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Thursday, February 23, 12noon-1pm, this on-line event requires advance registration
Ohio Voice’s February “Lunch and Learn” is all about abolition! This is back by popular demand. Black Queer and Intersectional Collective (BQIC) organizers will give an outline of how the police grew into an institution in the United States, situating its legacy within our country’s violent history of chattel slavery, genocide, and capitalistic greed. They will then define what police and prison abolition is, why it’s necessary for creating a free world for the most oppressed, and how we can continue working towards it here in central Ohio with BQIC’s #12ToAbolish12 demands and supporting other abolitionist organizations and efforts.
BQIC Bio:
Black Queer and Intersectional Collective is a grassroots community organization that works towards the liberation of Black queer, trans, and intersex people from all walks of life through direct action, community organizing, education on our issues, and creating spaces to uplift our voices.
City of Columbus Mayoral candidate Joe Motil states, “ The last of the three 24/7 warming shelters that were created to remain open from mid-December until March 15 closes its doors tomorrow.” The Community Development for All People on the city’s south side made an announcement today stating, “The city of Columbus has unexpectedly terminated its funding for winter overnight warming centers. Community Development for All People is one of the recipients of that funding, and as a result of the city’s decision, the last night of our warming center will be Thursday February 23. We do not support the city’s decision. We are concerned for the impact it will have on the community members that have been staying with us each night and for the staff who worked so hard to make our warming center a safe and welcoming place. Columbus must have a better safety net for those experiencing homelessness.”
On the occasion of the Board of Trustee’s February 2023 meeting, Ohio State’s shortest serving, and soon-to-be unemployed ex-president, millionaire Kristina Johnson broke two-and-a-half months of ignoring repeated calls from faculty, students, and the community by launching an anti-factual and myth-making campaign for face-saving and rehabilitation. (In general, see my “The Ohio State University: Not ‘a failed presidency,’ by itself, but a failing university, Part One,” Busting Myths, Columbus Free Press, Jan. 7, 2023. See also my “The United States’ most disorganized university? Ohio State’s ‘5½ D’s’: Disorganization, dysfunction, disengagement, depression, dishonest, and undisciplined, Part One,” Busting Myths, Columbus Free Press, Aug. 28, 2022; “The United States’ most disorganized university? Ohio State’s ‘5½ D’s’: Disorganization, dysfunction, disengagement, depression, dishonest, and undisciplined, Part Two,” Busting Myths, Columbus Free Press, Aug. 31, 2022: “The OSU Way: Slogans over Truth and Honesty in Graduation Rates and Student Well-Being,” Busting Myths, Columbus Free Press, Oct.
I trust that you’ve now fully settled into your position as this city’s Chief of Police. You’re not likely to remember me, but we’ve met twice.
The first was during the Faith Forum held at the Mount Herman Missionary Baptist Church last May. Specifically, it was May 31, 2022: two years to the day that the nation first heard of a murder that would galvanize the entire country into a reckoning the likes of which had been long overdue. You were asked a series of difficult questions that day, so I’d completely understand if you’d forgotten about it. In light of recent events, however, it behooves me to repeat it.
My question then and now are the same: In the event that one of your officers shoots someone under questionable circumstances, what will you do as this city’s chief law enforcement officer?
Wednesday, February 22, 2023, 9:00 – 10:30 PM
The Oregon Community Rights Network’s Webinar Wednesday will meander through a variety of water topics, from current conditions of water access and water quality to how the law sees water, to the growth of rights of nature to protect and preserve water, to our cultural relationships to water and its value to life in Oregon and everywhere else on the planet.
“Water Is Us” will be moderated by ORCRN board member and Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund organizer Kai Huschke. Joining him will be Craig Kauffman – UO Political Science Professor: environmental politics, ecological law, rights of nature, and sustainable development,
Kunu Bearchum - Filmmaker & Multimedia Producer and Chief Petitioner: Lane County Watersheds Bill of Rights,
Michelle Holman – Community Rights Lane County member, and Chief Petitioner: Lane County Watersheds Bill of Rights.
Please send your request for the Zoom link to: info@orcrn.org.
The wrongful death case of a Cincinnati-area Kroger employee Evan Seyfried, who took his own life, will go forward, ruled a judge. The future trial could reveal the level and intensity of politically motivated bullying Evan faced before he passed in March of 2021.
Evan’s family says two managers at Kroger targeted the 40-year-old assistant manager because he wore a mask. They also nicknamed him “Antifa” and encouraged Evan’s co-workers to do the same. Evan had no prior history of mental illness, and, by all accounts, was popular and well-liked by his co-workers.
Kroger, which now rivals Walmart in size and profit, tried to have the case dismissed arguing there’s a “Suicide Rule” in Ohio. It prevents legal blame being placed on a company, institution or even a person, for death caused by suicide. It’s a pro-Robber Barons law if there ever was one, and the Seyfried family is seeking to challenge the rule.
Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Join CODEPINK Congress and special guests to discuss what has transpired in the one year since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. One year after Russia invaded Ukraine, the US and NATO continue to escalate the war with sophisticated weapons and military training of Ukrainian troops on US soil.
While President Biden bemoans the need for an exit strategy for Russian leader Vladamir Putin, there seems to be little evidence of diplomatic efforts to push for a ceasefire and peace negotiations. Instead, Congress budgets over $100 billion for the war in Ukraine, with roughly half the money filling the coffers of military contractors in what some would call a giant money laundering scheme. Is there any hope on the horizon? Can the United Nations broker a peace? Does China hold the cards? What about a Korean-style armistice?
The Central Ohio Worker Center is a non-profit organization that educates, empowers, and advocates for and with low-wage and immigrant workers in Central Ohio. More information about the position and instructions for application here.
City of Columbus mayoral candidate Joe Motil states, “The OSU student newspaper The Lantern reported today that the warming center for the unsheltered, located in the Summit United Methodist Church is closing Monday at 6PM because of increased safety concerns. “According to 10TV, the Division of Police reported that two people were stabbed February 10th at the warming center.” But this is only publicized a week later. Motil adds, “The other 24-hour warming center located at 501 East Broad Street closed its doors about two weeks ago.”
Our recent elections delivered a setback to Donald Trump, his allies, and their corporate-based campaign of racism/misogyny/homophobia, division, across our nation. It broke my heart, but didn’t surprise me, that my state of Ohio bucked that positive trend.
As national pundits cite Ohio as a “Red” state (not in the “good way”), it’s important to understand that it wasn’t always so and begin to understand why.
What Union Density Looks Like
When I hired in the Lorain US Steel mill a half century ago and joined up with the Steelworker’s Union (USW), Ohio was trusted to be a union-voting “Blue” state, especially its northern industrial section. Workers voted for those who delivered on our list of worker/people friendly issues. It wasn’t that right-wing Republicans didn’t float racist, misogynist, homophobic or other divisive issues, they did. It was that Unions were in place, represented/stood up for and educated workers on where their interests did/didn’t lie. Workers knew they weren’t alone, had people just like them to help them sort issues out.