Outrage and Lip Service

By BARRY FRIEDMAN

On Feb. 13, 2021, Sen. Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor and said Donald Trump was “morally responsible” for the attack on Washington a month earlier, adding that Trump’s actions were “a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty.”

McConnell never voted, however, to impeach such a man.

And now, a little more than 37 months later, McConnell said,  “It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States … It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support.”

Right. No surprise at all.

Strong words, though.

Which brings us to Oklahoma.

On Feb. 26 in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Nex Benedict, a binary student, was beaten in a bathroom of an Oklahoma high school,  a beating so bad it apparently led to Nex’s suicide.

Days later, a woman at a town hall asked Oklahoma state Sen. Tom Woods why he supported legislation harmful to people like Nex: “Is there a reason why you won’t answer about the 50 bills targeting the LGBTQ community in the state of Oklahoma?”

“We are a religious state,” Woods responded, “and we are going to fight to keep that filth out of the state of Oklahoma, because we are a Christian state. We are a moral state.”

Only one political party in today’s America has representatives who have answers like that.

While some of Woods’ fellow state Republicans condemned his comments — and this is the point, much like McConnell’s condemnation of Trump — their condemnation had the weight of a cool breeze on a spring afternoon.

Oklahoma Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat chalked it up to Woods having a bad day.

“Senator Woods and I have spoken, and I made it clear that his remarks were reprehensible and inappropriate. I am of the belief that all people are image-bearers of God, and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”

That’s just terrific: All lives matter.

Treat continued: “His remarks were not in any way reflective of myself, the Senate Republican caucus, Senate leadership or the Senate overall. In my opinion, he had a serious lapse of judgment and it has distracted from the mission and good work we are attempting to advance on behalf of all Oklahomans.”

“Reflective” of the GOP … “lapse of judgment”?

That’s it?

Woods brushed off Treat’s comment like a piece of dark lint off a white KKK robe.

“I also want to say that I stand behind what I believe in,” he responded two days later and then blamed individuals for pushing “gender reassignment in our schools.”

Looks like he’s still having such lapses.

We haven’t heard from Treat since.

The state’s labor commissioner, Leslie Osborn, also a Republican, said of Woods’ remarks, “We should rise above spewing hate and legislating condemnation for every citizen who does not look like us, vote like us, worship like us, or identify or love like us.”

Fine.

OK, maybe both statements are more than fine, but notice how neither Osborn nor Treat took serious issue with Woods’ contention that Oklahoma is a “Christian” state — as in responding, “We are NOT a Christian state.” Noticed how neither expressed any embarrassment about having the same “R-” after their names.

Then again, the head of Oklahoma Republicans is headed by a serial God botherer.

Here was Gov. Kevin Stitt after being re-elected in 2022.

“Father, we just claim Oklahoma for you. Every square inch, we claim it for you in the name of Jesus.”

For the love of Christ, you should pardon the expression.

Not for nothing, according to uscanadainfo.com, 21% of Oklahomans do not believe in Jesus.

“Father, we can do nothing apart from you,” Stitt continued. “I claim Oklahoma for you that we will be a light to our country and to the world.”

He then appointed God secretary of education.

“We thank you that your will was done on Tuesday and, Father, that you will have your way with our state, with our education system, with everything within the walls behind me.”

Not one Republican in the state denounced the governor for establishing Jesus as the Sooner State’s deity. Not one Republican turned in his or her decoder ring rather than be in a party that espouses such theocratic bullying.

And this is my point: At what stage do we ask the moderate Republicans among us — and, from what I have witnessed, Osborn and Treat are in that group in Oklahoma — to do more than engage in lip service at the arrogance and ugliness of their party.

Woods was not censured. Woods wasn’t shamed. Woods was not removed from any of his committee assignments. Woods wasn’t made to apologize.

I once heard Jim Bakker — yeah, that one — talk about a fellow pastor who had mocked a young girl for dancing in church, so moved she was by the Word being shared . Bakker said, and I’m paraphrasing, “If that’s God, if mocking a young woman is what He wants, I don’t want Him.”

When will Republicans like Treat and Osborn conclude that if Woods is the Republican Party — or McConnell, for that matter, if Trump is — say, “If that’s the GOP [and it increasingly is] I don’t want it. I’m out”?  To those who would argue they are more effective from inside the tent, how’s that going?

Come tomorrow morning, Treat, Osborn, and McConnell will share with Tom Woods and Donald Trump the same “R” after their names. You lie down with such people, you wake up with rationalization and accommodation.

Barry Friedman is an essayist, political columnist, petroleum geology reporter — quit laughing — and comedian living in Tulsa, Okla. His latest book, “Jack Sh*t: Volume One: Voluptuous Bagels and other Concerns of Jack Friedman” is out and the follow-up, “Jack Sh*t, Volume 2: Wait For The Movie. It’s In Color” is scheduled to be released in April. In addition, he is the author of “Road Comic,” “Funny You Should Mention It,” “Four Days and a Year Later,” “The Joke Was On Me,” and a novel, “Jacob Fishman’s Marriages.” See barrysfriedman.com and friedmanoftheplains.com.

From The Progressive Populist, April 15, 2024

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