A normal morning for me when I am at home and not in session is usually starting the coffee at 5:30 a.m. Most mornings, I try to catch up on news, e-mails and of course, we cannot forget the ever important Facebook. This morning was no different as the coffee was brewing. Before I walked out to get the paper, I picked up the July 20th Journal Record and read an article by Brian Brus. The headline was: “Williams: Oklahoma City Has Image Problems”. The “Williams” the article refers to is Roy Williams, the President and CEO of the greater OKC Chamber. Williams told City Council members Tuesday that 16 percent of respondents from a national survey said that they thought OKC had a “hick personality”. I take some exception to that. It obviously raises some questions not only about OKC, but about our state as a whole. It makes me wonder “who we are”. Of course, to us “real hicks” OKC does not look or feel like a hick town at all. You do not have to spend much time downtown or in 5 o’clock traffic or tooling around in Bricktown to think that maybe OKC is a lot more like any other metro area than what people realize. There is a great deal of sophistication and cultural diversity just in that area alone. You do not have to travel very far up I-44 until you hit Tulsa where there is another very culturally literate urban area known for its Art-Deco architecture. There is plenty of pavement and tall buildings and a disproportionate ratio of tasseled loafers vs. cowboy boots. Even down my way in the Lawton area, we may have more cultural diversity than anywhere in the state thanks to the melting pot that we call Fort Sill. In fact, our military presence statewide provides a dynamic cultural mix that many states would love to have.
I think what many people judge Oklahoma on is The Grapes of Wrath. That is unfortunate because in reality, our state is a pretty cosmopolitan spot in the world. I really think that in order to know Oklahoma, you have to look beyond the Dust Bowl days and actually see it to believe it. I think a big challenge for our state is “how do we hang on to our very agrarian past and embrace who we have become over the last 100 years! Let’s face it, one of the historical icons of our state was Will Rogers, a cowboy. We are the center of the universe for the horse show industry. The western lifestyle is a big part of Oklahoma’s mission statement.
I, for one, coming from the boots side of the ledger, think that our western history is not something we should hide from but rather embrace as we attempt to promote our state to the world and convince people that this is a good place to be. After all, the “boots” crowd pumps a great deal of money into our state’s economy, not only in the rural areas but in urban areas as well. Seldom does a weekend go by when the OKC fairgrounds is not covered up with horse trailers. We host the World Quarter Horse Show in November. I would venture to say that a great many OKC merchants would feel a huge hole in November if that show were not held here. In fact, horses are flown into OKC from all over the world for that prestigious event. That is just one major event. There are many others like the Oklahoma Youth Expo, the world’s largest junior livestock show. And the list could go on and on…
If you take a quick look into Oklahoma’s energy business, we are one of the top producers of natural gas in the world. Chesapeake Energy has developed into a sprawling campus in OKC that employs hundreds if not thousands of people. The architecture is certainly not traditional “Okie”. I have to believe that Aubrey McClendon’s vision for that campus has to do, at least in part, with his exposure to Minnesota where the Kerr family has hung out for several generations. You cannot drive by downtown OKC without noticing the Devon Energy building which is under construction now. It will forever change the skyline of our capitol city. It is certainly not the skyline I remember as a boy in the 60s. I am old enough to remember when the tallest building there was the First National Bank building, the one with the sloping roof and the needle.
So, our state is more of a blend and I think we need to embrace that. Many more years ago than I probably want to admit, our license plates in Oklahoma said: Oklahoma is OK. By today’s creative marketing standards, some probably thought that sounded just a little bit “hick”. It was a very simple, direct statement and I think today it is still very true. There is no need to apologize for who we are as a state or where we have been either. I am in no way trying to criticize Mr. Williams as he does his best to try to promote OKC but I think our state and our history have a perfect blend of boots and tasseled loafers. I believe who we are is pretty much just how I would like us. As for that 16 percent that call us hicks, I would gladly show them a map of the United States and point them to a great number of cities where they could live and wish em’ luck. I would just as soon focus on the 84 percent who think Oklahoma is OK, whatever kind of footwear they have on!
If you would like to contact me while I am at the Capitol, please do not hesitate to call
1-800-522-8502 or send an e-mail to donarmes@okhouse.gov.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” ~Abraham Lincoln
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
About Once a Summer
It seems that there are a lot of life lessons that we all have to re-learn. Okay, maybe it is just me but it seems like every summer I have to re-learn that Johnsongrass is a favorite hangout for chiggers. About once a summer I have to get that sunburn. Those things are painful or itchy or inconvenient however, the one that gets me the most actually costs money. You see friends and neighbors, about once every summer I have to ruin a cell phone. I guess as technology has advanced and phones have become smaller, it has gotten easier and easier to put them in your pocket and to forget they are there. Who would leave the house without one these days? I know I sure don’t because we or at least I have become so dependent on that constant connection that, yes I’ll admit it, I freak out a little if I cannot immediately put my hand on my phone. I’m pretty sure it is a sickness and that I need medication but I bet I’m not the only one out there.
