Friday, April 10, 2020

f r i day, a p r i l 1 0, 2 0 2 0

What’s the hold up?

After nearly a century, the Equal Rights Amendment has met its 38 state ratificiation requirement

C OV E R S T O RY

Oklahoma lawmakers divided on Equal Rights Amendment K ay la D un n E di tor in Ch ief @ KaylaJ_Du n n

Under the Constitution, gender equality is not explicitly protected, and Oklahoma lawmakers are divided on whether it should be.

On Jan. 27, Virginia became the 38th and final state necessary to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, a 24-word statement that guarantees equal treatment under the law regardless of sex. The ERA prohibits gender based discrimination, meeting its ratification requirement after a nearly century-long battle.

Kendra Horn, the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma’s 5th congressional district, voted in February to remove the ERA’s original deadline for ratification and wants to see the amendment added to the Constitution.

“It’s really time we finish this and get it added to the Constitution,” Horn said.

Although the final ratification solidified a landmark decision, the U.S. Senate has not voted to officially add it to the Constitution.

Historically, the U.S. has patched together several acts and clauses, such as the 14th and 19th amendment, to protect against gender discrimination. The 14th amendment’s Equal Protection Clause prohibits states from denying people equal protection under the law but was added after the Civil War to specifically protect formerly enslaved people.

The 19thamendment gave women the right to vote.

But Senate has stalled.

Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said the ERA is unnecessary. Citing existing legislation such as the 19th Amendment, Lankford said women have sufficient protection under the law.

“American law already rightfully protects the rights of every person to have equal wages, equal opportunity and equal access to any job,” Lankford said. “Years ago, women were not allowed to vote, own property or work in most jobs.

Thankfully those barriers have all been decimated.”

Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe declined to interview or comment on the ERA. In 1923, suffragette Alice Paul introduced the amendment which states: “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Since then, the ERA has made its slow journey through the legal system.

In 1972, the ERA passed easily in the Senate and House with only eight senators and 24 members of the house in opposition.

Within a year, 35 of the 38 necessary states ratified the amendment.

Although the ERA was nearly ratified in 1972, activist Phyllis Schlafly changed the course of history.

A staunch conservative, Schlafly campaigned against the ERA. She argued its passage would destroy traditional manwoman relationships and gender-specific privileges.

Appearing on nearly every major talk show of the ’70s, she influenced five states to

T. Chick McClure // UNSPLASH

Supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment have been fighting for its passage for nearly a century.

revoke their ratification. The ERA then failed to meet its 1979 ratification deadline.

“I think there are a variety of reasons people cite for opposing [the ERA], but I think that many of those are rooted in old ideologies that don’t really keep pace with where we are today,” Congresswoman Kendra Horn said. “With Virginia having just ratified the ERA, it’s really time we finish this.”

Now, the ERA is in uncharted territory.

73% of Americans incorrectly believe the Constitution guarantees men and women equal rights under the law currently, according to an AP poll. Although some clauses are argued to support such equality, many scholars, such as Supreme

Court Justice Antonin Scalia, say the Constitution does not protect against gender discrimination.

The ERA missed its deadline by 41 years and doubts about its validity arouse upon Virginia’s ratification. To address this concern, the House of Representatives proposed H.J.Res 79, a bill to remove the original deadline to ratify the ERA. “There isn’t a requirement in the Constitution that ratification take place within any specified amount of time,” Horn said. “[The bill] simply removed any confusion about the deadline.”

Horn voted to push the amendment through the House, but now it sits in the

Senate.

Sources, such as Politico, do not expect the amendment to win the support of Mitch McConnell’s Republican-controlled Senate, let alone attain President Trump’s final signature. Although the ERA’s purpose is to ban sex-based discrimination, a current concern is that its passage could lead to banning abortion restrictions.

