The Durant Daily Democrat

My positions on certain issues

Last week I have been criticized for my positions on Critical Race Theory (CRT), election fraud, transgender/gay marriage, vaccine mandates and media censorship. I am writing to officially declare my … more

By Rep. Justin Humphrey | 7/29/21 04:38 PM

New law restricts free speech

The 2020 Oklahoma legislature, in its “wisdom,” passed HB 1674, which was clearly aimed at people who exercise their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble. Not only does the … more

By Marion Hill | 7/29/21 11:58 AM

Tribes go AWOL on McGirt response

Tribal-government officials say they can handle the new responsibilities placed on them as the result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which effectively declared most … more

By Jonathan Small | 7/29/21 10:20 AM

Young Democrats national president urges local group to oppose new state protest limitations

“This is a First Amendment violation!” Joshua Harris-Till declared to members of the Bryan County Federation of Democratic Women at its June 20th meeting in the Donald W. Reynolds … more

7/29/21 09:43 AM

The effort to keep elections fair comes home

The ongoing struggle over voting legislation in the United States Senate broadens the job of protecting voters’ rights. Failure of the legislation, the “For the People Act,” would … more

By Joe Littlejohn | 7/22/21 11:05 AM

AllianceHealth Durant remains steadfast in service to Bryan County and surrounding areas

I write today with hope for the future and gratitude for the resilience of our provider team at AllianceHealth. The pandemic has demonstrated how interconnected we all are, the impact each one of us … more

By Kevin D. Samrow | 7/15/21 04:31 PM

Republican policies abuse women and children

A major cause of child neglect is family poverty, with a single parent—or sometimes both parents—too busy scrabbling for a living to meet all the needs a child has, according to data from … more

By Jane Hicks | 7/15/21 09:26 AM

An examined life is worth living

Reportedly, Socrates uttered the now famous phrase, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Conversely, the examined life is becoming more and more important in our current society … more

By Phyllis Rustin | 7/8/21 02:58 PM

Eugenics and white supremacy

Teryn Bouche and Laura Rivard published an article in Genetics Generation which summarized the history and definition of Eugenics. They state that most Americans are familiar with America’s … more

By Henry Brigman | 7/1/21 11:29 AM

A new look at an old holiday

Articles about holidays, such as the Fourth of July, tend to sound about the same. Celebrating the Fourth each year, we recognize the nation’s gaining of independence from England and express … more

By Marion Hill | 7/1/21 09:43 AM

Feeling summer love in the nursing home

It is that time of the year when the heat is on and summer is upon us and the kids want to go outside and play in the water, eat watermelon, and have ice cream. The parents are planning summer … more

6/30/21 11:34 AM

Congress votes to make June 19 a holiday

Finally! Congress voted to make June 19 a Federal holiday. The Senate approved it by voice vote, while the House of Representatives had a counting vote. As most know, the news came to Galveston, … more

By Henry Brigman | 6/24/21 03:45 PM

From the internet to our own backyard

Here in the United States, we have been talking and talking about the frightening increase in violence. Every Monday morning, TV news reporters tell us how many mass shootings there were over the … more

By Joe Littlejohn | 6/24/21 09:11 AM

Reparations? Yes, please

The 100th anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has just passed, with the observance covered in local, state, and national media. For many, it was the first time they heard of this century-old … more

By Marion Hill | 6/17/21 11:45 AM

What went wrong?

Krista Gneiting, a sixth-grade math teacher at the Rigby, Idaho, Middle School, was preparing her students for their final exams. That morning of May 6, 2021 began for her as usual. Shortly after … more

By Henry Brigman | 6/10/21 05:49 PM

Oklahoma Legislature wraps up session

We have finished the regular legislative session for this year. I wanted to report some if important legislation passed this session. We increased common education appropriations by $210.3 … more

By Rep. Justin Humphrey | 6/10/21 11:47 AM

Black Wall Street showed benefit of free markets

Remembrances of the Tulsa Race Massacre have focused largely—and understandably—on the tragic and unnecessary loss of life and property. But Oklahomans should not ignore other lessons … more

By Jonathan Small | 6/10/21 11:34 AM

Is this a racist country?

Is the United States a racist country? Yes and no. Looking at our country’s past, there’s a nearly 400-year history of enslavement of people from Africa, many decades of Jim Crow … more

By Marion Hill | 6/10/21 09:51 AM

A heartbreaking tragedy

When you think of aircraft attacking and murdering Americans, no doubt Pearl Harbor and 9/11 come to mind. But there was one more and it happened 100 years ago in the city of Tulsa, … more

By Henry Brigman | 6/3/21 05:48 PM

‘Something for black people by black people’

Editor’s note: This is the first part of a series on the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The horror of Tulsa’s 1921 Greenwood District massacre is clear only in view of … more

By Joe Littlejohn | 5/20/21 06:10 PM