I remember my first cell phone was a bag phone. It was analog, actually got pretty good reception and I sure didn’t drop it in the water because it stayed in my pickup plugged in. As we moved away from the bag phone and into the more mobile devices that were about half the size of a brick, we sure thought we were high-tech. Some of them could store up to 99 phone numbers! Who in their right mind would ever need that many phone numbers saved? We couldn’t text, we couldn’t e-mail, all we could do was talk. We weren’t far enough along for that phone to become small enough to fit in shirt pockets. Oh, we had every variety of holsters. In fact, a lot of my cowboy friends along with myself would have some leather craftsmen make us one with our brand in it to incorporate the new technology with the Old West. Everyone knows when that thing rings, you have to clear leather and fire. We still couldn’t text or e-mail but as we progressed, the phones got smaller and more complex, that is when my summer tradition began. I can remember one time feeding a bunch of cows in wet ground, dropping my phone in the middle of about 30 head of momma cows with their calves. That time I got lucky because with all those hooves (you do the math), none of them planted any in the middle of that phone. Of course, I had to have someone call my phone so I could find it. It is amazing how much you can do with a cow manure coated phone with a toothpick and q-tips as far as clean-up is concerned. That phone always smelled like feed lot after that but it didn’t bother me, it smelled like money.
Over the next several summers, I learned that phones would not bounce, could not float, were not waterproof, and as we progressed very rapidly in technology, that phone became evermore important to stay in contact with the world. It is amazing to me that from the days of the bag phone, we have come to the point where your personal computer is now in your hand. I actually spent all last week on the move and all the while proofing e-mails, sending and receiving auction ads, not to mention the occasional phone call. All that ended Saturday morning at about 9 a.m. as I reached into a 6-foot water trough to clean out some muck and just like if you had greased it, my phone shot out of that shirt pocket and into that water like a heat-seeking missile. I am not so sure communists do not put some kind of phone magnets in the bottom of every water trough that is ever built to try to get our cell phones. Ah heck, I guess it is still just my fault because I have to do it about once a summer and I am a slow learner and maybe one day they will build phones for guys like me but until then, I guess it’s a good thing we have insurance because when you have embraced technology like I have, the best way to cause yourself to hyperventilate is to totally submerge that technology in muddy water. I even ruined my Blackberry phone to the point where we could not get the numbers. Thank goodness my legislative assistant has it all saved on her computer because remember back to that phone I told you about that would hold 99 numbers? Well I kinda hate to admit this but last time I had a phone switched over, the phone tech kid at the handy dandy phone store, yeah that’s the one, the one with no express lane, told me that I had over 900 numbers in my phone. That shocked even me. As you might imagine, in my business, I probably have some numbers that do not need to be out there so I guess I’ll take my SIM card down to some eye doctor’s office and have them shoot it with a laser beam and blow it completely up so nobody will ever know all the top secret high-level double-naught spy government bidness that happens on my high-level handheld computer. No matter how high-tech we get, I can still trash one by dropping it in the water or having it in the pocket of my shorts while I launch the boat or just dropping it amongst some hungry cattle. I guess the only answer is going to be some kind of microchip implanted behind our ear because until we get to that point, I will probably do it once a summer.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology” –John Tudor
I remember my first cell phone was a bag phone. It was analog, actually got pretty good reception and I sure didn’t drop it in the water because it stayed in my pickup plugged in. As we moved away from the bag phone and into the more mobile devices that were about half the size of a brick, we sure thought we were high-tech. Some of them could store up to 99 phone numbers! Who in their right mind would ever need that many phone numbers saved? We couldn’t text, we couldn’t e-mail, all we could do was talk. We weren’t far enough along for that phone to become small enough to fit in shirt pockets. Oh, we had every variety of holsters. In fact, a lot of my cowboy friends along with myself would have some leather craftsmen make us one with our brand in it to incorporate the new technology with the Old West. Everyone knows when that thing rings, you have to clear leather and fire. We still couldn’t text or e-mail but as we progressed, the phones got smaller and more complex, that is when my summer tradition began. I can remember one time feeding a bunch of cows in wet ground, dropping my phone in the middle of about 30 head of momma cows with their calves. That time I got lucky because with all those hooves (you do the math), none of them planted any in the middle of that phone. Of course, I had to have someone call my phone so I could find it. It is amazing how much you can do with a cow manure coated phone with a toothpick and q-tips as far as clean-up is concerned. That phone always smelled like feed lot after that but it didn’t bother me, it smelled like money.
