I love Oklahoma, so it upsets me when we are beaten in polls by states like Mississippi or West Virginia.
Last week, Oklahoma was ranked as "The 9th Most Miserable State" in a national well-being / link-baiting index. USAToday.com:
9. Oklahoma
> Well-being index score: 64.7> Life expectancy: 75.9 years (5th lowest)> Percent obese: 30.5% (10th highest)> Median household income: $44,312 (10th lowest)> Percent with high school diploma: 86.7% (19th lowest)
Oklahomans had among the most unhealthy behaviors in the U.S. during 2013. Only about half of the population said they ate fruits and vegetables on a regular basis last year, less than any other state. Oklahoma residents also reported poor access to basic necessities. More than 10% of residents said they did not have easy access to clean and safe drinking water, worse than any other state. Oklahomans also self-reported poor physical health. More than 6% of adults said they have had a heart attack as of last year, more than in any other state, and considerably higher than the national average of 3.8%. In 2010, there were 235.2 heart disease-related deaths per 100,000 residents, the third-highest rate nationwide.
10% of our residents don't have access to clean and safe drinking water? That's puzzling. Also, 6% of adults claimed they had a heart attack last year? Doesn't that seem high? But don't worry. These problems can all be fixed. All we need to do is give a tax break to the rich. Then everything will figure its way out.
Actually, it's not the easy. In fact, improving our state is pretty damn hard. Since we'll never do anything to combat these problems, I think we should go all out and try to be the most miserable state in the country. It shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. Plus, we'll finally be number one at something.