“Since our law and our Constitution already provide equal protection, the modern debate around adding the ERA into the Constitution has largely centered on a way to assure abortion would be mandated permanently in America by creating a constitutional amendment that could be

interpreted to protect abortion rights,” Lankford said.

Lankford said that the ERA could create more problems than it could solve.

“We can and should protect the rights of each person without creating a constitutional amendment that codifies rights to women but denies the basic right to life for young girls in the womb,” Lankford said.

Horn has taken to social media to advocate for the ERA’s passage, and said it is a necessary step toward progress. Horn said its implementation would remove any doubts about equality under the law and prohibit unequal treatment.

“The need lies in the fact that there is still significant disparity between men and women,” Horn said. “In Oklahoma, women still earn an average of 77 cents to every dollar a man makes, and that is even worse for women of color.”

Three-fourths of Americans support the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment according to AP. “What it’s about is enshrining in the highest law of the land, our Constitution, that every single person is entitled to equal treatment under the law,” Horn said. “This is not putting anyone above anyone else; it’s ensuring equal treatment for everyone.”

However, in the midst of the Coronavirus and a Republican held Senate, Washington is not acting.

It looks as if equality will have to wait. Again.

S P O RT S

Who is Ferron Flavors Jr. and what’s his favorite ice cream flavor?

Su deep Tum m a Assistan t S p ort s E di tor @asktumma

Five seconds remained on the clock. Federal Way High School trailed by one in the Washington state championship game. Ferron Flavors Jr. told the coaches he wanted the ball, picked the play he wanted and was ready to take the gamewinning jump shot.

But instead of coming off the screen then taking the shot, Flavors went off-script and drove straight to the rim — something no one expected.

“Obviously, in the state, in our area, everyone knows who Ferron was, that he’s a shooter,” Federal Way coach Yattah Reed said.

“So they ran out on him, so he put the ball on the ground, attacked the basket and shot a floater to hit the game-winner. My reaction was like, ‘Noooo … great shot, great shot, great shot.’”

In high school, most considered the California Baptist graduate transfer headed to Oklahoma State, as just a shooter.

Now, years later, Flavors supplements a highly coveted freshman class at OSU as one of the more soughtafter graduate transfers in the nation. And he’s still only being coveted for his floor spacing ability.

“There’s definitely more to my game,” Flavors said.

“That’s definitely the best thing I do. I don’t think anybody in the country shoots the ball better than me. It’s something that I do really, really well, so a lot

Courtesy of Cal Baptist Athletics

Ferron Flavors Jr., a graduate transfer from California Baptist, brings experience and floor-spacing abilities to the Oklahoma State men’s basketball team.

of people are going to tab me as that. But I bring a lot more to a team, to the game than really advertised.”

Flavors has made several stops along his basketball journey. He began his college basketball career at South Mountain Community College during the 2016-17 season before transferring to Fairfield University for a year.

He then headed to California Baptist — redshirted a season — flourished throughout the 2019-20 season, then bolted for OSU. That’s a lot of experience under his belt. Now Flavors — likely the only senior for the Cowboys next season — will be able to use that experience to take on a leadership role with this young OSU roster.

Flavors said it’s expected

for any graduate transfer to take on a leadership role, but the coaching staff specifically told him it’s something they need him to do. And he’s ready and excited to do exactly that.

Reed said Flavors is going to be an excellent leader because of experiences dating back to high school.

“He understands what it takes to lead,” Reed said.

“Leadership isn’t just being the loudest. Like I told you, he’s going to show you by his actions. He’s going to take these guys under his wing and pull them to the side and talk to them. He understands that because he was a big-time leader for our program that won back-to-back state championships.”

Flavors won those championships his last two

seasons at Federal Way — when he was given the opportunity — but that wasn’t always the case.

In fact, Flavors only played two minutes during the state playoffs his sophomore season. Reed said Flavors didn’t get the opportunities that he deserved early on, but that didn’t deter Flavors from reaching his goals.