Over the next several summers, I learned that phones would not bounce, could not float, were not waterproof, and as we progressed very rapidly in technology, that phone became evermore important to stay in contact with the world. It is amazing to me that from the days of the bag phone, we have come to the point where your personal computer is now in your hand. I actually spent all last week on the move and all the while proofing e-mails, sending and receiving auction ads, not to mention the occasional phone call. All that ended Saturday morning at about 9 a.m. as I reached into a 6-foot water trough to clean out some muck and just like if you had greased it, my phone shot out of that shirt pocket and into that water like a heat-seeking missile. I am not so sure communists do not put some kind of phone magnets in the bottom of every water trough that is ever built to try to get our cell phones. Ah heck, I guess it is still just my fault because I have to do it about once a summer and I am a slow learner and maybe one day they will build phones for guys like me but until then, I guess it’s a good thing we have insurance because when you have embraced technology like I have, the best way to cause yourself to hyperventilate is to totally submerge that technology in muddy water. I even ruined my Blackberry phone to the point where we could not get the numbers. Thank goodness my legislative assistant has it all saved on her computer because remember back to that phone I told you about that would hold 99 numbers? Well I kinda hate to admit this but last time I had a phone switched over, the phone tech kid at the handy dandy phone store, yeah that’s the one, the one with no express lane, told me that I had over 900 numbers in my phone. That shocked even me. As you might imagine, in my business, I probably have some numbers that do not need to be out there so I guess I’ll take my SIM card down to some eye doctor’s office and have them shoot it with a laser beam and blow it completely up so nobody will ever know all the top secret high-level double-naught spy government bidness that happens on my high-level handheld computer. No matter how high-tech we get, I can still trash one by dropping it in the water or having it in the pocket of my shorts while I launch the boat or just dropping it amongst some hungry cattle. I guess the only answer is going to be some kind of microchip implanted behind our ear because until we get to that point, I will probably do it once a summer.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Technology makes it possible for people to gain control over everything, except over technology” –John Tudor
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Dog Days May Be Here Already
It is the middle of June but it sure seems like August. We have had enough rain to stay alive but certainly not enough to survive until late summer. I am really hopeful that I will not have to sell some cows. The four plus inches of rain that we received a few weeks ago bought us some time but it did not get us out of the woods. Typically if you look at the rain patterns in Southwestern Oklahoma in prior years, we have had some rainy Fourth of July time and sometimes we can catch some during the Lawton Rangers Rodeo. That seems to be either/or but when there is a dome of high pressure sitting on us like what we have right now, it sure does not look very promising where moisture is concerned. I have a friend in Missouri who griping about how muddy it was and I think I would like to try that. The wheat crop was nearly non-existent for many. Thank goodness for insurance and risk management. It will be interesting to see if we get a stand of cotton or not. I have not been over to Altus but I have heard that the irrigation district only has enough water in the lake for about one watering in what is probably the best cotton ground in Oklahoma. If their water is that limited, it could even be a major wreck for Jackson County. We will have to pray as hard as we can because it is going to take more than just a cotton shower to get us out of this drought.
All is not doom and gloom at the Armes’ place. One of the bright spots this summer was that my youngest daughter Kelsey just got home from Washington D.C. along with many other FFA members who made their way to the nation’s Capitol for the FFA Washington Leadership Conference. She said she even got to see the President. It was funny when she sent us a text and said “Obama drove by and waved at us. If it would have been George Strait it might have been cool”. I told her “Kelsey, that is the President of the United States”. She and the other kids from across the state went and had a great time and it ended up being a good, educational trip, which I knew it would be. She had moaned and groaned about not wanting to go but as we watched her Facebook posts and read her texts, it wasn’t long until she didn’t want to come back home.
Like most years, we have some short trips to see family and things like that. We hope to spend a week or two at the lake and there is, of course, the big Fourth of July weekend coming up. It has really been tough this year to get recovered from session. I think I am feeling everyone of my almost 50 years. I was in my early 40’s when I started and I guess, a lot more resilient.
I appreciate all the feedback on last week’s column. I had several calls and e-mails about the Jerome Ersland case. I think a lot of people agree that there was not anything right about it.
