Cue the “It’s been zero days since Oklahoma was a national embarrassment” social media gif.
Earlier this week, the Oklahoma House narrowly voted down HB 1028 – a bill that would prohibit educators from using corporal punishment on special needs students because, you know, we live in Oklahoma, an embarrassing state run by fools and morons who were elected to public office by equally impressive fools and morons.
The bill was defeated by a slim 45 - 43 margin. 13 cowardly lawmakers, including several liberal Democrats, didn’t vote on the measure because I guess the last thing they want is to appear soft on special ed discipline in public schools.
Although I was never a victim of corporal punishment, I’ll never forget the time my first-grade teacher at Lee Elementary School – Ms. Levi – grabbed the paddle that hung on the wall behind her desk and swatted a kid named Kevin in front of the whole class.
To this day, I remember him making the slow walk to her desk, being told to bend over, and then being hit with a couple of swift licks in the butt. He then walked back to his desk, tears in eyes, probably more shaken by the thought of the act itself than the physical pain it inflicted.