As I was doing an article on Clara Luper today, I noticed that there is a Petition available (anyone can sign it) to rename Murray Hall to Clara's name ... would be very fitting, as far as I'm concerned, after reading what Gov. Murray had to say about Jews and Blacks. Anyway, here's the Petition link: http://www.petitiononline.com/Luper/petition.html

To see why you might want to consider signing, see http://www.ocolly.com/read_story.php?a_id=30215 . There's more in my blog.

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Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

Interesting post on your blog, Doug. Clara Luper was an interesting lady, but I must be honest - she dumped liberal doses of White Guilt on me in high school, blaming everything on "white society." She tried telling me in class one day how great Ho Chi Minh was (this was in the middle of the Vietnam War) and she lost me. She was a nice lady - I'll give her that - but she was a leftist who supported the leader of communist North Vietnam at a time when our soldiers were dying on his orders. Clara Luper is no hero to me. But I applaud the research you put into your article. I don't have to agree to appreciate what you're doing. BTW, I left this post here instead of your blog to keep with your stated desires to keep your blog a zone of positivity.

Are you kidding? "Alfalfa" Bill Murray was awesome! Maybe not the best governor ever, but I really think he was a hell of a statesman. He definitely deserves buildings named after him. Luper can be honored as well, but to dismiss Murray because he was a racist is silly. There were very few people in those days who wouldn't be considered racists by today's standard.

Right, guys. Might be a good idea to put a plaque on Murray Hall with some of his best lines, like ...

Good of him to allow that. If this guy were alive today, we'd think of him as a skinhead and a likely member of the KKK.

According to Prof. Darcy at http://www.ocolly.com/read_story.php?a_id=30215

As a staunch supporter of civil liberties, Midtowner, your comments are surprising. And, writerranger, feel free to post your comments if you want. The only thing I censor out is foul speech and trolls.

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Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

Most of the quotes you have posted there are from Murray's later years, and if you'll recall, we had governors of this state who were members of the KKK. As wrong as those statements are, they are reflective of teh popular mood of the time.

Murray was one of the chief framers of the Oklahoma Constitution, in fact, he chaired the Constitutional Convention. It was his populist ideals that made the document what it is. It was a liiittttle over the top in many ways of course -- the State Mine Inspector was an elected office

Murray during his term as Governor, and as a congressman was known for being a champion of the poor, and a champion of Oklahoma's rights -- once sending the National Guard to the border with Texas to force construction of a bridge (Texas was building their own bridge which was to be a toll bridge).

He had some big faults -- and so does Luper if she was speaking out in favor of Ho Chi Minh during Vietnam. I think these people deserve to be remembered for the good they did, not the stupid things they said.

-- and both did a lot of good.

Depends on "which" Oklahomans you mean, doesn't it?

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Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/

In the early 1900's, our entire society's concept of civil rights was quite a bit different than it is today. For is time, Murray was among the most progressive politicians anywhere. Racial equality just wasn't an issue -- the disparity was accepted. It was not really until the late 1900's that anyone saw fit to do anything about that situation.

Judging past figures by their transgressions against today's morals just doesn't fly with me.

-- We don't bemoan Augustus Caesar's terrible lack of morals because he had sex with young boys, do we? Nope! We champion him as one of the greatest leaders in the history of the world. Murray's statements in his old age were common sentiments for the times, and were accurate reflections of the state as a whole, or at least the electorate.

Ok. I give. A plaque on Murray Hall describing Alfalfa's viewpoints about Blacks and Jews will just have to do. While I don't champion Augustus Caesar as you may, I did and do enjoy Roman flics like Gladiator. But, then, I wouldn't be naming a public university building after him, either! :boff:

__________________
Doug
http://www.dougloudenback.com/downtownOKC.htm
http://www.dougloudenback.com/oklahomacity.htm
http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/