Recently, an Oklahoma petition circulator was accosted by a opponent who harassed and intimidated her while she was collecting signatures to support the Oklahoma Civil Rights Initiative. The circulator was supporting the Oklahoma Civil Rights Initiative, a straight forward initiative to amend the Oklahoma constitution. The gist of the initiative is as follows: This measure seeks to add a new section to Article 2 of the Oklahoma Constitution. The new section prohibits discriminating against or granting preferences to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting by the state or any of its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions. The new section will not prohibit qualifications based on sex that are reasonably necessary to the normal operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. The new section will not prohibit any action necessary to obtain federal funding for the state. The new section will not conflict with any currently existing court order. The new section will only apply to actions taken after the section is approved by the people. Unfortunately, the opponent of the Oklahoma Civil Rights Initiative continued shouting, name calling, and generally intimidating the circulator who was doing nothing other than exercising her first amendment right to petition the government. This is a disgusting example of an advocate of race preferences trying to silence Oklahomans that believe that the government should not discriminate or give preference to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, public education, and public contracting by the state or any of its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions.

Labels: Decision '08

Posted at 11/16/2007 04:07:00 PM