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Given the rhetorical prominence that right-wing Ohio Republican candidates for U.S. Senate and House districts gave to the 45th  president's erroneously titled "America First" agenda--not program or policy--in their election campaigns, it's time to revisit the absence of an actual platform and the "Agenda's" consequences.

J.D., or J.P aka J.D. Mandel according to 45, Vance should be asked by all, especially our media, to explain and justify the true content, contradictions, and failed results of "America First," which played out often as "America Last."

Here is my column “America First: An Excavation of Trumpism and the Trump Agenda,” Busting Myths, Columbus Free Press, Oct. 24, 2021 which was shared across the U.S.:

Surveying the terrain and scratching the surface 

Saturday, May 7, 2pm
Ohio Statehouse Rotunda
A leaked memo from the US Supreme Court has confirmed that the ruling class intends to overturn Roe vs. Wade. It's time to mobilize! Fight for abortion rights, right now and everywhere!

Amidst the craziness of the 2022 election season, we are doing another screening of our hit short documentary How America Killed My Mother at the historic Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse this Friday, May 6! Doors open at 11 PM, the screening starts at 11:30 PM and will be followed by a Q&A with myself and more, so please see the details below and let us know if we can get into your outlet's weekend list of activities, etc as y'all see fit:

Ticket link: How America Killed My Mother - Fri 6 May 11:30 PM - Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse

When we doubt that swift and dramatic change is possible, what we really mean is that we haven’t seen much swift and dramatic change for the better lately. There’s actually no disputing that massive and almost instant change is perfectly possible. For example, in a matter of days, the unified voices of virtually every television network, newspaper, news website, and entertainment outlet in the United States took millions of people without a thought about foreign policy in their heads or any idea even where on the Earth Ukraine is located, and gave them all passionate opinions about Ukraine right at the very top of their awareness — the first thing they would mention, bumping the weather down to second place in the rankings as a topic for random conversations. You may think that was a very good thing — in fact, I can almost guarantee that you do. That’s sort of the point. But you can’t deny that it was fast or significant.

Senior Crawl is this thing where graduating Ohio State students all wear white shirts, and walk from the various bars while signing each other’s shirts.

I didn’t graduate college so it’s usually this thing where you analyze the idea of signatures. As a graffiti writer, the idea of writing your name seems relevant. But because booze is involved, writing on a drunk college girl’s shirt seems problematic.

While I will quickly respond I-O if someone yells O-H…I wasn’t a senior graduating from Ohio State.

Interacting with normal people used to be a sort of exoticism for me.

Awhile ago, a white sorority girl was crying out of empathy for some things she had heard had occurred to me. The fact a white sorority girl even knew I existed….

The weirdest thing about this conversation. I told a white sorority girl she had been the first white sorority girl I’ve interacted with to my knowledge.

Many Black women leaders are from sororities so interacting with Black sorority members isn’t all the unusual. Black Sorority Life exists in my interactions because of Hip Hop as well as female leadership.

Thursday, May 5, 11am, this on-line event requires advance registration

This workshop will help explain how different types of nonprofit organizations can work together while staying in compliance with the law.

Different types of organizations are increasingly collaborating on lobbying, voter engagement, and other advocacy activities, but they need to be aware of the rules governing organizations with different tax-exempt statuses. If your organization wants to engage in coalition work with multiple types of tax-exempt organizations, this workshop will help explain how different types of nonprofit organizations can work together while staying in compliance with the law.

Participants will learn:

• The different roles of 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, unions, and political organizations;

• The federal tax rules affecting how these organizations can work together;

• The legal separations necessary between affiliated organizations, such as funding and fundraising constraints; and

• Permissible joint activities of different types of nonprofits, including election-year activities.

What’s making some Ohio progressives – who haven’t fled to Austin or Portland – take a serious pause post primary is the discouraging results by both Morgan Harper and Nina Turner.

The belief that young lefties have been fleeing “Red State Rising” Ohio for more than two decades was further solidified as both Harper and Turner were overwhelmed by establishment Dems Tim Ryan and incumbent Rep. Shontel Brown.

Nina Turner was endorsed by both Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but she could only muster 34 percent of the vote. Harper fared worse against Tim Ryan – who’s sounding more and more Clinton-esque by triangulating on the issues and political tribes – as she garnered roughly 18 percent (90,000 votes).

No doubt a mix of special interests and fear of Trump both worked against Turner and Harper.

Both were targeted as being “too woke or liberal” even though many of Harper’s policies are simply common sense. Pushing for more electrical vehicles, easier access to mental healthcare, and eliminating the Senate filibuster.

Wednesday, May 4, 2022, 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Kent State University will remember May 4, 1970, with in-person annual commemoration to honor the four students who were killed, nine students who were wounded, and countless others who were forever changed when the Ohio National Guard fired on Kent State students during an anti-war protest. https://www.kent.edu/may-4-1970/commemoration

This is a moment of outrage. While we knew that SCOTUS turning back the clock on Roe was likely, we must not back down!

Join us tonight 5-7pm, Tuesday, May 3, at the Supreme Court of Ohio, 65 S. Front St., downtown Columbus. 

Wear green and  bring signs!
 

My sad tales continue with new elements added every day. In chronological order, they are, so far:

First, leaders of other Columbus neighborhoods contact me. They first affirm that the analysis I presented for the University District parallels their area’s experience. They meet with me individually for cooperation, counsel, and conversation. So far, they include Weinland Park, Franklinton, and New Indianola. I encourage them to write their districts’ experiences for the Columbus Free Press.

Second, the court case of two long-time University District homeowners against NorthSteppe Realty was dismissed by the magistrate. After first court-ordered telephone “mediation” and then “in-person face-to-face conversation” without mediator or magistrate predictably failed, with no opportunity for discussion, presentation of our case, or a hearing, the magistrate dismissed the case. We learned about this accidentally days after the decision, later receiving a form letter with no explanation. For this, we had to pay a fee. I have filed a strenuous objection. I am advised, however, that the magistrate is within his rights to deny our rights.