Until next week, keep praying for the good soaking rain and remember, hot summers are just kind of how we roll. Do not let it keep you from enjoying your family or cooking a few burgers on the grill because we are Southwest Oklahomans and we are tougher than most. We can take the heat.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” -Russel Baker
All is not doom and gloom at the Armes’ place. One of the bright spots this summer was that my youngest daughter Kelsey just got home from Washington D.C. along with many other FFA members who made their way to the nation’s Capitol for the FFA Washington Leadership Conference. She said she even got to see the President. It was funny when she sent us a text and said “Obama drove by and waved at us. If it would have been George Strait it might have been cool”. I told her “Kelsey, that is the President of the United States”. She and the other kids from across the state went and had a great time and it ended up being a good, educational trip, which I knew it would be. She had moaned and groaned about not wanting to go but as we watched her Facebook posts and read her texts, it wasn’t long until she didn’t want to come back home.
Like most years, we have some short trips to see family and things like that. We hope to spend a week or two at the lake and there is, of course, the big Fourth of July weekend coming up. It has really been tough this year to get recovered from session. I think I am feeling everyone of my almost 50 years. I was in my early 40’s when I started and I guess, a lot more resilient.
I appreciate all the feedback on last week’s column. I had several calls and e-mails about the Jerome Ersland case. I think a lot of people agree that there was not anything right about it.
Until next week, keep praying for the good soaking rain and remember, hot summers are just kind of how we roll. Do not let it keep you from enjoying your family or cooking a few burgers on the grill because we are Southwest Oklahomans and we are tougher than most. We can take the heat.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.” -Russel Baker
Monday, June 13, 2011
Afraid of Our Shadow
The recent trial of OKC pharmacist Jerome Ersland has stirred up a tremendous amount of controversy. It is almost surreal that something like that could even happen. He was found guilty of first degree murder for daring to cross an invisible line and to go farther than a jury thought was acceptable and to use deadly force. Many who saw the video said that he went way over the line by going back and getting another gun and making sure that the robber was dead. I think the issue is what amount of deadly force is acceptable when there is a deadly assailant involved. The fact of the matter is that Jerome Ersland was being robbed by an armed intruder and evidently had been robbed before. It just came to the point where he had enough. I think a question we have to ask ourselves is what we would do in the same situation.
I think there is a percentage of our society who would put up their hands and beg for their life and give the robber whatever he wanted. If you have been paying any attention to Don Armes over the years, you know that I do not fit into that category. I go back to my school teaching experiences when kids would get into fights in the hallway or somewhere on the school grounds. Many times over the years I have had to pull a couple of knuckle heads apart who decided to square off. I can tell you that even though that pales in comparison to the fear that would come from an armed robbery, your adrenaline kicks into high gear. I think you go into some kind of self-preservation mode and teachers are always at risk when they go into that situation, not only of personal harm but also of being reprimanded if in the process of pulling students apart to break up a fight, you jerk an earring out of some little dumplin’. I was always taught by older, wiser teachers never to run to a fight but in an armed robbery, you do not have that option. It comes to you very quickly and the fight or flight instinct is automatic. It is hard to tell what action can be spurred from fear and it is hard to know when that adrenaline is pumping. I feel like in Jerome Ersland’s case, he was pretty hyped up, was sick of being a victim, and just got to that point of “you know what, that is enough”. Once he shot the robber, it stopped him and all agree that was probably enough. But again, we are talking about a business man who had been robbed many times before. He drew a line in the sand that day and yes, that young robber caught the full force of a victim’s fury but dead is dead. It is a sad day for America when a guy can get first degree murder for shooting a robber “too much” but that is exactly what we are dealing with. I think any home owner or business owner has the fundamental right to defend their property and their life from some jackwagon with a gun. It seems pretty basic to me. Mr. Ersland may have gone a little overboard but somewhere in here we run the risk of turning this poor innocent little robber into the hero or some kind of a twisted Robin Hood and I think it is wrong. I wish that kid had made better choices through his life because he did not need to die. But when you pick up a gun, walk into a business and point that gun at someone, it is too late. The guy across that counter may be willing to take your life to protect his employees or his hard earned money. You take the chance of losing your life when you make that decision.
