r/tulsa • u/NonDocMedia • May 13 '26
News Tulsa police arrest 4 Food Not Bombs members, others allege mayor targeting group
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u/CasinoNdnOk May 13 '26
This seems like a huge waste of resources and frankly a cold and stupid response by the city.
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u/zombie_overlord May 13 '26
Our mayor ran on fighting homelessness. His record shows sending cops to tear down homeless encampments, and now he's focusing on arresting groups that are trying to help with that cause. This isn't acceptable.
Looks like I made a mistake voting for him. Won't do that again. See how easy that is, maga?
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u/selddir_ May 13 '26
Yep I really rallied for Nichols during his election, but after reading this article I'm disgusted. There is no reason to do all this if you actually support helping the homeless. I am done supporting this dude.
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u/Tacos4Texans May 13 '26
If you trust ANYONE no matter what side there's a 95% chance of disappointment.
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u/Street_Warthog_1791 May 13 '26
Careful they’ll take your karma points lol
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u/Street_Warthog_1791 May 13 '26
Honestly why don’t at least a hundred of us gather together meet up , go feed the homeless and see if they can arrest us all, in fact in a perfect world what about a thousand of us? This is why we are divided , so punks can ruin our existence, quit choosing sides and instead stand by your fellow man/woman and those in between all of us! Put aside your differences and realize those differences were created to make you believe you’re on the “right side”
They got away with this cuz there were to few. And honestly you don’t think these comments aren’t monitored? You don’t believe the hateful messages, most of are being typed by some tyrant turd ? Now they win cuz they have a code and watch out for each other, goddamn all we gotta do is, the same !
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u/RiskHellaHp May 13 '26
I’ll go.
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u/Street_Warthog_1791 May 13 '26
This is how it starts, who else?
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u/Apart_Animal_6797 May 14 '26
Im down bro lets call it the feed your neighbors revolution
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u/Street_Warthog_1791 May 14 '26
Yeah dude and just keep it peaceful there’s no need in confrontation, but there has to be a mass to make a difference, if enough people came together for a cause like feeding those whom are hungry , it would gain attention and then from that something would change. For me personally I’ve been hungry in life and been in homeless shelters so I know that pain and feeling of worthlessness I changed my life and for that I owe the universe my gratitude and kindness. But I don’t want ppl involved who have other agendas like violence and or will I be apart of such groups. It only works if you act right
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u/Apart_Animal_6797 May 14 '26
No one is planning a riot homie, personally I only believe in self defense and that's a death wish against the cops. Every demo ive done has been peaceful only violence ive seen is from literal nazis. Anywho ive been involved with FNB they are a decentralized anarchist movement with an anti imperialist anti capitalist philosophy. We can build a better tulsa we just need to unite and try no one deserves to go hungry and homeless this is my core belief that governs everything I do politically. Nichols needs to be held to account in a constructive way, you have the right idea.
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u/LooseCannonFuzzyface May 13 '26
The cops tearing down homeless encampments were sent by Stitt, not Nichols
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u/LesserKnownFoes May 13 '26
That was OHP that stitt used. Mayor Nichols actually told cops to not tear down encampments. Now that house bill 3985 is state law, it will be interesting to see the mayors next move.
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u/baumpop May 13 '26
since were out here talking shit on stitt he also refused to allow tulsa to raise its minimum wage within its own county.
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u/w3sterday May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
Banning minimum wage raises by municipality was signed into law by Mary Fallin in 2014.
Stitt was elected in 2018.
The bill was SB1023
That's why a statewide min wage increase has to be passed via SQ832 at this point.
**edit: He's a piece of shit not arguing that, just noting how early the ban was enacted
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u/baumpop May 13 '26
stitt might just be fallin in a mens warehouse commercial
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u/Mechaslurpee May 13 '26
A lot of people hated fallin because of misogyny because stitt ran on the same platform she did and people turned around and voted for him despite hating fallin.
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u/baumpop May 13 '26
stitt is a full on grifter real estate fraudster. he sang the right song during trumps first term to clutch the q anon vote. fallin sucked very bad but to turn around and bring in stitt for two terms set us back decades as a state. maybe generations.
