# News item: Sheriff in Oklahoma laments that he can't lynch Black people or kill journalists **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [April 18, 2023, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834 "2023-04-18T03:13:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/21 "2023-04-18T15:38:07Z")
I’ve only ever seen the clips, but that sounds likely. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/22 "2023-04-18T16:22:49Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@The Hill](#): > > > > McCurtain County sheriff [That corner of Oklahoma is not OK.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCurtain_County,_Oklahoma) From [a neighboring county:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeFlore_County,_Oklahoma) > **[Teacher calls kids fags is named, school district allows ‘N’ slur too](https://web.archive.org/web/20221019223821/https://www.losangelesblade.com/2022/10/18/teacher-calls-kids-fags-is-named-school-district-allows-n-slur-too/)** > > Talihina, Oklahoma school district drives families away with racist/homophobic climate, saying “boys will be boys” ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2023, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/23 "2023-04-18T21:37:25Z")
I read a bit of the response and the gist of it is that they are looking into privacy violations concerning the recordings. What was actually recorded? Not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/24 "2023-04-19T21:14:41Z")
A Canadian friend of mine recently mused that it’s a mystery why blacks have not slit the throats of every white American they come across. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/25 "2023-04-19T23:28:14Z")
Basically the plot of Trees by Wendell Everett. Manages to be hilarious and horrific at the same time. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/26 "2023-04-19T23:56:24Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > A Canadian friend of mine recently mused that it’s a mystery why blacks have not slit the throats of every white American they come across. Jazz musician Miles Davis famously answered the question of how he’d like to spend his last five minutes: “With my hands around a White man’s neck.” ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/27 "2023-04-19T23:58:56Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > A Canadian friend of mine recently mused that it’s a mystery why blacks have not slit the throats of every white American they come across. I’ve had the same thought about Indigenous people in Canada: I’m impressed and grateful that they are so patient and willing to try to build a better society for us all. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/28 "2023-04-20T00:28:34Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > It certainly didn’t sound like the whole conversation was some kind of ironic joke The part about the charred body and barbeque was definitely a joke. It had a punchline and laughter and everything. The rest sounds like casual talk, shootin’ the breeze. Without further evidence I wouldn’t say it amounts to a conspiracy to place a hit on a journalist, but it still reflects very poorly on them. Longing for the days when sheriffs could lynch Black people sounds just as bad as it looks in print. ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/29 "2023-04-20T00:40:58Z")
The county commissioner has resigned. > **[Oklahoma official who discussed killing reporters resigns](https://apnews.com/article/mccurtain-commissioner-oklahoma-racist-killing-journalists-recording-2e9e37db832b43b79dfa3f16a7061ea0?user_email=c670f76b9ea3e4a287eac163aa636c2982b094e37632506fec6dbc1d27c6da2a&utm_medium=Afternoon_Wire&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=AfternoonWire_April19_2023&utm_term=Afternoon%20Wire)** > > A county commissioner in far southeast Oklahoma who was identified by a local newspaper as one of several officials caught on tape discussing killing reporters and lynching Black people has resigned from office. Gov. Kevin Stitt's office confirmed... ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/30 "2023-04-20T01:24:20Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > the rest sounds like casual talk, shootin’ the breeze. I don’t know what kind of folks you hang around with where this is “casual talk”, and people tell jokes about charred bodies. But I don’t think I want to know them. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/31 "2023-04-20T02:30:26Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > The part about the charred body and barbeque was definitely a joke. It wasn’t too long ago in that part of the country that people were burning black men alive and putting photos of it on postcards. > **[The Murder of Ted Smith in 1908](https://graphicarts.princeton.edu/2018/05/03/the-murder-of-ted-smith-in-1908/)** > > The Graphic Arts Collection recently acquired a set of photographic postcards documenting the “Burning of the Negro Smith.” Two are captioned in white ink. None of them were ever addres… ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/32 "2023-04-20T03:57:34Z")