From what I am reading and hearing from the news, there is a petition circulating around the state to ask the Governor to pardon Jerome Ersland. The fact that the question even has to be asked is a pretty scary thing. Unfortunately, here we are once again, afraid of our shadows. Afraid to stand up and say “that’s just wrong”. I know a bunch of you are gonna read this and jump on me. That’s okay because if nothing else, I hope I made you stop and think.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First a right to life, secondly to liberty, and thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can”. –Samuel Adams
I think there is a percentage of our society who would put up their hands and beg for their life and give the robber whatever he wanted. If you have been paying any attention to Don Armes over the years, you know that I do not fit into that category. I go back to my school teaching experiences when kids would get into fights in the hallway or somewhere on the school grounds. Many times over the years I have had to pull a couple of knuckle heads apart who decided to square off. I can tell you that even though that pales in comparison to the fear that would come from an armed robbery, your adrenaline kicks into high gear. I think you go into some kind of self-preservation mode and teachers are always at risk when they go into that situation, not only of personal harm but also of being reprimanded if in the process of pulling students apart to break up a fight, you jerk an earring out of some little dumplin’. I was always taught by older, wiser teachers never to run to a fight but in an armed robbery, you do not have that option. It comes to you very quickly and the fight or flight instinct is automatic. It is hard to tell what action can be spurred from fear and it is hard to know when that adrenaline is pumping. I feel like in Jerome Ersland’s case, he was pretty hyped up, was sick of being a victim, and just got to that point of “you know what, that is enough”. Once he shot the robber, it stopped him and all agree that was probably enough. But again, we are talking about a business man who had been robbed many times before. He drew a line in the sand that day and yes, that young robber caught the full force of a victim’s fury but dead is dead. It is a sad day for America when a guy can get first degree murder for shooting a robber “too much” but that is exactly what we are dealing with. I think any home owner or business owner has the fundamental right to defend their property and their life from some jackwagon with a gun. It seems pretty basic to me. Mr. Ersland may have gone a little overboard but somewhere in here we run the risk of turning this poor innocent little robber into the hero or some kind of a twisted Robin Hood and I think it is wrong. I wish that kid had made better choices through his life because he did not need to die. But when you pick up a gun, walk into a business and point that gun at someone, it is too late. The guy across that counter may be willing to take your life to protect his employees or his hard earned money. You take the chance of losing your life when you make that decision.
From what I am reading and hearing from the news, there is a petition circulating around the state to ask the Governor to pardon Jerome Ersland. The fact that the question even has to be asked is a pretty scary thing. Unfortunately, here we are once again, afraid of our shadows. Afraid to stand up and say “that’s just wrong”. I know a bunch of you are gonna read this and jump on me. That’s okay because if nothing else, I hope I made you stop and think.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Among the natural rights of the colonists are these: First a right to life, secondly to liberty, and thirdly to property; together with the right to defend them in the best manner they can”. –Samuel Adams
Monday, June 6, 2011
Memorial Day: A New Meaning For the Armes’ Family
Just coming off of what was probably the most brutal session of my career, I was gathering my thoughts as I looked through my calendar for Memorial Day celebrations which started on Sunday and ended on Monday evening. As I organized my schedule and planned my route, it kind of hit me that my first stop would be the Veteran’s Cemetery in Elgin. Always before, I went and paid my respects as we all do, to many faceless grave markers with brief histories of each serviceman. All of a sudden, it hit me like a ton of bricks, one of those is my dad. He rests in one of the hundreds of spots in the cemetery, most of whom I never knew. As always, we gather to honor them for their service to our country. It dawned on me all of a sudden that not only am I going to go out and honor many veterans who gave their lives for our freedom, but at the same time my dad is one of the many. It puts a whole new perspective on that visit and on that cemetery. I have been so wrapped up in the legislative session that I have not even had time to think. Many of you mourned with us last November through this column when we buried dad after a long stay at the Veteran’s Center. We received lots of cards and love from our constituents and neighbors. Those thoughts and prayers were very much appreciated.
It took on a sudden realness when I stopped and thought about the fact that one of my many stops on Sunday and Monday would be to see and honor my dad, along with the many of veterans who served our country. It does change your perspective when you realize that it is one of your own. I have been so busy that I have not visited since January. It is not that I had forgotten, I just have not had time to think about much else. As I mapped my route, it took on a whole new meaning and, as you might imagine, brought back a lot of memories. I have always been proud of my dad’s service to our country. As I said earlier, he served during the Korean War, was on a destroyer in the Sea of Japan as well as an air craft carrier. I remember growing up seeing the cigar boxes full of pictures and trinkets from his days at sea, but they took on a whole new meaning as we made the video for his funeral. Those old grainy black and white photos tell his story of his service to our country. One of dad’s favorite stories was about the time he rode out a storm in a flat-bottom shell vessel. He would always brag to my buddies, some of whom were hurling over the side of the boat, that he was a seasoned seaman and never got seasick, except the time that he did. We still laugh about that trip when we went to the Gulf of Mexico chasing tuna 60 miles out, and he hung over the side of the boat like the rest of us. Dad, as with most people, wasn’t perfect but I was always proud of his service to our country. He did his part and his job and earned his placed in one of the most beautiful veteran’s cemeteries anywhere around. He did his part so that we can live in a free country. I have always been very proud of that. To many people, Memorial Day is a very special day. From here on out, it will always have more of a special meaning for the Armes’ family. As they say in the song “all gave some, some gave all”. I will always be glad of the part my dad played in securing our freedom. So, thanks dad to you and the many, many others for doing your part so that we could live in this great country that we call home.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier!”