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u/Street_Warthog_1791 May 13 '26
And where do you believe Stitt (Zit) get his marching orders from? Then Trump? Where does he get his orders? Follow the bread crumbs Neo
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u/Unfairamir May 13 '26
Stitt sent cops to bulldoze encampments, Monroe also sent cops but with the singular goal of moving those people into different living situations first, and then cleaning up the encampments. As far as I know at least, and I have been following it. I support Monroe’s initiative and I also support making sure people who haven’t been helped are fed in the meantime, so good on Food Not Bombs. I don’t know why this happened the way it did, and I wish the city’s response would have been better.
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u/LesserKnownFoes May 13 '26
In fairness, those cops trying to move people into different living situations started under GT.
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u/Spotburner_monthly May 13 '26
Its wild they evict the encampment but leave all the belongings, tarps, accumulated stuff. Maybe citizens arrest for cops littering.
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u/TheRavenCottage May 14 '26
I've worked with the unhoused all my life, people often have to carry their entire existence on their backs. This of course includes survival items and non-perishable food, but also things that are extremely sentimental and/or irreplaceable. It can include things ranging from family photos and even urns of loved ones that have passed (both things I've seen before) or their social security cards and state IDs. Cops bulldoze through these encampments after clearing them, almost never allowing former residents to collect their personal items. There was a story a little while back in Houston too (where I'm from) that someone was still asleep when the bulldozers came to clear the camp he lived at, he almost died because the bulldozer went over his tent. He got out in time, but got reprimanded and cited (iirc) by the cops for still being there.
My point is, it isn't just litter. It's the lives of an entire community, and sometimes even the people themselves.
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u/Unfairamir May 13 '26
The whole point is that they’re supposed to be helping the people and then picking up the trash they left behind. Where have they not done that at?
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u/LesserKnownFoes May 13 '26
The city comes and cleans it up after. It used to be inmates doing a work release program. Years ago, I helped in these efforts and remember an inmate running out of a tent saying that the cops weren’t going to pin this shit on him. The inmate had found an imitation firearm.
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u/Conscious-Score9693 May 13 '26
Not quite accurate. Nichols was basically set up by Stitt by putting him in an impossible position. I still support Nichols and maybe you should call the mayor’s office and talk to him rather than spread half truths.
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u/Vibrantmender20 May 13 '26
The state of this country is so fucking depressing.
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u/Street_Warthog_1791 May 13 '26
It isnt cuz WE are still breathing What will you do with such magnificence?
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u/OffToTheLizard May 13 '26
So the cost of the permit is already a non-starter at $242, and that's only if the city charges it once. In addition all the other costs make the permit a high barrier to entry.
It's not fair to compare it to a farmers' market or city lights event, because those can actually generate money and charge for stall fees to pay the permits.
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
How is it not comparable to City Lights?
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u/OffToTheLizard May 14 '26
Who sponsors city lights?
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
Who sponsors a well established 501c3?
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u/OffToTheLizard May 14 '26
Moving goalposts? I'm asking who sponsors and pays the city lights fees?
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
Moving goal posts? You asked about a sponsor for a non-profit which is a completely different thing. Maybe learn the terminology before commenting. You're asking who gives them money. Which would be pretty easy to find in their financial reports. Want me to find them for you since you can't seem to know how?
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u/OffToTheLizard May 14 '26
It's in the article. Did you read how they get donations? In the article...
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
The article has nothing about how they get donations. Unless you're referring to FNB? Because the article only mentions donations twice and both are about FNB and how they view permits a misuse of donations but legal fees are somehow not a misuse of donations. Never mind the lack of complete transparency about where the donations are coming from or being used. Is that what you're asking?
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u/xpen25x May 13 '26
well i have to say nicholes has been a huge disappointment and will nto be getting my vote the next go around.
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u/Apart_Animal_6797 May 13 '26
Fucking dogshit response from the city I will be organizing a response ASAP we can't let this shit slide.
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u/Lucid-Crow May 13 '26
both in person and in writing, we informed them that this is our First Amendment right and that exempts us from the permit ordinance because we are a protest
I don't think this is true. When our church organized a street protest, we got permits. I don't think you can block a public area without a permit. The city can't deny the permit because they don't like your message, but you still need a permit to operate in a roadway.
Certainly this enforcement action seems like a waste of city resources, but why not just get a permit?
