Just days after failing in his attempt to corrupt the judicial system in Oklahoma, lame – and near dead – duck House Speaker Charles McCall apparently needed to restore his fleeting and soon to be forgotten political bonafides.
Therefore, as powerful people often do, he targeted a near defenseless class of citizens, in this case illegal immigrants, alleging they are such a serious risk to the rest of us that an entirely new crime, described as impermissible occupation, urgently needed immediate passage.
To their great discredit, 77 of his flock of Republican Know Nothings fell in line like lemmings into the sea while the tiny minority of 20 Democrats futilely debated against Charles’ unconstitutional but feel-good concept.
Even Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who usually corners the market on common sense and constitutional correctness, joined in the hoopla and hysteria on what he surely knows will be dead on arrival in any court of law.
One would have thought lawmakers learned their lesson on the matter of immigration nearly 20 years ago when another bigot, then state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, trotted out HB 1804, the guts of which were also struck down by the courts. Terrill, of course, wasn’t around to personally defend his destructive document because he himself was serving time for his own felonious behavior which cost him not only his freedom but his elected position and right to practice law … which he had done terribly.
With legislative frustration I knew Randy. Very unpleasantly I served with Randy. Obviously Randy wasn’t a friend of mine but for me that was just a minor irritant. However, for some Terrill was a terror who used political power to hurt and harm and did so with unbridled bravado.
So how will the latest tawdry torture turn out? Well, a handful of truly bad hombres will be arrested, given 72 hours to vamoose into Texas, or some other state, while many other law-abiding, God fearing, taxpaying illegals will also be corralled by the coppers.
They will be easily found in certain places such as: Up on roofs doing what roofers do; or mixing hot asphalt to patch our roads; or on their knees pulling weeds and planting flowers for their unsuspecting but grateful friends and neighbors; or maybe making up beds, cleaning toilets, mopping floors and other menial yet important tasks in thousands of homes, hotels and motels; and even nannying your youngsters with love, care and caution so you can get on with your daily details of work, entertainment, travel, socializing and other sunny segments of society we call the American life.
Perhaps the rest of us could learn an important lesson from that great Southern California philosopher Rodney King when, after enduring the whips, kicks, punches and other abuse from law enforcement enforcers, simply said “Can we all just get along?”
The answer, even in redneck, self-righteous, reactionary, repugnant, racist and often reprehensible Oklahoma is, “Yes, we can” – but we won’t until, obviously, we’ve tried everything else which McCall and Co. are in the middle of doing right now.
Meanwhile, up on an unfinished roof on Dorchester Street in Nichols Hills, the unused shingles, nails, cutters, tarps and tapes await the grizzled and callused hands of folks who do this dangerous job. But instead their appendages are busy steering a wheel as they flee not only their jobs, but futures here as well.
Since McCall, R-Atoka, is term-limited and will be unemployed by November, maybe he’d like to learn a new trade.
Too bad soon there won’t be anybody left in Oklahoma to teach him.
