"Put it this way -- 21,000 people in the state voted on this contest."

WRONG!

It wasn't people in this state. It was people all over the world. Some of them probably have never even heard of Oklahoma.

One boneheaded move? You betcha. A boneheaded move by Michael Ivins who wore a Soviet Union flag T-shirt to the Capitol. I am willing to give Mr. Ivins the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s just the dumbest douche bag to ever walk the face the earth. But if you are any kind of leader in America, you don’t do a service to the people by brushing off these little passive re-writes of history. Mr. Watts and Mr. Ivins should pick up a book – or Wikipedia for God’s sake. The Soviet Union was a REAL place where real people died under repressive regimes. Not thousands or tens of thousands, but millions of people were killed and millions more brutalized. Easy, I guess, to ignore the screams of the despotic victims when you have the Flaming Lips blaring through your I-Pod.

Maybe the legislators saw the Orange and thought it was a Univ of Texas tshirt, and thats why they got so upset.

James, I respectfully disagree. To follow your Eskimo Joe’s analogy, I am not saying Mr. Ivins is a Communist or part of a barbaric regime...or in any way associated with the Soviet Union. I have stated that I assume he is ignorant. I suppose, however, that he could be stupid. I don’t think people would wear Eskimo Joe’s shirts if the restaurant used to deliberately serve poison food to kids…or maybe they would if they forgot about the poison food and thought the shirt was cute. It wouldn’t mean they advocated poising kids, but it wouldn’t make the shirt O.K.

It does, indeed, rewrite history…albeit in a soft way…when a man shows up is a Soviet Union T-shirt and it is laughed off as Mike being Mike. “Oh, he’s just one of those rock-n-roll guys.” That hammer and sickle is a REAL symbol of the REAL torture my grandmother survived and my grandfather did not. (And at this point I’m trying real hard not to play the swastika card.) When that aspect is diluted because of the cool shirt the star is wearing, it does slowly erode the real history.

I suppose I could agree with your professed point that the Legislature should be able to agree on this trivial matter. But I would argue that they should have all agreed to reject the song...if only to send an important historical message. Maybe they shouldn’t be in the business of sending a message, but I think our leaders should do that when given the opportunity. And maybe leaders should be frugal in picking their battles, but this is one that is close to my heart. I see too many young people (and 50-ish rock-band guys, I guess) who have no sense of the World’s real horrors.

With that said, I don’t have a problem with Gov. Henry going ahead and making the Flaming Lips choice official. Good for them, good for us. The point has been made even though people like you—intentionally or unintentionally—denigrate it.

…and don’t buy and I-pod. You’re more appreciative of the art without it.

Help me clear this up. Our legislature was fighting over a resolution declaring a Flaming Lips song the Official State Rock Song? The move was hot down and the governor intervened to ensure that this legislative travesty did not stand? What planet am I on?

The legislature should be ashamed for spending our taxpayer dollars on such trivialities. The governor should be ashamed for having any part in this idiocy.

You want the truth? I don't think you can handle the truth! The governor has now enshrined the Flaming Lips in our less than lustrous legislative history. The Flaming Lips are a second rate band with a leader that uses expletives as punctuation and who often invites young women on stage with him to dance, completely naked, while he performs one of their songs.

What a class act!

I understand that who was given this 'honor' is not the point of this blog; however, anyone with a brain could figure out that the votes were fixed by a concerted effort by Flaming Lips fans, not all of which are Oklahomans. I absolutely agree that the reasons given are lame and embarrasing to the State of Oklahoma, but in my opinion, the song should have been 'Home Sweet Oklahoma'. Leon Russell is 66 years old, and should most definitely be recognized during his lifetime, not after he is gone. The Flaming Lips song nominated had nothing to do with Oklahoma.

BUT, Mr. Watts, our State Government is still giving us "art", which is what you write about, and you tell us where and when to go see it. Once you told us to go see an exhibit at Gilcrease, owned by Bank of America.

I know where my outrage should be directed. Ms. Chancellor got a cover story due to this bull with the lips. Why there was no such outrage and a cover story for you, over the fact that Bank of America took our money and still owns priceless Russells and Remingtons and is being exhibiting in Tulsa is beyond me.