It took on a sudden realness when I stopped and thought about the fact that one of my many stops on Sunday and Monday would be to see and honor my dad, along with the many of veterans who served our country. It does change your perspective when you realize that it is one of your own. I have been so busy that I have not visited since January. It is not that I had forgotten, I just have not had time to think about much else. As I mapped my route, it took on a whole new meaning and, as you might imagine, brought back a lot of memories. I have always been proud of my dad’s service to our country. As I said earlier, he served during the Korean War, was on a destroyer in the Sea of Japan as well as an air craft carrier. I remember growing up seeing the cigar boxes full of pictures and trinkets from his days at sea, but they took on a whole new meaning as we made the video for his funeral. Those old grainy black and white photos tell his story of his service to our country. One of dad’s favorite stories was about the time he rode out a storm in a flat-bottom shell vessel. He would always brag to my buddies, some of whom were hurling over the side of the boat, that he was a seasoned seaman and never got seasick, except the time that he did. We still laugh about that trip when we went to the Gulf of Mexico chasing tuna 60 miles out, and he hung over the side of the boat like the rest of us. Dad, as with most people, wasn’t perfect but I was always proud of his service to our country. He did his part and his job and earned his placed in one of the most beautiful veteran’s cemeteries anywhere around. He did his part so that we can live in a free country. I have always been very proud of that. To many people, Memorial Day is a very special day. From here on out, it will always have more of a special meaning for the Armes’ family. As they say in the song “all gave some, some gave all”. I will always be glad of the part my dad played in securing our freedom. So, thanks dad to you and the many, many others for doing your part so that we could live in this great country that we call home.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a soldier!”
Monday, May 23, 2011
Final Countdown
Final Countdown
Hopefully, if all goes as planned, by the time this hits your mailbox or your computer, we will be at the end of this year’s session. This session, for me, has been one of the most stressful in my career. I have always considered myself a little bit of a workaholic but I think I managed to reach the saturation point even for me. It seems like this session has had the feel of those times when you just cannot quite catch your breath. Part of my problem is that I am not very good at saying no. I had a favorite book when I was a small boy. It was one of those little golden books that parents read to their kids when they are two or three or so. The book was called Tommy’s Camping Adventures. I think it appealed to a budding outdoorsman and it was one of my absolute favorites. In the book, the main character, Tommy, wanted nothing more than his own camp job. It seemed like the older kids and his parents all had specific camp chores that they had to do. Tommy just wanted a duty, something to make him feel like he was part of making the camp run smoothly. What Tommy did not realize was that with chores come responsibility and you can soon become overburdened with that and it can take the fun out of it pretty quickly. Of course, in the book Tommy’s camp job was to get the family back to camp when they got lost on a hike because Tommy unburdened with all the responsibilities was able to think and observe all the landmarks around the forest and the lake where they camped. When the family went off on a hike and could not find their way back, Tommy realized his camp job was to lead the lost family back to the security of the well-organized campsite.
I guess that I am the antitheses of Tommy in this year’s session (you might have to look that one up). This reality show that we call the Oklahoma legislature has for me been loaded with camp jobs and not much of an adventure. I have been the director the page program for about seven years and I love working with those kids. As I have grown into leadership, I have also taken on numerous other duties. My new chairmanship this year has been very interesting but I have spent several years as the Chair of the Agriculture Committee and this year the Speaker assigned me to the Natural Resources and Regulatory Agency Subcommittee which is the subcommittee that appropriates money for the Agriculture Department, Department of Commerce, and has oversight for all the regulatory agencies like the Wildlife Department, Department of Consumer Credit, Insurance Department and numerous others. It has been a very steep learning curve as I have always chaired committees on the policy side and now that I have moved to the appropriations side, I have had to go back to school so to speak. Another duty that I enjoy is serving as one of the presiding officers which means I sit in the Chair and preside over the House. It is a natural fit for me after 27 or 28 years in the auction business but it is also very confining. All these duties are on top of all the legislation we carry and staying up on issues that are important to my constituents. This year, the icing on the cake was redistricting. It is an honor anytime the Speaker asks you to be in charge of something and this year he asked me to be the Chairman for the Southwest region which stretched all the way up to the South Oklahoma City area and a little bit east. I found out rather quickly that redistricting is much more than just drawing lines because each district has a personality in it and that personality is an elected official. I have been amazed at the contentiousness of that process. I found out, which should have been no surprise, that not everyone would be happy with the final outcome and the shape of their district. Many of those meetings and tussles occurred in the basement in the redistricting office away from news cameras and reporters and far away from public view. To the untrained eye or the casual observer in the gallery, it still looks like we are just sitting around, drinking coffee and pushing a button.
