Tulsa Newspaper Condemns Coming Trump Rally

From the editorial board of the Tulsa World:

Tulsa is still dealing with the challenges created by a pandemic. The city and state have authorized reopening, but that doesn’t make a mass indoor gathering of people pressed closely together and cheering a good idea. There is no treatment for COVID-19 and no vaccine. It will be our health care system that will have to deal with whatever effects follow.

Tulsa and the nation remain on edge after the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Trump, a divisive figure, will attract protests, the vast majority of which we expect to be peaceful. But there may also be confrontation and inappropriate behavior from some.

His 2016 Tulsa rally provoked a heated response for some, and his ability to provoke opponents has only grown since then. Again, Tulsa will be largely alone in dealing with what happens at a time when the city’s budget resources have already been stretched thin.

The editorial goes on to wonder why Tulsa was chosen in the first place since Oklahoma remains solidly red. The Tulsa World is owned by Lee Enterprises, which operates 46 other daily newspapers.