to has to do with what Mr. Bates wrote?
mee foosed.
"Councilors Medlock, Mautino, Turner, and Henderson are all men of devout Christian faith"
That sounds like a statement of fact and does not indicate that Michael is a "bigot."
I'd rather have four bigots in office, instead of a couple of bigots and three "at large" good ol' boyz.

Whether these men are Christian is irrelevant. Whether these men can perform their duties as city councilors is much more imporant.

When religon is injected into politics or politics are injected into religon, both are irrecoverably perverted. I support an elected official based on their public policies, not their faith. Religous persuasion(or a lack thereof), for me, is not a litmus for the qualifications for public service. I don't need to know what faith these Councilors follow, to know that they are good men.

That being said, this is a time when grassroots Tulsans of different faiths, social classes, ethnicity, and political parties must form a coalition and stand united in solidarity to beat this attack on representative government. I hope you will realize bringing religon into the debate will most likely divide us more than it unites us. It is dissapointing that the important message of your article is being obscured by such an irrelevant debate. I hate to be so critical, but it is imperative that we focus on the task at hand and work together for the greater good. United we stand, divided we fall.

I sincerely hope this is not perceived as a negative attack, because this is certainly not intended to be one. Just some freindly advice in the hopes of creating harmony, so we're spending our time and energy fighting this initiative, instead of each other.

for MeeCitiWurker -

I don't believe that a candidate should be excluded from running for office and if he or she gets elected more power to him or her. But I do believe that a person grounded in faith and the teachings of the Bible can be a very effective councilor and a wonderful example for all citizens regardless of age. I'm happy to see Christian councilors, especially if they openly practice their faith.

Morality, conciliation, and devotion to constituents are traits that are sorely needed in Tulsa politics. Christian people have those in abundance.