Oklahoma law looks pretty much like my state’s open meeting law, which says that anytime we have a quorum, it is functionally a meeting of the board or committee. when we had open meeting law training from the state, counsel told us not to get together a majority of our committee unless we were going to announce it, even for a beer. More specifically, from the presentation below: > Hypothetical: Post-Board Meeting Lunch > Does the OMA apply? > • Best Practice: majority of body’s members should > not attend lunch together > • Note: If members insist on a group lunch, announce it at the end of the meeting, and invite everyone to join the public body. As for recording, there’s this: > Any person may record the meeting, provided it does not interfere with the meeting > **[updated\_ora\_oma\_presentation.pdf](https://www.oag.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc766/f/updated_ora_oma_presentation.pdf)** > > 975.48 KB ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/33 "2023-04-20T04:00:30Z")
> [@Maserschmidt](#): > > Oklahoma law looks pretty much like my state’s open meeting law, which says that anytime we have a quorum, it is functionally a meeting of the board or committee. Indeed. I remember seeing a post on my local transit agency’s website recently announcing a public board meeting at a long-time driver’s retirement party, because a quorum of the board was expected to be in attendance. I hope his party wasn’t ruined by people demanding to know when the 62B is going to resume late-night service at pre-covid levels. (seriously though ending service at 9 PM is an absolute joke) ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/34 "2023-04-20T04:12:15Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > What more rights do they fantasize that Blacks have over whites? Reminds me of trump musing, a long time ago, how if he was just starting out, it would be easier if he were Black. How does that saying go? When you’ve been on top, equality feels like oppression. It reminds me of the four drunken frat boys in [Borat](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-leisure-borat-frat/college-frat-boys-in-borat-movie-sue-filmmakers-idUSN1016147020061111), they were saying pretty much the same thing. > The scene at issue in the lawsuit depicts Borat conducting a drunken interview with three college frat boys in a motor home. As the four grow increasingly inebriated, they make racist remarks about slavery and how minorities in the United States “have all the power.” Oh, and they lost that lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/35 "2023-04-20T05:38:06Z")
Never heard of it, just now got it on Kindle from my local library. _Percival_ Everett. > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Basically the plot of Trees by Wendell Everett. Manages to be hilarious and horrific at the same time. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/36 "2023-04-20T11:12:32Z")
Thx - and sorry. Was reading a lot of Percival Everett and Wendell Berry earlier this year. Everett definitely has an interesting point of view - well worth reading. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/37 "2023-04-20T15:46:42Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Never heard of it, just now got it on Kindle from my local library. _Percival_ Everett. > > > [@Dinsdale](#): > > > > Basically the plot of Trees by Wendell Everett. Manages to be hilarious and horrific at the same time. Highly recommended. I’ll second (or third) the recommendation of _Trees_. An amazing read. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/38 "2023-04-20T16:11:51Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > A Canadian friend of mine recently mused that it’s a mystery why blacks have not slit the throats of every white American they come across. Let’s put aside the reality that most people, black or white, aren’t murderers. Look at the numbers. 75.8% of Americans are white. 13.6% of Americans are black. If there is a race war in the United States between blacks and whites, black people are going to lose. The fear that black people could institute a system of anti-white racism in America is just a paranoid delusion of some white power idiots who are bad at math. (They probably failed most of their other classes as well.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/39 "2023-04-20T16:19:35Z")
It gets better. The newspaper just released the entire tape and transcription. It _appears_ to include an exchange that indicates sexual favors were exchanged for raises. > **[New secret recording reveals Oklahoma county leaders discussing sexual favors...](https://www.rawstory.com/oklahoma-recordings-released-entirety/)** > > Last week the McCurtain Gazette News, suspecting that county meetings continued after the public left in a violation of Oklahoma's open-meetings laws, secretly placed a voice-activated recorder in the room.The conversations that happened when the... ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834/40 "2023-04-20T17:17:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The fear that black people could institute a system of anti-white racism in America is just a paranoid delusion of some white power idiots who are bad at math. (They probably failed most of their other classes as well.) History is full of societies where ethnic or religious minorities wielded all the power. There are even a few extant today. So that alone isn’t what makes the white power idiots dead wrong. Although you’re spot on that they’re both wrong and idiots. What makes them wrong is that the entity with all the political power is always the entity with all the economic power. And however outnumbered US blacks are today measured by headcount, that is dwarfed by how much they are outnumbered by dollar count. The tales of highly paid athletes and millions (!) of welfare queens driving gold-plated Rolls Royces in every city notwithstanding. We are suffering a plague of morons this century. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/news-item-sheriff-in-oklahoma-laments-that-he-cant-lynch-black-people-or-kill-journalists/982834.md?page=3)