Talk:Oklahoma/Archive 2

Shorelines

There is no way Oklahoma could possibly have more shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts as the article says. It's just physically impossible. Any comments on this?

I think they are taking into account to man made freshwater lakes.

Its not only the article that says it... look at any Oklahoma travel brochure or any OK state tourism web site.

It is based on technicalities such as counting the shore of rivers, man made lakes. Texas actually has more coastline (shoreline) than any other state. The term should be just pertain to oceans and seas. I dont think fluffy facts such as this are going to improve the image of the state, Dont try to decieve people into thinking we have more shoreline than any other state. It is a deceptive as selling a lemon car, dont sell Oklahoma as a lemon.

So that would mean that the Oklahoma brochures are incorrect as well?

That would mean that the Oklahoma brochures are trying to sell Oklahoma to tourists. That is not our task on Wikipedia. 194.82.121.38 22:21, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

This website states differently, and I think it is more believable http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10319-121638--,00.html. To answer your question, yes the brochures are wrong.

I wish that link stated the exact length in miles of Michigan shorelines. I found this link that doesn't claim Oklahoma has the most but does give a number:11,611 miles.--Nmajdan 15:27, 5 June 2006 (UTC)

There is no way Oklahoma has the most shoreline of any state, it a lie. Alaska has the most shoreline in context with Saltwater oceans and Michigan has the most freshwater shoreline. And I would think that Minnesota has more than Oklahoma too, they have 20,000 lakes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.187.154.33 (talk • contribs)

You are right, Oklahoma doesn't have the most shoreline out of all the other states. But the travel brochures don't say more shoreline than any other state. It states that Oklahoma has more shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Not all the states that are on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, just the coast lines themselves. So while Michigan, Alaska, and Texas may have more shoreline than Oklahoma, Oklahoma still has more shoreline than the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. I don't know how the statement that Oklahoma has more coasts and shores than the Gulf and Atlantic turned into, "No it doesn't, Alaska has more," but whatever.

Oklahoma has more shoreline than the East and West coast combined? That has to be a lie too.

I can not believe that a state would claim to have more coast than all other countries of the world combined, that has to be fabricated!

Oklahoma can't have more coastline than the east and West coast combined, this is physically impossible.This site states that Oklahoma has more than the East West and Gulf combined. [1]— Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.187.154.105 (talk • contribs)

It appears to be true, but only by virtue of the number of manmade lakes and reservoirs. By the way, it is entirely possible to have more shoreline in one state than along all major coasts, because you can pack shoreline tightly into a closed space around lakes and rivers, vs. comparing it to the (mostly) convex perimeter of North America [2]. -- nae'blis _(talk) 19:23, 13 July 2006 (UTC)

Is every river, lake and reservoir of the coastal states being accounted for?

Panhandle boundary

I'm not sure that this sentence is worded correctly. The sentence starts talking about the panhandle. Perhaps the whole paragraph should be re-wriiten. There is also an unmatched parenthesis.

"The panhandle's southern boundary is at 36.5°N, then turning due south along 100°W to the southern fork of the Red River), completing the round trip back to Arkansas."

Thunderstorms

Article says that Oklahoma has the most powerful thunderstorms in the world...this seems unlikely, is there a citation for this?

I think you're right on doubting this. Dr. Dan Cecil apparently thinks that, while the midwest of North America has strong thunderstorms, South America's are just as strong or stronger (http://uahnews.uah.edu/scienceread.asp?newsID=128). I am changing the text to reflect this, at least until someone can come up with a good reason why Oklahoma should be able to boast the strongest storms in the world. --jackohare 22:50, 13 December 2005 (UTC)

I think it is true about the thunderstorms, I know that the world record wind speed was recorded in Oklahoma with the tornados that hit Moore OK in 1999.

Perhaps Oklahoma is more notable for its tornadoes than its thunderstorm. --JaredChilders 20:53, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

editing

Wondering how to edit this State Entry?
The WikiProject U.S. States standards might help.

McVeigh Christian

I removed the characterization of Timothy McVeigh as christian as I do not recall any emphasis by him of his christian beliefs, and his actions clearly are not advocated by christian people.

