Livin' on Tulsa Time: Celebration...and Down in South Florida: Indictment

Thursday evening was a time for celebration with the Tulsa Runner 20th Anniversary fête at The Cape Brewing Company across the river in Jenks and the indictment of the criminal Trump filed in federal court in Miami.

My brother thought of Tulsa Runner as Tulsa’s “friendly neighborhood running store” from the day the doors opened on May 5, 2003. I’m not sure he had any inkling that the store would become the heart of such a wonderful community of runners and their families, a dazzling array of casual runners, joggers, high school track and cross-country phenoms, Tulsa University tracksters, hardcore road racers, maniacal marathoners. I remember a time in line to board a flight home from Tulsa when the woman in front of me noticed my Tulsa Runner hat. She told me how much she appreciates the store’s support of high school cross-country runners (discounts on shoes, among other things). Her daughter runs cross-country, she said, and it keeps her too tired to get into trouble.

Thursday evening’s fête at The Cape turned out to be both an anniversary celebration for Trani’s friendly neighborhood running store and a tribute to the community as twenty years of Tulsa Runners gathered to renew acquaintance and friendship, reminisce, drink fine craft beer, enjoy pizza and tacos. There was a raffle with socks and shoes going to lucky winners along with Tulsa Runner trivia contests, complimentary commemorative pint glasses, and a commemorative t-shirt.

It was a treat to visit with Tulsa friends. A few shoutouts. Julie Courcier has been one of Trani’s main colleagues at the store for a few years now. Her warm greeting when she walked into The Cape almost had me blinking back a tear, not for the last time that evening. Julie’s a marvel, fitness guru, marathoner, triathlete, ubiquitous volunteer. It is almost as hard to imagine Tulsa Runner without her as it would be to imagine the place without Trani.

Greg Bigler and Osborne, dapper in his pith helmet, were two of the first people I got to know back in the store’s early days at the original location on 81st and Sheridan. Pastor Bill Webb is Tulsa’s “runnin’ reverend,” volunteer coach with the Tulsa U track team, kindred spirit, coffee-drinking pal at Shades of Brown on Brookside. David Jordan joined me in my marathons in San Antonio in 2010, Minneapolis 2014, and Portland 2015. His times were better than mine, Trani and my nephew Dan finished well ahead of us, no matter, as we all found the finish, in some sense a pleasurable experience. Alicia is another member of Trani’s stellar staff and super-nice person. I met Adam, a former store employee, and his wife Caroline, two of Pastor Bill’s track standouts at TU. And I met Paul Gugliuzza, another Tulsa Runner, really good guy, and supporter of Portable Bohemia. Others too many to name, so I leave off here.

It was a grand evening.

Indictment because it cannot pass without mention.

…charges filed by the office of special counsel Jack Smith in federal district court in Miami include the willful retention of national defense information, obstruction of justice, conspiracy, false statements and concealment under title 18 of the US criminal code, according to a person familiar with the matter. (Greve, Trump expected to surrender)

Trump declared that he did nothing wrong. The Republican herd stampeded to his defense with a grab bag of misinformation, non sequiturs, and stuff that has not even a passing acquaintance with truth. From Kevin McCarthy came handwringing about “a dark day for the United States of America” and “a grave injustice.” There is loose talk about “weaponization” of the federal government, specifically the Department of Justice, against President Biden’s political opponent, a “sham indictment,” a “tainted radical-left prosecutor,” a “pack of rabid wolves,” and topping it off, “all presidents do it.” No, they don’t.

Laurence Tribe and Dennis Aftergut at The Bulwark offer a serious assessment in contract to the stuff spewed by Trump, the MAGA mob, and Republicans who shed honor and integrity long ago.

In charges resulting from the special counsel’s investigation, we finally see a constitutional system asserting itself full force over a defiant scofflaw. History tells us that strong institutions prevail over strong personalities in such battles, at least when institutional values are backed by the beliefs and actions of dedicated citizens.

…

Although innocent until proven guilty, Trump now faces grave consequences for his conduct, consequences he famously predicted he could escape for any wrongdoing. Two prosecutors have now given the lie to that boast, as has a system of government whose centerpiece for 234 years has been the rule of law. We have “a republic,” Benjamin Franklin said, and today, a second grand jury composed of ordinary citizens has affirmed that it wishes to keep it. (Tribe, Aftergut, No One Above the Law)

References and related reading

• Kyle Cheney, Trump loses two lawyers just hours after being indicted, Politico, June 9, 2023

• Josh Gerstein, Kyle Cheney, Trump indictment cheat sheet: What to know about the classified documents case, The Guardian, June 9, 2023

• Joan E Greve, Trump expected to surrender to Miami authorities on Tuesday after indictment, The Guardian, June 9, 2023

• Ruth Marcus, Trump and those classified documents: An indictment unlike any other, Washington Post, June 9, 2023

• Michael Scherer, Josh Dawsey, Isaac Arnsdorf, ‘We are getting pretty good at this’: Trump and aides plot indictment response, Washington Post, June 10, 2023

• Laurence Tribe, Dennis Aftergut, No One Above the Law: Trump Indicted on Federal Charges, The Bulwark, June 9, 2023

Keep the faith.

Stand with Ukraine.

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