I feel a little bit like a pack mule that is on the verge of being overloaded. While it is an honor to serve as your State Representative, I am just a little rung out and ready to get out of the Capitol. I realize things will not be a lot slower at home but I am ready to see about it. It has been a tough year with a tough budget. Thank goodness, we are tough people and we will survive it. I will get recharged and things will look better. Back to Tommy and his camping adventure, Tommy be careful what you wish for because son, I am here to tell ya’, too many camp jobs can spoil the camp.
“Nobody ever drown in his own sweat.”
Hopefully, if all goes as planned, by the time this hits your mailbox or your computer, we will be at the end of this year’s session. This session, for me, has been one of the most stressful in my career. I have always considered myself a little bit of a workaholic but I think I managed to reach the saturation point even for me. It seems like this session has had the feel of those times when you just cannot quite catch your breath. Part of my problem is that I am not very good at saying no. I had a favorite book when I was a small boy. It was one of those little golden books that parents read to their kids when they are two or three or so. The book was called Tommy’s Camping Adventures. I think it appealed to a budding outdoorsman and it was one of my absolute favorites. In the book, the main character, Tommy, wanted nothing more than his own camp job. It seemed like the older kids and his parents all had specific camp chores that they had to do. Tommy just wanted a duty, something to make him feel like he was part of making the camp run smoothly. What Tommy did not realize was that with chores come responsibility and you can soon become overburdened with that and it can take the fun out of it pretty quickly. Of course, in the book Tommy’s camp job was to get the family back to camp when they got lost on a hike because Tommy unburdened with all the responsibilities was able to think and observe all the landmarks around the forest and the lake where they camped. When the family went off on a hike and could not find their way back, Tommy realized his camp job was to lead the lost family back to the security of the well-organized campsite.
I guess that I am the antitheses of Tommy in this year’s session (you might have to look that one up). This reality show that we call the Oklahoma legislature has for me been loaded with camp jobs and not much of an adventure. I have been the director the page program for about seven years and I love working with those kids. As I have grown into leadership, I have also taken on numerous other duties. My new chairmanship this year has been very interesting but I have spent several years as the Chair of the Agriculture Committee and this year the Speaker assigned me to the Natural Resources and Regulatory Agency Subcommittee which is the subcommittee that appropriates money for the Agriculture Department, Department of Commerce, and has oversight for all the regulatory agencies like the Wildlife Department, Department of Consumer Credit, Insurance Department and numerous others. It has been a very steep learning curve as I have always chaired committees on the policy side and now that I have moved to the appropriations side, I have had to go back to school so to speak. Another duty that I enjoy is serving as one of the presiding officers which means I sit in the Chair and preside over the House. It is a natural fit for me after 27 or 28 years in the auction business but it is also very confining. All these duties are on top of all the legislation we carry and staying up on issues that are important to my constituents. This year, the icing on the cake was redistricting. It is an honor anytime the Speaker asks you to be in charge of something and this year he asked me to be the Chairman for the Southwest region which stretched all the way up to the South Oklahoma City area and a little bit east. I found out rather quickly that redistricting is much more than just drawing lines because each district has a personality in it and that personality is an elected official. I have been amazed at the contentiousness of that process. I found out, which should have been no surprise, that not everyone would be happy with the final outcome and the shape of their district. Many of those meetings and tussles occurred in the basement in the redistricting office away from news cameras and reporters and far away from public view. To the untrained eye or the casual observer in the gallery, it still looks like we are just sitting around, drinking coffee and pushing a button.
I feel a little bit like a pack mule that is on the verge of being overloaded. While it is an honor to serve as your State Representative, I am just a little rung out and ready to get out of the Capitol. I realize things will not be a lot slower at home but I am ready to see about it. It has been a tough year with a tough budget. Thank goodness, we are tough people and we will survive it. I will get recharged and things will look better. Back to Tommy and his camping adventure, Tommy be careful what you wish for because son, I am here to tell ya’, too many camp jobs can spoil the camp.
