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What is democracy but platitudes and dog whistles? The national direction is quietly predetermined — it’s not up for debate. The president’s role is to sell it to the public; you might say he’s the public-relations director in chief:
“. . . my Administration will seize this decisive decade to advance America’s vital interests, position the United States to outmaneuver our geopolitical competitors, tackle shared challenges, and set our world firmly on a path toward a brighter and more hopeful tomorrow. . . . We will not leave our future vulnerable to the whims of those who do not share our vision for a world that is free, open, prosperous, and secure.”
These are the words of President Biden, in his introduction to the National Security Strategy, which lays out America’s geopolitical plans for the coming decade. Sounds almost plausible, until you ponder the stuff that isn’t up for public discussion, such as, for instance:
Raised in Columbus, State Representative Munira Yasin Abdullahi (D-Columbus) yesterday became the first Somali American and Muslim woman to serve in the Ohio General Assembly.
When she was three years old, her parents fled war-torn Somalia and settled in a northside apartment off route 161. Columbus has the second largest Somali community in US, with the population estimated at 45,000.
Rep. Abdullahi was a Columbus City School student where she developed a passion for community service. She received a degree in political science from the Ohio State University, and for ten years worked for local non-profits, advocating for youth development and community service.
With a population of nearly 120,000, Ohio House District 9 includes Northland and Minerva Park.
From Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund
Earlier this month, the Biden administration released guidance for federal agencies to consider and include Indigenous knowledge in federal research, policies, management, and decision-making. But including Indigenous knowledge in federal decision-making means including Indigenous voices in decision-making too and honoring Tribal treaty rights to co-steward and co-manage lands and waters. The guidance does not require federal agencies to act. Instead, it has made suggestions, including to “consider” co-stewardship of federal lands and waters with Tribes.
Antisemitism signifies hatred of Jews and the ways that hatred is perpetuated, not just through age-old conspiracy theories but also their modern variants espoused on social media and elsewhere. But the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) supports defining antisemitism in a way that would consider political discourse critical of the Israeli government as antisemitism. In condemning all speech against the Israeli government, the IHRA definition serves to label all critics of Israel and pro-Palestinian activists as antisemites.
Tuesday, January 3, 2022, 8:00 – 9:00 PM
Israeli settler violence against Palestinians escalated in 2022, with West Bank settlers on the rampage, defiling mosques, vandalizing shops and assaulting Palestinians in Hebron and other Palestinian cities. Instead of stopping the settlers, the Israeli military turned on Palestinians, adding to the year’s death toll: 150 Palestinians killed, 33 of them children. Meanwhile, the most racist Israeli government returns to power with former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu – under criminal indictment – set to serve his sixth term.
This new ultra-nationalist government stands in explicit – no longer implicit – opposition to a Palestinian state and threatens to strip the courts of their power. US Secretary of State Blinken insists the US commitment to apartheid Israel is ironclad, despite whispers last month the Biden administration might refuse to meet with some of the most reactionary members of the new Israeli government. Join us as we detail the situation on the ground in Palestine and examine US congressional and grassroots efforts to end US complicity in Israeli crimes.
Cliff Arnebeck, who could pass for Clark Kent, transformed himself into Superman as he came to our rescue in times of democratic crisis. I first encountered Cliff when I was campaign manager during Tom Erney’s 1990 run for Chalmers Wylie’s 15th district congressional seat. Cliff also ran against Wylie in the Republican primary. I planned a series of debates where Wylie failed to attend but Cliff always showed up. Cliff was one of the most honest and forthright speakers I’d ever heard. He shared the same democratic values put forth by the Erney campaign. He wanted to get rid of the “permanent Congress” that dominated U.S. politics. We became political friends and allies on key issues.
DEADLINE IS NOON ON MONDAY
Register here for Monday's press conference to announce the delivery of an organizational letter to President Biden and copied to Attorney General Garland, signed by more than 260 organizations and accompanied by 20,000 petition signatures. We are urging the Biden Administration to do everything they can to stop seeking new federal and military death sentences, commute the existing death sentences under their jurisdiction, and to order the demolition of the federal death house at Terre Haute, Indiana.
These are all things the President has the unilateral power to do. Our request echoes a similar letter to be delivered by Members of Congress to the Attorney General on Monday. Death Penalty Action was asked by Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Senator Richard Durbin to organize these companion pieces, and we've been building toward this moment since October.
As many citizens of undemocratic, unrepresentative, anti-public, and corrupt Columbus now know, the city faces a “Democratic” primary election on May 2, 2023 and a general election on November 7. As of this writing, two candidates have declared, the incumbent Democratic machine—but no democratic—candidate Andy Ginther, and a true democrat Joe Motil.
I write for the first day of 2023 to propose for discussion and perhaps debate, a new era of democracy for the city built on filth and lack of affordable food and housing, unsanitary conditions, broken streets and sidewalks, homelessness, campus neighborhood safety and stability, dominance of special interests, grift and corruption; and the expansion of democracy, public services, respect for residents and taxpayers, and a city rebuilt for the 21st century.
For discussion and debate, I propose:
Researching, criticizing, debating openly, reimagining, and then remaking Columbus
I. Bring Columbus into the 20th and 21st centuries
II. Promote democratic reforms beginning with a truly representative city council, elected by districts, not at-large, citywide
III. Reorganize city government
Support freedom for Jamal Niser, Palestinian-American businessman illegally held by Israelis in Administrative Detention. He is diabetic and has lost half his eyesight. He has not been charged and there's no reason for his detention. He is from Ohio and his release date was just extended by four months.
Contact officials to demand his release:
CONGRESS: https://www.congress.gov/contact-us
ISRAEL: https://embassies.gov.il/Pages/IsraeliMissionsAroundTheWorld.aspx
US STATE DEPT: https://register.state.gov/contactus/contactusform
The lame duck Ohio legislature accomplished little because the majority Republicans were only interested in one thing – solidifying their hold on state government.
Action further restricting abortion flamed out.
Action handing over control of public education to the governor flopped.
Action raising the percentage needed to pass a constitutional amendment to 60 percent fizzled.
The right-wingers desiring the above three issue outcomes were left at the altar. Measures passed one house only to die in the other. Republican legislative leaders could tell the constituents to whom they promised action, “Sorry, we tried. Maybe next year.”
So what big controversial measure got passed?
A bill that further suppresses voting – by Democrats -- made it through pending Governor Mike DeWine’s signature because the Republican brain trust wanted to make it even harder for Democrats to win election to the state legislature, to Congress and to statewide office.