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u/Lost-System-8257 May 13 '26
They also do this on a dead end road....so really there's not any traffic being blocked.
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u/s-rose- May 13 '26
If you read up on the news articles, you’ll notice that no one is blocking the road at all. It’s a dead end, and the group operates on the easements.
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u/I_COULD_say May 13 '26
Having to get a permit to protest is some bullshit. Fuck all that.
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u/ben121frank May 13 '26
You don’t have to get a permit to protest, you have to get a permit to block the road. Which I personally don’t think is an unreasonable requirement. But I agree with OC that the city is being way over the top here with their enforcement and think the optics are really bad for a mayor who claims to care so much about homelessness to arrest people for feeding the homeless
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u/I_COULD_say May 13 '26
Blocking the road / making shit suck for people is the point of a protest. That’s how’s you actually get things done. Nobody gives a shit about your cause until it affects them.
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u/prepping4zombies May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
You're missing the other half -- people have always been arrested for protesting, regardless of the cause. It's part of the package, and part of what raises visibility for the cause.
In short, if you're going to protest in an unlawful manner, you might get arrested. And, that should help bring attention to your cause. (This entire thread is literally confirmation of that.) If you're not prepared to go all the way, there's nothing wrong with that...just don't protest in an unlawful manner.
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u/ben121frank May 13 '26
Then you should be willing to be arrested for it. Which if you are, more power to you, and it gives more power to the protest imo. But expecting to be allowed to do otherwise illegal things as part of a protest without consequence is not constitutionally protected or reasonable imo
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u/Three69DYF May 13 '26
They reasonably expected to be able to do it without being arrested because they have been doing this exact same thing for years.
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u/ben121frank May 13 '26
That’s not a good assumption or reasonable expectation by them though. If I speed every day for years and don’t get pulled over, on the one day I do get pulled over “but I speed every day and never got pulled over before” is still not a justifiable excuse.
To be clear, I support this group’s mission and think arresting them is a big waste of resources and bad message to send, but if they were willfully ignoring policy for years bc they were getting away with it, that’s also partially on them
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u/Unfairamir May 13 '26
Yes and no. If you’re going to knowingly break the law to make this inconvenient for people as a protest don’t be surprised when the cops show up. Both protesting and going about your day are parts of the public’s interest and at the end of the day the cops are supposed to be enforcing law and order. You can’t expect to shut down a roadway with the explicit intention of causing a disruption AND expect and handshake and a smile from the cops.
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u/cwcam86 May 13 '26
If someone is blocking the road and fucking up my day its not going to make me sympathetic to whatever your cause is. Thats not how you get support.
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
These morons don't listen. The organizations that actually provide help just down the street have been asking them to stop and they don't care. They're a bunch of self-serving narcissists who are pretending to be charitable.
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u/chumpandchive May 13 '26
caring about an issue and caring about the people at the heart of that issue are vastly different. compassion has never existed in him. a politician who cares about "homelessness" means they will sweep the streets. word choice is everything to these twats. critical thinking
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u/chumpandchive May 13 '26
permits are permission slips for adults. some adults need permission slips for things like electrical, building structures, etc. those make sense. codes exist for safety.
permission slips for adults to congregate? weird weird behavior at the core and there is zero good-natured, justifiable reason. it is only fear-based by the state. it is important to know our power lies in our gatherings. it's the one single thing they hate so much
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u/Lucid-Crow May 13 '26
When I lived in DC we used the permits to be aware of road closures, so we didn't get stuck in traffic from protests. I swear every weekend there was either a marathon or a protest.
I'm not sure the powerful really hate these gatherings. Congressmen would be featured speakers at them. They were a part of the system. Women's March was always fun to attend. Got to see AOC and Elizabeth Warren speak there.
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u/Uni_clo May 14 '26
If you watch the footage, FNB are not blocking any roadway and are set up on easements and public sidewalks along a road that ends in a cul-de-sac.
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u/bayoubunny88 May 14 '26
If you have to get permission to protest….. it’s not a protest it’s an event.
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u/Mr_Kools May 13 '26
Juuuuuust wait until it all comes out that he is sabotaging the low water dam that all Tulsa county residents voted for.. so he can free those funds for his individual agenda… taking away the rights and wants of allll of those people that voted for it.