“Nobody ever drown in his own sweat.”
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
If It Rains On Easter
Like most of you, I grew up here in Southwest Oklahoma. I have met a good many colorful, old timers with lots of sayins’. Some I can repeat, some I can’t. We have all heard “it’s gonna rain if a turtle is crossing the road” and “if a hurricane hits Brownsville, Texas, the moisture will catch us in Comanche County”. Most recently, I heard one that I had not heard in a long time “if it rains on Easter Sunday, it will rain for seven Sundays in a row”. The catch seems to be so far, how much is it going to rain? It is crazy to think that where I live, between Lawton and Faxon, we look like the Australian Outback, still feeding hay and protein, trying to hang on to cows that should probably already be gone. Just 20 minutes southeast in Cotton County, they seem to be in “rain alley”. I think the last spell that went through, they got something like four inches. For some reason, we cannot buy more than a shower for any amount of money. We have ponds that are in jeopardy which have never gone dry before. I even have a little spring on my place that I noticed Sunday had quit seeping. Plus, the extreme high temperatures and hot wind are just making the problem even worse. So far though, the saying has held true. We have had a little shot of rain the last 2 Sundays since Easter but it has not been measurable. It is going to take a big one, at least in our corner of the world, to turn this thing around. I know that it will come, I just wish I knew when.
Meanwhile, back at the Capitol, Monday afternoon, we voted the House redistricting map out of conference committee. There will be some drastic changes in far western Oklahoma where Representative Purcy Walker’s district will basically disappear and will move into Canadian County. Nobody including Representative Walker really wanted that but with him terming out next year, it seemed the logical place to make the move. While I hate to see it, the Constitution is pretty specific on what needs to happen and for the remaining Representatives to be able to gather up enough population to hit the magic number which is 37,000 plus or minus 3 percent. It became pretty clear to those of us on the committee that there may not be a good alternative. My contention is that Representative Purcy Walker will be remembered for the extremely good person that he is and how well he cared for the people of western Oklahoma, not only in his district, but as a good solid rural Representative for all of western Oklahoma. Purcy Walker is just plain good people and about as nice a guy as I have ever met. I think long after the district lines are redrawn and fade into the western Oklahoma landscape, those that he served will always remember that some politicians really are good people. I think he is disappointed as are a lot of us but again, the Constitution is pretty specific and those rural districts had to grow to meet the guidelines. The good news for my particular constituents is that I was able to keep almost everyone and more specifically, Tillman County will remain intact and that was pretty important to me to keep some continuity in that area.
We are winding down this year’s session and I have to say, as bad as I hate to wish my life away, I am ready to get this one over. Coming back home may be tough if it does not rain because it will be a lot of work no matter what. But, I am ready to hang up the coat and tie and get back into some work clothes. Three weeks and counting…
“Timing has everything to do with the success of a rain dance.” –Cowboy Poet Baxter Black
Meanwhile, back at the Capitol, Monday afternoon, we voted the House redistricting map out of conference committee. There will be some drastic changes in far western Oklahoma where Representative Purcy Walker’s district will basically disappear and will move into Canadian County. Nobody including Representative Walker really wanted that but with him terming out next year, it seemed the logical place to make the move. While I hate to see it, the Constitution is pretty specific on what needs to happen and for the remaining Representatives to be able to gather up enough population to hit the magic number which is 37,000 plus or minus 3 percent. It became pretty clear to those of us on the committee that there may not be a good alternative. My contention is that Representative Purcy Walker will be remembered for the extremely good person that he is and how well he cared for the people of western Oklahoma, not only in his district, but as a good solid rural Representative for all of western Oklahoma. Purcy Walker is just plain good people and about as nice a guy as I have ever met. I think long after the district lines are redrawn and fade into the western Oklahoma landscape, those that he served will always remember that some politicians really are good people. I think he is disappointed as are a lot of us but again, the Constitution is pretty specific and those rural districts had to grow to meet the guidelines. The good news for my particular constituents is that I was able to keep almost everyone and more specifically, Tillman County will remain intact and that was pretty important to me to keep some continuity in that area.
We are winding down this year’s session and I have to say, as bad as I hate to wish my life away, I am ready to get this one over. Coming back home may be tough if it does not rain because it will be a lot of work no matter what. But, I am ready to hang up the coat and tie and get back into some work clothes. Three weeks and counting…
“Timing has everything to do with the success of a rain dance.” –Cowboy Poet Baxter Black
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.JPG)