Slog - Comments on The Bob Oke Bridge: Will Gays and Lesbians Be Allowed to Drive Over It?

Comment by A.

A. — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:24:52 -0800

Will it be renamed the Tacoma Bob Oke Narrowmindedness Bridge?

Comment by Touring

Touring — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:28:48 -0800

The world was a better place when Bob Oke died.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:30:15 -0800

Sure, they can drive over it.

Trolls like Bob Oke live under bridges, so it should be ok.

Comment by Fonky

Fonky — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:39:14 -0800

Ugh.

Comment by Matthew

Matthew — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:45:06 -0800

I have compassion and pity for backwards, mentally deranged freaks like Oke. But I don't have admiration or respect, both required attributes for someone getting a public work named after them.

Comment by nightlifejitters

nightlifejitters — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:53:12 -0800

The world would be a better place if people stopped naming things after politicians. Any wise politician would oppose this as well. Such naming tends to turn an otherwise benign place or structure into a divisive place or structure. Or worse, such naming could tarnish a much loved place or structure. It's all about personal ego and glory, and no greater good is served. Plus, tradition gets shot to hell. The name of the Tacoma Narrows bridge is part of the regional identity and charm. Renaming it after a politician destroys a generational link.

Exceptions should of course be made for naming after native americans, such as Seattle's namesake. Native Americans should in no way be confused with politicians.

Comment by Mickymse

Mickymse — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:55:13 -0800

Can we name the bridge for his daughter and her partner instead?

Comment by Y.F.

Y.F. — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:57:11 -0800

Micky beat me too it. What's the girl's name? Let's name it after her!

Comment by raindrop

raindrop — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:19:38 -0800

Don't name the bridge after Oke, but do rename King county to be William Rufus King County, who was, after all, gay.

Comment by OR Matt

OR Matt — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:23:21 -0800

It's one thing to be a biggot, it's another to take your family bigotry to the senate floor. I guess, because I seem to love to be contradictory in sonsensical ways, I'm curious what I he DID do that gives him the right to have a bridge named after him.

Did he fight in some war? Did he build homes for the homeless? Did he found some church? Did he sponcer some bill that made any ones life better? Bueller?

OR sadly he just happened to be a Republican State Senator who died of cancer (very important that he died of cancer) at around the time the bridge was going to be complete.

Comment by Lauren

Lauren — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:43:28 -0800

Are you kidding me? Isn't there some human being in WA who's done good for the state and isn't also a documented bigot?

Why not just name the damn bridge after Fred Phelps and be done with it?

Comment by RHETT ORACLE

RHETT ORACLE — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:00:42 -0800

Well, assuming his name sounds like "Oki", and they insist on the dubious honor, we'll just have to call it "the Oke-Pokey Bridge".

Comment by um

um — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:13:42 -0800

wtf? why dont they name it the david brame bridge? like tacoma doesn't have enough problems already.

Comment by Andrew

Andrew — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:21:15 -0800

We should get an initiative to name the bridge the "Bob Oke was a Bigot" bridge.

Comment by OR Matt

OR Matt — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:22:17 -0800

So the simple solution is to find someone else important who died of cancer recently ...

Comment by unPC

unPC — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:27:30 -0800

Ken Jacobsen spent much if his time last session pushing a bill to let dogs in bars.

And another one to have the state poet paid in firkins of beer.

What a joke.

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:22:41 -0800

I am a super hero.

Comment by Gitai

Gitai — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:37:26 -0800

No, no, we have to move forward with this. We have to name it after this homophobe.

And then we have to paint it pink. We have to hold an annual Bob Oke Memorial Gay Pride Picnic in the vicinity, marching across it wearing outfits in the poorest taste possible, getting drunk, finalizing gay adoptions, signing DP paperwork, and generally doing everything possible to make this bigoted fucker spin in his grave.

Comment by Boomer in NYC

Boomer in NYC — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:43:11 -0800

Hope he's enjoying the view from hell. Fuck him.

Comment by elenchos

elenchos — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:50:05 -0800

Word.

Comment by CP

CP — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:13:39 -0800

Even if there is a suitable civic hero to name something after, why bother? The "naming rights" will eventually be sold to some corporation, probably Brawndo.

The Brawndo Electrolytes Bridge?

I think they should install toll booths in front of such corporate-named bridges... stadiums... churches.. and make all drivers stop and roll their window down and shout the name of the corporation. This may seem onerous at first, but people will get used to it. Then they'll up it to shouting it five times, or you can take an advertising pamphlet instead...

Or maybe an E-Z pass system, if you just write a check to that corporation once per year to prove your fealty.

Okay, Brawndo is a fictitious corp'n not of my making... you folks are in Seattle... do you have a Nike Bridge yet? And why not?

The Microsoft Benefits for LGBT Employees Bridge?

Comment by NapoleonXIV

NapoleonXIV — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:35:57 -0800

I agree, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge is not an appropriate monument to Bob Oke.

Instead, I propose that the stretch of Highway 101 between Sappho and Beaver be renamed the Bob Oke Memorial Speedway.

Comment by TMW

TMW — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:56:14 -0800

If anybody is completely undeserving of having something named after them it's that authoritarian asshole. Oke was a horrible father and a horrible senator -- and it's true that the world got a whole lot better 5/15/07 when we were rid of both Oke and Falwell.

Comment by Cancer Survivor

Cancer Survivor — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:07:29 -0800

LGBT cancer http://www.lgbtcancer.com survivors have such difficulty finding a way to get to the hospital...it will be a shame if we create a protest over the naming of this bridge. Understandable to protest, but, we do need to get to the hospital.

Comment by Toby

Toby — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:17:55 -0800

People people, it's all cool. You can cross the bridge if you're homosexual.

You just have to choose to be straight while you're crossing over it. ;)

Comment by JohnnyC

JohnnyC — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:11:09 -0800

If you check the supporters of this misguided initiative at their website www.bobbridge.org, You'll see that they call it the "Bridge of Faith" -sickening.

Comment by Mick

Mick — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:25:47 -0800

Bob was good man . A different generation then the folks here , and mis guided about homosexuality .

Not many more respected people who served in Olympia and did so with character , honesty , and sincerity .