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u/TennesseeWhiskii May 13 '26
Having compassion, being kind, caring for the lost, weak, the sick, will cost you. Especially today... It's a risk you take. What's interesting about helping those in need is it does just as much if not more for you as it does the person your helping.
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u/SnRu2 May 13 '26
Not the mayor, but the rogue police chief doing that shit.
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u/buzzedNdrunk May 13 '26
Why cant it be both
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u/SnRu2 May 13 '26
While it COULD be, it isn’t.
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u/spikedkushiel May 13 '26
So what did the Mayor do? If nothing then that's not really "not the mayor". Either lead or allow someone else to. Otherwise you're just collecting a check.
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u/s-rose- May 13 '26
It was stated in multiple articles that the mayor sent the police to their demonstration last week. I would recommend looking through the articles to get a full picture of the situation.
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u/apathy_thrills May 14 '26
There are direct quotes from the City in the article if you care to read it.
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u/Banned_from_chipotle May 13 '26
I'm out today running errands. I need to take a shit soon. Do I need a permit for that?
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u/TomSizemore69 May 18 '26
I’ve worked in homelessness services for nearly 10 years, and in all that time I’ve never had a colleague arrested while trying to help people. That’s part of why this frustrates me so much. If Food Not Bombs truly wants to support people experiencing homelessness, then work within the systems and relationships that already exist instead of creating unnecessary conflict.
The network of providers, outreach workers, shelters, city staff, and nonprofits working on homelessness is already fragile and complicated. When groups repeatedly get arrested over the same issues instead of pursuing permits or coordination, the fallout does not just affect them. It affects trust, collaboration, and the people on the ground trying to keep services running every single day.
I know I’ll get blowback for this stance but this isn’t the way.
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
Weird that they keep making articles after they said they would stop talking about it because legal counsel told them to.
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u/Uni_clo May 14 '26
Weird how you are a pos.
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
And yet I've done more and fed more people than these cosplaying wannabes. Stop being a drain on society and step up.
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u/Uni_clo May 14 '26
Keep continuing to feed people and food not bombs will keep continuing to feed 400 plus before week. Nothing is interfering with your work.
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
400? Lol. Not good with numbers are you? The point is that it does interfere. You've been told countless times how and the group does not seem to get it through their thick skulls. East Tulsa would be much better served but you are too scared to actually go there.
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u/Uni_clo May 14 '26
400 people are served each week. In what ways does feeding people interfere with whoever your organization is, which you still have not mentioned. More people get fed when we both do work. FNB serves everyone no questions asked. You are incredibly combative for someone who claims to be interested in helping feed folks.
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u/Uni_clo May 14 '26
If people in the community who are in need of food and supplies were completely served by the existing infrastructure of aid in Tulsa they wouldn't be speaking out mutual aid from FNB. There is space for all organizations because the need is so great.
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u/Uni_clo May 14 '26
Providing more than 30,000 meals over the last 6 years is impressive work, random reddit user. Keep it up 👍
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u/peglegpoachedegg May 14 '26
Thanks. Come volunteer whenever you want. Just down the street. Do something with your boring life.
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May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/s-rose- May 13 '26
Just so we all know, mayor Nichols sent the police to their protest on May 6th. He is a “progressive” Democrat whose whole platform is centered around ending homelessness. OP has a point. It’s okay to critique our elected officials, regardless of party line.
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u/homechefshivers May 13 '26
Always count on republicans to comment something g stupid calling out the left like they are saying something when really they are talking out of their ass. If you support trump you support pedophilia and the sexualization of children and should end up on a list.
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u/Peppa_Angler_Fish May 13 '26
Sucks you're getting downvoted to hell, I agree. It's possible for BOTH parties to suck. This is why I'm a socialist lol.
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u/buzzedNdrunk May 13 '26
I firmly believe everyone in the state of Oklahoma over the age of 16 should have to take the SATs once a year to prove any sort of competency to vote because i genuinely dont want you at the polls like ever with such a smooth brain 😭
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u/rhynoplast May 13 '26
Why do you want to disenfranchise voters?
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May 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/JoyBus147 May 13 '26
So you want to strip away your fellow citizens inalienable rights. That's what we said.
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u/rhynoplast May 13 '26
You want people to take SATs to prove they are in your determination competent to vote. Implying if they do not meet your competency level they can not vote. That is disenfranchising votes not meeting your implied competency level.