“He believed in himself and that’s the first step to success,” Reed said. “You can’t wait for someone to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself. Ferron has been like that since middle school.”

Even as a freshman, Flavors believed no one could shoot better than him. That mentality has fueled him to be the player he is today, which speaks to his endless confidence.

“Ferron is confident because he just doesn’t talk it, he shows you,” Reed said. “It goes back to, he’s a kid that his actions speak louder than his words. He going to believe in himself.

He’s not going to be talking to you, he’s going to show you.”

Confidence is important for a shooter, especially one like Flavors who takes and makes difficult jumpers.

While Flavors is more than just a catch-and-shoot player, it’s easily his best asset, which should alleviate much of the pressure off drivers like Cade Cunnigham and Isaac Likekele while boosting the offense’s overall efficiency.

Flavors said he’s never been able to play with a true playmaker in his career, and

this situation should give him even more open shots.

But wherever Flavors been gone, whatever his situation has been, his work ethic has always stood out.

“Once he has his mind set, he’s going to do whatever it takes,” Reed said.

“He’s the first one in the gym, the last one to leave, and he works on his craft.”

That high-level work ethic could propel Flavors to his next goal — reaching the NBA. “I’ve heard from a lot of different scouts before, they’ve kind of just told me, ‘We know you’re a professional NBA shooter right now, but are you going to be able to do that at that (Power 5) level?

Playing against better players, against more athletic guys?’” Flavors said.

Flavors said he’s confident he can because he’s always played well in his nonconference games. He scored in double digits against California and Texas — two Power 5 opponents.

Now he’ll get the chance to prove to NBA scouts that he can consistently produce at the Power 5 level this season.

Off the court, Flavors describes himself as a quiet, laid-back guy who spends time loves to spend time with family and play video games.

He’s a big NBA 2k20 guy. “(He’s a)

great kid, funny, understanding, loyal, flexible in the sense of being able to do something or if something changes up randomly, he’s understanding and willing,” Reed said. “A great teammate on and off the court. He’s a young man that you want in your circle. He’s someone who’s going to make you better as an individual on and off the court.”

Now, it’s finally time to answer the question everybody’s been dying to know: what’s Flavors’ favorite ice cream flavor?

It’s Oreo.

Although Flavors’ time at OSU will be brief, he can’t wait to get the Stillwater and experience the family culture, homey environment and loyal fan support that the school provides.

“Words can’t really do justice for how excited I am,” Flavors said.

Flavors is joining a talented group of incoming and returning players, and he’s sure to make his mark — in more than one way.

“What they’re getting is someone who’s coming with a record of understanding what it takes to win,” Reed said. “You’re getting someone with a work ethic. On and off the court, he’s going to be a leader.

He’s going to do whatever it takes for the Oklahoma State community to help the program reach its goals.”

lifestyle

3 Hispanic foods to make while sheltering in place E l li e Mele r o Ne ws Editor @ e l ean or _m el er o

It has been almost one month since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, and it has been a little over a week since Stillwater’s Shelter in Place order went into effect.

Many people are starting to get restless in their homes and are looking for new ways to occupy their time.

One fun way to pass the time at home is to learn how to cook new things.

While my roommates and I shelter in place at our house, I have decided to learn how to cook some more traditional Hispanic foods. I reached out to a couple of my aunts and my host mom from Spain, and I got some simple recipes for some truly delicious dishes.

So, if you’re interested in learning how to cook new things, here are some recipes to try while you stay home.

Tortilla de patata (Spanish tortilla) Tortilla de patata is a traditional Spanish food eaten commonly for tapas. When I studied abroad in Spain, my host mom made tortilla at least once a week, sometimes substituting green beans or jamón iberico for the potatoes. It’s a simple and delicious dish, but flipping the tortilla can be a bit tricky. I recommend getting someone to help you flip it the first time you make it.

