The Durant Daily Democrat

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

Leave those kids alone

J.J. Humphrey, our OK State Representative from District 19, is woefully uninformed. If he is not simply ignorant, then it is much worse, he is knowingly spreading propaganda. Humphrey told in the … more

By Jane Hicks | 5/20/21 05:59 PM

Let’s have a little talk sometime

Like a lot of other people, I’ve been watching the TV reports of violence around our country—mass shootings, the Capitol siege, physical attacks on Asian-Americans, mobs, riots. I used to … more

By Joe Littlejohn | 5/13/21 03:18 PM

Whose lives matter?

Black lives matter. Blue lives matter. All lives matter. Which statement is accurate? All of the above. When the “black lives matter” protests began in 2013 over the frequent … more

By Marion Hill | 5/5/21 11:46 AM

Do you want your country back? Or forward?

David Bullard, Oklahoma Senator (R-Durant), said recently in the YouTube video of “An Evening with Bill Ledbetter and David Bullard,” as covered in the Durant Weekly Democrat on April 1, … more

By Jane Hicks | 4/29/21 10:59 AM

Capitol update for District 19

I wanted to inform District 19 on one of the latest controversies that I find myself in. I have been receiving negative news coverage over my role in Senate Bill 2. I managed to get an education … more

By Rep. Justin Humphrey | 4/22/21 04:51 PM

An evening with Bill Ledbetter and David Bullard

Last night I listened to the full session of “An evening with Bill Ledbetter and David Bullard” on YouTube. Ledbetter is the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Durant, and Bullard is an … more

By Jane Hicks | 4/22/21 11:11 AM

April showers bring May flowers

There has always been the old saying “April Showers bring May flowers.” When this statement is being said, it seems to bring a smile to people’s faces. This statement has been used … more

4/21/21 01:04 PM

Jerry Tomlinson deserves our thanks for his stewardship of Durant

After I graduated from Durant High School in 2003 and became a student at Southeastern, I first had the opportunity to meet Mr. Tomlinson when he spoke as Mayor, representing the City of Durant at a … more

By Mike Davis | 4/14/21 07:32 AM

Violence against Asian people escalating again

Sometimes it seems we’re not teachable, since we have to keep learning the same lessons over and over. The United States has a long, sordid history of mistreating various groups within its … more

By Marion Hill | 4/8/21 06:28 PM

McGirt replaced shared destiny with mass upheaval

In 2016, Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby stressed to members of Congress that there “are no reservations in Oklahoma. People from many backgrounds are neighbors who live, work, play and … more

By Jonathan Small | 4/8/21 10:12 AM

Finding common ground on abortion

Can we ever find common ground on abortion, a compromise between those who think it’s always wrong and those who think it’s wrong for legislators to close off options? Many Oklahoma … more

By Jane Hicks and Marion Hill | 4/1/21 12:22 PM

Doctor’s Day 2021

Delivering medical care during a global pandemic has required teamwork at the highest level, and doctors are fundamental to this effort. As the country celebrates Doctors’ Day on March 30, I … more

By Kevin Samrow | 4/1/21 11:32 AM

Who knows the will of God?

“America is a nation in rebellion against God,” announced Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) on February 25, 2021, speaking from the House floor. He repeated the line, then added, “Whenever a … more

By Jane Hicks | 3/25/21 10:10 AM