Gay Pastors prayer uproar in OKC

[CatholicEdHead]

While traveling through your fine state mid-week I read about the pastor's prayer which some local legislators wanted struck from the official record.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=298&articleid=20090213_298_0_Religi609821

I see this as really reaching and very unproductive that some members of the legislature are more than just a little bit uptight.

On another note, what are the local feelings to the greater Enid/Blackwell/Medford area? Is it one of the redder parts of the state? Anything I should know about those areas if I consider a possible move there?

[fishwax]

1. Garfield County (where Enid is) is one of the "purpler" counties in the state

and in a state that is overwhelmingly red (Obama didn't carry a single county), that's at least saying something. It's also one of the relatively few counties where Obama did better than Kerry did in '04. (The same is not true of the other two towns you mentioned.)

Enid is the largest city in the state outside of the two metro areas (there are three or four cities in the OKC metro that are larger and at least a couple in the Tulsa metro) and Lawton, home of Fort Sill. I don't have much/any direct experience with the place, but I knew several people from there and they were good folk. Wish I could be more helpful :hi:

[CatholicEdHead]

2. Thanks for the info!

I was down there this week for a final round interview. From my research, Enid would be the best place in that area to live if I get the position. Even in this job market they seem to be hiring around there.

[a la izquierda]

3. Never been to Enid.

I love my Norman though. A little piece of normalcy in a weird state.

[ilrslr3]

4. Never been to Enid, but currently live in Edmond but I hear

Enid is not that bad. Welcome to Oklahoma:-)

[OKNancy]

5. I lived in Enid briefly.

It's more "western" in culture than other small cities. There is not much Native American influence either. It's pretty red IMO.
Not crazy red though, more like conservative farmers. However it does have it's share of Bible-bangers and racists.
I wish I had the time to look up a newspaper article written about racial attitudes during the election. It was pretty shocking, mostly because the reporter was from South Africa and was writing for a South African newspaper. He interviewed several folks from Enid. Very disturbing and embarrassing for Oklahomans IMO... they wanted to "off" Obama if you get my drift.