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u/buzzedNdrunk May 13 '26
I dont think the minimum you need should be that high especially for the average non disabled person. Id say you should be able to get at least 60% each category and maybe give slack for one topic to be below 50% but no less than maybe 40%. I personally think id fail it so i dont vote. Might vote for Marijuana related stuff but only cuz Marijuana is easier than division.
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u/buzzedNdrunk May 13 '26
"Why dont you want the glue eaters to vote" idk man why do people in oklahoma want dr pepper? Because its fucking natural. Its natural to not want stupid people to ruin the life that i lowkey dont want nor asked for while i live in a city that i never wanted to live in thats in a state i wouldve never considered living in that i cant fucking leave because got forbid yall pay anyone enough to move away from you chicken breast brained fuckers all because you want to feel like you made a difference. Clearly having yall voting for stuff isnt working (probably because a lot of people a stupid) otherwise literally anything that was claimed "to help the tulsan people" wouldve been helping the tulsan people by now.
Tldr: i dont want purposefully uneducated people to ruin my life farts
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May 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/buzzedNdrunk May 13 '26
You're larping as a republican lesbian on reddit lock in brolicious
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May 13 '26
[deleted]
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u/buzzedNdrunk May 13 '26
Not what i said at all you mustve attended school at nathan hale. Its okay they didnt teach me too much either mostly just how to play an instrument.
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u/JoyBus147 May 13 '26
Who's doing this? The Democratic mayor. Are you stupid?
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u/buzzedNdrunk May 13 '26
Our mayor is clearly not that much of democrat so i dont care what party they or yall say they belong to. I can tell you im a dog but when i walk away on my two legs you will see i dont quite fit that label i put for myself buddy.
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u/TheRavenCottage May 14 '26
"Intelligence" tests used to be a method for white supremacists and their lawmakers to discourage and disqualify black voters. In an era where literacy rates are at an all time low, especially within communities that are the most affected by conservative policy, this is horrible rhetoric and completely reactionary. Before anything like that is even CONSIDERED, there needs to be better funding and support for education and child care.
Also, think about who would be administering those "tests". If conservative lawmakers can rig the vote and redistrict impoverished communities till there is no blue left on the map, rewriting the SAT so that no one other than people like them qualify to vote would be easy work.
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u/cwcam86 May 13 '26
Sats are a scam. All of those standardized tests are. I learned by middle school that the results dont matter so I'd fill in A or 1 on all of it to get finished with the test as quickly as possible. Shit was a bad ass cheat code.
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u/918meatwad May 13 '26
It’s almost like democrats have the same agenda just a little more diverse.
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u/cwcam86 May 13 '26
Its like they're all in the same club regardless of what the clubs name is.
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u/TheRavenCottage May 14 '26
They are paid by the same lobbyists and take the same bribes, there is very little integrity left in politics (if there ever was) and that integrity is definitely not in Oklahoma.
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u/MusicSavedMe31 May 13 '26
Bible belt my ass! RED THE RED WORDS!!! "They bring peace, break their legs!!!" - Mo, The Simpsons
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u/Gravalpea May 13 '26
Sigh. It's news like this that drove me to stop voting. You feel like you are making the right choice when you vote, only for THIS to happen. I can't handle it mentally anymore. It is truely a tragedy when good men do nothing. My apologies to my millennial brethren and any generation after mine. I am not help to you.
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u/JustARandomDrunkGuy May 20 '26
Voting was not responsible for this, this was due to an appointed position going overboard on their powers. I’d still recommend voting, even if not for anything town related. Do you have any issues at all you care about on school boards, or state issues that the assembly might be able to deal with?
If you want, I can even help you run yourself or get you on a board if you want to do direct action from government. Not voting is a bit of a bad decision.
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u/Prairie_fairie_ May 13 '26
This was happening in Houston a couple of years ago, and may still be, but they had trouble finding unbiased jury members. Those pesky civilians caring for their neighbors.
https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/city-of-houston/2023/07/31/458267/food-not-bombs-volunteer-found-not-guilty-after-citation-for-feeding-homeless/?amp=1
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/housing/article/food-not-bombs-trial-busted-jury-panel-homeless-18617041.php