Ingredients: 500 grams of potatoes (about two to three medium potatoes), one medium onion, six eggs, olive

Kayla Dunn / O’Colly

Flatten the empanada dough out with the palm of your hand and then scoop some fruit preserves onto the middle.

oil, salt and pepper How to make it: Thinly slice the potatoes and dice the onion. In a frying pan, fry the onion and potato in about two tablespoons of olive oil. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. When the onions and potatoes are done cooking (the onions should be clear), pour them into the bowl with the eggs. Mix the potatoes and onions until everything is completely covered in egg. Add two more tablespoons of olive oil to the frying pan, then pour the egg, potato and onion mixture into the pan.

Let it cook for about five to eight minutes or until you can see the egg on the sides has fully cooked. Take a large plate and place it on top of the frying pan, then flip the tortilla over onto the plate. Slide it back into the frying pan so the other side can cook for another five minutes. Put it on a plate and serve.

Mole chicken This sweet and spicy dish is eaten in several parts of Central and South America.

Although chicken in chocolate sauce seems like an odd combination, it’s actually delicious. I like eating it by itself and on nachos, but there’s lots of ways you can enjoy it. I recommend serving it with rice and corn tortillas.

Ingredients: one cup chicken broth, one can of tomato paste, two to three Mexican hot chocolate drink tablets, one guajillo chile (diced green chiles can be used as a substitute), peanut butter, cinnamon, salt, sugar, garlic, bread crumbs and one pound of chicken How to make it: Cook and shred the chicken, then set it aside.

In a pot, mix the chicken broth and tomato paste over medium heat. Chop up the chocolate drink tablets and add it to the mixture. Dice the chile guajillo and add it to the mixture. Add about

one tablespoon of peanut butter to the mixture. Add ¼ cup of bread crumbs.

Add cinnamon, salt, sugar and garlic to taste. Add the shredded chicken and let it simmer down. Eat it while it’s hot.

Empanadas de fruta (fruit empanadas) Empanadas are halfmoon shaped pockets of deliciousness that are consumed in many Hispanic countries. There are lots of different ways to prepare empanadas, but my favorite type are fruit empanadas.

The older I get, the more I realize that fruit empanadas apparently aren’t that common, but they’re deli-

cious. I usually make them with strawberry jam, but it doesn’t matter what fruit you choose.

Ingredients: four cups of flour, four sticks of butter, one bar of cream cheese, ½ cup of sugar and one jar of either fruit preserves or jam (your choice on what fruit to use) How to make it: Soften the butter. Mix the flour and sugar together, then add the cream cheese.

Once, the cream cheese is fully incorporated, add the butter. Knead the dough a little bit and then refrigerate it for about 15 minutes.

Separate the dough into golf ball sized balls, and then

flatten it out with your palm until it’s about ¾ centimeter thick. Scoop a spoonful of the fruit preserves onto the middle of the dough, and then fold the dough over the preserves. Press the edges together and then go around the edge of the empanada with the tines of a fork to seal it. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes or until the edges of the empanada are golden brown. Let cool and then serve.

Important note: You cannot substitute jelly for the jam or preserves. It will melt in the oven and make a huge mess.

FOR RELEASE APRIL 10, 2020

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Houses For Rent

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Stat cousin 5 Acronym often seen with a plus sign 10 1886 debut at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta 14 Unflappable 15 Stop on the Métro?

16 Anderson of “WKRP in Cincinnati” 17 How to get buns of steel?

20 Rental at Aspen 21 All agog 22 Mme. counterpart 23 Samsung : Bixby :: Apple : __ 25 Axes one of the market employees?

33 Sleep disturbance 34 Roxette and Eurythmics 35 “The Puzzle Palace” org.

36 D-Day invasion city 37 Draining target?

39 Pressure 40 Adherent’s suffix 41 High-tech read 42 “The Power of Now” author Eckhart __ 43 “All these steaks are too well done”?

47 __ & Chandon Champagne 48 Popular U.S. street name 49 Cheese shape 52 Transmission problem 57 Hilariously react to a butt-baring prankster?