Correction in order of admission to union

I have corrected the order of admission in the text from 47th to 46th, which is accords, correctly, with the boxed matter. --Tim Bovee

Politics Section

I've expanded this section slightly. My intent is to make several adjustments here and then propose it as a standard in the Wikipedia:WikiProject_U.S._States and its discussion. We should also report the State Legislature's make up (Senate and House). If no one else does, I'll look these up soon. Thanks, Lou I 15:37, 2 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Geology

I'll try to add some more content on here about geology and the oil industry as it flavors much of Oklahoman history, but I also would need help. Also, one of the most unique items in our state is the rose rock.

Wikipedia's spanish version

Im looking for this topic just because I have to do a project about Oklahoma for U.S. history class. Im a high school student from Puerto Rico and I've never liked U.S. at all, but this state seems so interesting and I would like to visit it some day. I sugest to Wikipedia to complete this article in the spanish version because the translation service always has errors.

native americans and slaves?

i am curious about the following bit of information: The Five Civilized Tribes set up towns such as Tulsa, Tahlequah, and Muskogee, which became some of the larger towns in the state. They also brought their African slaves to Oklahoma, which added to African-American population in the region.

is there a refrence source for this? i am a novice in native american history but did many that were forcibly moved to oklahoma have slaves? just curious--Tainter 01:22, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

yes it's well known. Black historian John Hope Franklin was the grandson of such slaves. See Stand Watie. For a book see . Slavery in the Cherokee Nation: The Keetoowah Society and the Defining of a People, 1855-1867 by Patrick N. Minges; Routledge, 2003 and . Red over Black: Black Slavery among the Cherokee Indians by R. Halliburton Jr.; Greenwood Press, 1977 Rjensen 01:44, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

vandilism

There is major vandilism on this page. please fix--Aots191 22:57, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

Civil War

I took out this paragraph since it really didn't fit in the section about Indian removal:

During the Civil War many tribes were internally split between the Confederates and the Union. However, in 1861 the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Seminoles, Quapaws, Senecas, Caddos, Wichitas, Osage Nation, and Shawnees all signed treaties of alliance with the Confederacy. Stand Watie fought several battles in Oklahoma.

Not sure if it really is worth mentioning on the Oklahoma article, but certainly worthwhile on History of Oklahoma. -- Ash Lux ^{(talk | contribs)} 03:05, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

Here is what people think of Oklahoma

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=1006030412418 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.187.154.33 (talk • contribs)

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=AuydoAXKMrAoWwntSo5B6pQjzKIX?qid=1006050208860

What witty and insightful responses! Why, the whole damn world writes like Oscar Wilde, don't they? "whenever i'm bored i jerk off" It is to laugh. And look, he writes like e.e. cummings, too! My life is immeasurably richer because you have shared this mirth.

But, as funny as this webpage is, it really has nothing to do with improving the article. Which is what the talk pages are for. So, maybe you should instead send out an email to everyone in your buddy list next time you find such hilarity and leave Wikipedia talk pages out of it. Phiwum 05:54, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

Ummm....Relevance? You know, you're the one that keeps coming back here.--Nmajdan 19:17, 7 June 2006 (UTC)

Howdy!!We meet again!!! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.187.154.33 (talk • contribs)

statistics

The Oklahoma page seems a little statistics heavy. I removed the list of Oklahoma colleges and universities as suggested above. Maybe we could cut down on the 52 kb size of the article a little by removing some similar lists, like, for example, cutting down on the incredibly detailed list of state symbols at the bottom...? I added a whole new section on the southern aspects of oklahoma history that, in hindsight, might be more relevant on another page...moving it to a more "oklahoma history" oriented page could also cut down on the size of the page...

I've been considering moving that portion to a new article List of OKlahoma state symbols or something to that effect. I haven't read over the section you added, but it probably would be more relevant elsewhere just but what I saw glancing at it. I'm going to go ahead and leave it there and let the History section grow, then extract it to History of Oklahoma. (Look at the history, I've been biting off small section of this article, but focusing mostly on each section before worrying much about the article as a whole). -- Ash Lux ^{(talk | contribs)} 21:26, 9 June 2006 (UTC)

Heavner Runestone

I don't think there are any experts who believe that the Heavner Runestone is actually evidence of a Viking presence in Oklahoma. The idea is implausible, and the evidence shaky. --JaredChilders 20:53, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

Statistics error?

One section when referring to the Amerindian population in Oklahoma: "Oklahoma also has the second highest concentration of Native Americans/Amerindians in the nation with 11.4% of the state's population"

Yet the census figures say differently: "Native American (7.9%, with Cherokees as the largest tribe)." Jonas Salk