OSU leaders duck question on 'Drag Queen Story Hour' aimed at TWO-YEAR OLDS

COLLEGE LEADERS DUCK QUESTION ON OSU ‘DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR’

by Ray Carter, Director, Center for Independent Journalism

The Oklahoma State University Office of Multicultural Affairs recently announced it was hosting a “Drag Queen Story Hour” that was “geared towards ages 2-8.”

Critics said the event amounted to “ideological grooming” of children.

Do officials with oversight of state colleges believe the event was a proper use of taxpayer facilities and aligned with OSU’s mission? And if not, what action do they plan to take?

For the most part, those officials have adopted a “duck and cover” policy in response.

House committee passes bill to eliminate statute of limitations for sex crimes against children

House Committee Passes Bill to Eliminate Statute of Limitations for Sex Crimes Against Children

OKLAHOMA CITY – The House Judiciary Committee yesterday passed legislation to remove the statute of limitations on the prosecution of child trafficking and sexual crimes against children.

Rep. Carol Bush (R-Tulsa) authored House Bill 3024 to allow the prosecution against someone accused of committing sexual crimes against a child to be commenced at any time after the offense occurs.

“Horrific events in early childhood, especially events like molestation or rape, have an adverse effect on a person throughout their entire life,” Bush said. “Unfortunately, it also often means that many of these survivors take years to come forward, especially when they face the daunting challenge of proving it happened, facing their abuser, and financing a years-long legal battle.”

Bush pointed out that trauma often leads survivors to bury the event in their minds until they’re emotionally mature enough to address it, which often doesn’t happen until 30 or 40 years later. CHILD USA, a national nonprofit focused on ending child abuse and neglect, reports that of child sexual abuse survivors that do disclose, on average, they don’t disclose until they are 52 years old.

Bush said the change was brought to her when she was first elected, by a constituent whose father molested her daily beginning from the age of six, but didn’t come to terms with it until she was approaching 40.

“The change proposed by House Bill 3024 gives victims the opportunity to come forward at any point in their lives, and it gives law enforcement the chance to prove a perpetrator’s guilt through due process and hopefully get these disgusting criminals off the streets,” Bush said.

Bush ran similar legislation in her first session in 2017, but after edits, the bill instead updated the age the statute of limitation expired to the current age of 45.

“Ever since I started talking about changing this policy in 2017, I’ve heard directly from dozens of other survivors across the state who emphasized the need to remove the statute of limitations,” Bush said. “Survivors of all ages deserve the chance to see their abuser tried, whether the crime was committed five or fifty years ago. Thousands of people across the country live through this, and because of disabilities resulting from the abuse or power dynamics between themselves and their abuser, they don’t come forward until our legal system says it’s too late.”

Several states have already eliminated the statute of limitations for sex crimes against children in recent years, including Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Hawaii and Massachusetts. The state of New York created a window until August 2020 to give victims the opportunity to pursue prosecution.

“I am appalled at the amount of our laws I’ve found that seem to be written to directly protect and shelter suspects rather than support survivors,” Bush said. “I hope that when this bill becomes law survivors across the state will come forward and use this as an opportunity to have their day in court, no matter how long ago the crime was committed.”

House Bill 3024 passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 12-5. It is now available to be considered on the House floor. As it is currently written, the bill would go into effect in Nov. 2020.

Rep. Carol Bush, a Republican, serves District 70 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Her district includes a portion of Tulsa County.

The Conservative View: Children and Paint Jobs

This week's Conservative View, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner (R-Stilwell).

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

Children and Paint Jobs

Over the years I have observed the way children and adults care for their possessions. For the most part our responsibility of caring for our possessions is formed very early in life. I have seen children who received gifts for Christmas or their birthday; some would take care of their toys and get many hours of enjoyment while others would simply destroy theirs in a matter of moments. I have also observed adults that would buy a new car; some will care for their car and get many years of good service while others will hot rod and abuse their car and in a short period of time it will be in the local scrap yard. From personal experience it is much easier to take care of your possessions instead of tearing them up and having to buy replacements. We can understand the need to properly take care of our cars and other possessions but they pale in comparison to the need to take care of most valuable asset, our children and future generations.

Our children rely upon us adults to protect them, in my opinion anyone that would victimize a child is guilty of one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. House Bill 2965, by state Rep. Rex Duncan, would expand the penalties for child molesters, allowing repeat offenders to face life in prison without parole or the death penalty. The key words in bill are “repeat offenders”. There is no excuse for anyone harming a child even once. The emotional damage inflicted upon a child will last a lifetime; unlike a car that may become damaged a simple paint job will not fix this problem. Under Oklahoma law, a child molester can face a sentence of 25 years to life for a first offense. Duncan’s legislation will increase the penalty to include a maximum sentence of life without parole. His legislation will also allow the death penalty to be considered for those convicted of a second or subsequent offense.

Thousands of years ago Jesus Christ said, “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he be cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” Some would say that the penalty would seem too severe, I do not agree. I have seen people get mad enough to strangle someone for scratching their auto. Our cars and other possessions can be replaced in a short period of time, our children’s well-being cannot.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, email him at rdrepublican@windstream.net.

The Conservative View: The Mark Of A Society

The Conservative View of the week, by Adair County Commissioner Russell Turner.

The Conservative View
by Russell Turner

The Mark Of A Society

I once heard a man say that you can tell a lot about the integrity of a person by how he treats someone who has nothing to offer him. It is sad when a society does not take the time to watch out for each other. We need to remember that none of us will ever get to the point where we don’t have to rely upon someone else at some point in our lives. When I was a child in Sunday school I remember the story of the GOOD SAMARITAN, the Samaritan helped a man who had been beaten and robbed even though the beaten man had nothing of value left to repay the act of kindness. Over the past few years I have noticed a problem that appears to be growing; it is the increased frequency of child molestation.

I know that humans for thousands of years have committed crimes against each other but instead of evolving to a point where we are a kinder and gentler species, we seem to be going the other way. We owe our children much; they will be the ones who will be in control when we adults cannot take care of ourselves anymore. At that time we will be relying upon their kindness and compassion. There are a couple of bills that will be introduced in the upcoming session of the Oklahoma State legislature. State Rep. Rex Duncan plans to file legislation that will allow child molesters to face life in prison without parole or even the death penalty. The proposal comes after the recent arrest of Marcus Berry, a two-time convicted sex offender who kidnapped a two-year-old girl from her front yard in Tulsa. Although Berry was convicted in 1986 and again in 1993 when he was sentenced to 30 years in prison, he served less than 13 years of that sentence before being released. Under current law, a child molester can face a sentence of 25 years to life for a first offense. Duncan’s legislation will increase the penalty to include a maximum sentence of life without parole. His legislation will also allow the death penalty to be considered for those convicted of a second offense.

Another State Representative, John Trebilcock will author a bill patterned after a Kansas law where convicted sex offenders could be involuntarily committed to a mental institution after completing their prison sentence. If we Americans don’t start taking the crime of child abuse seriously we will no longer be a great society.

If you wish to contact Russell Turner, or want to subscribe to his email loop, click here.