60 “Get it?” response 61 Mazda MX-5, familiarly 62 Fly in the ointment 63 Drink garnish 64 Researcher’s aid 65 Besmirches DOWN 1 Musical pair, commonly 2 Drench

600+ Rental Units Available Full Listings @ Stillwaterpm. com Stillwater Property 633 N. Husband 405-743-2126

FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2020

Your Classified Ad or Business Square could be here! $10/Week Published online 3 times a week.

Email ads@ocolly.com or lori@ocolly.com Advertise your business specials, online or remote church activities, houses and apartments for rent, help wanted ads, or any other special your business is offering.

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Level 1

2

3

4

4/10/20

By Dick Shlakman

3 World Golf Hall of Famer Isao 4 Working-class Roman 5 Capital of Pakistan’s Punjab province 6 Activist Thunberg and actress Scacchi 7 Support group?

8 Saigon New Year 9 NBA div.

10 Place with outpatients 11 The last Mrs. Chaplin 12 Was forewarned 13 Cork’s home 18 Puccini heroine 19 Winds, in a South American city name 23 Film on water 24 Restaurant in the same corporate group as Applebee’s 25 Water holder 26 Decide one will 27 Vacant, in a way 28 Opposite of paleo29 Saw 30 Prepared to talk to a tot, perhaps

Daily Horoscope

c las s if ieds

Thursday’s Puzzle Solved

4/10/20

Solution to Thursday’s puzzle

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

31 Virtual transaction 32 Zagat, for one 37 Bob Hoskins’ role in “Hook” 38 Small flaw 39 Sweetie 41 Name on a historic B-29 42 Beat 44 Western, e.g.

45 Rub out 46 Turning point

4/10/20

49 Phenom 50 Cheat 51 Rams’ fans?

52 Herring known for its roe 53 Military installation 54 “Frozen” princess 55 Reverse, say 56 Joule fractions 58 Texter’s “I didn’t need to know that” 59 __ ear

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

© 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Today’s Birthday (04/10/20). Ride a career rocket this year. Coordination and teamwork provide essential support. Shifting summer travel and study plans inspire a delightful domestic phase before a professional challenge takes focus.

Winter changes in the news inspire an amazing long-distance connection. Your work is in rising demand.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Educational opportunities present themselves. You’re exceptionally clever with words over the next few weeks, with Mercury in your sign. Creative ideas abound. Take notes.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Monitor budgets. Finish old business. Modify long-term plans over three weeks, with Mercury in Aries. Review what worked and didn’t. Include intuition and unspoken clues.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Participate with an energetic team over the next phase, with Mercury in Aries. Friends are a source of inspiration, and group activities produce results.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Practice your moves. Watch carefully for professional opportunity, with Mercury in Aries. Prepare to jump when the moment is right. There may be a test.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 7 -- Have fun. Travel beckons, with Mercury in Aries. Make long-distance connections over the next few weeks. Study and research are favored. Document your views.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Adapt to domestic changes. Pay bills and figure out how much you can spend. It’s easier to organize shared finances, with Mercury in Aries.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Communication flowers between partners, with Mercury in Aries. Compromise and negotiate. Coordinate and collaborate. Delegate more. Remind someone what you appreciate about them.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Pursue a lucrative opportunity. What you’re learning energizes your work, health and fitness, with Mercury in Aries.

Raise performance levels through diligent practice.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Put your love into words. Express your affection and deepest feelings. Romantic communication flowers over the next three weeks, with Mercury in Aries.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Make long-term plans. Take on a home renovation project over the next three weeks, with Mercury in Aries. Set family goals. Clean house.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Learn voraciously, with Mercury in Aries. You’re especially creative and words flow with ease. Write, record and report. Share and connect with a wider community.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Communication benefits your career. Develop lucrative opportunities, with Mercury in Aries for three weeks.

Make profitable connections and grow the scale of your endeavor.