Local
Tuesday, May 31, 2022, 2:30 PM
Under current state law, all armed school employees—including teachers, security guards, and special police—must either complete an approved basic peace officer training course or have completed 20 years of active duty as a peace officer. Basic peace officer training is regulated by the Ohio Peace Office Training Commission and comprises approximately 728 hours of instruction. But HB 99 would exempt teachers from this requirement and allow school districts to employ armed personnel in schools with as little as 22 hours of concealed carry training.
You can submit oral (in person) or written only testimony by emailing your written testimony and witness slip are in pdf form and then send them to Hoagland@ohiosenate.gov AND Genevieve.Ramsey@ohiosenate.gov.
Sunday, May 29, 4-6pm, on the green space outside of University Baptist Church, 50 W. Lane Ave.
I write with a heavy heart and deep sadness as we consider the news from Texas. Yesterday [5-24-2022], an 18-year-old gunman killed nineteen children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. It is not enough for us simply to say, “our thoughts and prayers are with them.” Our prayers require accompanying action. To that end, Adam Davis of University Baptist Church has been leading us in creating a march and vigil on Sunday afternoon at 4:30pm. Our plan is to gather, pray, march, and then write postcards in support of H.R. 8, a bipartisan bill that will require background checks on all gun purchases, and which is currently being considered by the U.S. Senate.
This event will be an interfaith vigil and call to pass H.R. 8 requiring background checks for all gun sales. This will include prayers from many faith traditions, a march, and writing postcards to our two Ohio Senators.
Schedule
4pm: Gathering and Sign Making
4:30pm: Prayer and March
5:30pm: Postcards to Elected Representatives
6pm: Depart
Saturday, May 28 [11am-11pm]; Sunday, May 29 [10am-7pm]; Genoa Park, 303 W. Broad St.
This event will include food, music, vendors and more! Proceeds will support Black youth and community programs.
Tickets are $20.00 for a single day; $30.00 for both days; children 10 and under are free.
Use this link to view a schedule of events.
Important things to know before you go.
• Entrance to festival is at W. Rich St. and Civic Center Drive. There will be no entrance from — and no exit to — W. Broad St.
• Folding lawn chairs / seat cushions are allowed.
• No outside food or beverages are allowed.
• No tents are allowed.
• No umbrellas are allowed.
• No coolers or large bags are allowed.
• No backpacks are allowed.
America’s history has been born and steeped in the struggles for freedom and the wars of the past. These are typically fought by an idealistic, motivated majority of citizens against some form of tyrannical government or autocratic rule, which in turn is usually run by a powerful minority hellbent on controlling an entire population. This Memorial Day, we should remember these struggles and understand that Americans have seen this play out over and over since the dawn of our country. By the 1770s, the majority of the thirteen colonies wanted to shake off The British Crown’s rule from across the sea, which was governed by a small group of tyrannical men. King George III and the last vestiges of the British supremacy he represented tried to prevail, only to be defeated by a universal desire for a more free nation.
By Just Visit Western Sahara, May 26, 2022
https://worldbeyondwar.org/three-u-s-women-human-rights-defenders-depor…
Three US women heading to visit their friends in Boujdour, Western Sahara, were forcibly turned back on May 23rd, when they landed at Laayoune Airport. Twelve men and six women Moroccan agents physically overpowered them and placed them against their will on a plane back to Casablanca. During the scuffle, one of the women’s shirt and bra were pulled up to expose her breasts. In the cultural context of the passengers on the plane, this was a serious form of harassment and violence against women.
Wynd Kaufmyn said of her treatment by the Moroccan forces, “We refused to cooperate with their illegal actions. I repeatedly shouted out on the departing airplane that I wanted to go to Boujdour to visit Sultana Khaya, who has endured torture and rape at the hands of Moroccan agents.
Thursday, May 26, 2022, 7:00 PM
Join Bill Lyons, Jonathan Beard, and Joe Motil to learn about what has been going on with the Columbus Charter Review Commission and what you can do about it.
Join Zoom here https://cscc-edu.zoom.us/j/95699456595?pwd=S2dlL3FxVE5FMDF0THJIa21EZTJwQT09.
Our nation is in the midst of a gun violence crisis. Every day, more than 110 Americans die from gun violence.
We cannot become numb to the tragedies we witness daily. We don't have to live like this—and we don't have to die like this.
It's time to hold our elected officials accountable for their inaction.
Send a message to your senators and tell them to pass gun safety legislation
Dear Senator,
As your constituent, I'm urging you to prioritize gun safety legislation.
The mass shooting that happened at Robb Elementary School in which 19 children and two adults were murdered is another instance of the tragic gun violence we witness in America all too often.
As an elected official, it is your job to take bold action to prevent these senseless tragedies from happening. We cannot wait for another mass shooting.
Please do the right thing and pass gun safety legislation.
The Free Press is proud to announce that a cartoonist we publish, Clayton Jones of Virginia, is the 2022 winner of the RFK Human Rights Journalism Award in Editorial Cartooning. His work was awarded for its "unique style" which is "energetic" using "image and text to comment on larger issues." They stated that his cartoons hit on themes of human rights, imbalance of power and systemic racism. His work can be seen at freepress.org, columbusfreepress.com and our Facebook pages.
"Winners of the 2022 RFK Journalism Awards were selected in student and professional categories from over 350 entries across print, broadcast, and new media categories, encapsulating some of the most exemplary reporting from the past year," PR Newswire reported.