Local

On my 5th anniversary as a columnist for the Columbus Free Press, I will forgo commenting on the media and political scene and, instead, share my day-to-day reflections on the first two months of the pandemic.

It started on March 15 when I and 11.7 million Ohioans were ordered to shelter in place. I wondered how I would cope. I decided to write my way through it with a nightly post to my 785 Facebook followers and anyone else looking in on the social network.

I initially prefaced my remarks with the following: "Captain's log: Day 1 completed in ContagionNation." After a few posts, I dropped the last part and simply wrote: "Captain's log: Day _." I finally ended the posts on Day 62.

Here they are:

1. I have nothing on my calendar for the next 2 months. Not even tennis. Please do same. Stay home. Hunker down. It makes me sad to stare into the abyss of social isolation, and I'm an introvert. I, we, and you must do our duty to starve this virus into oblivion. We will. More Courage.

2. Lights out.

3. Virus 1. Vote 0. (A reference to Ohio's delayed primary election.)

4. Dogs happy. Owners home.

Historical photo of the time before the bronze statue of Christopher Columbus was removed by order of the Columbus City Council on July 8, 2020.  In the long shadow of the setting sun, the statue of the OG Colonizer Christopher Columbus looms over a protest of police killings of African Americans at the Columbus City Hall on June 11, 2020, by De-Escalate Ohio Now! Heartbeat Movement, Protect Our Stolen Treasures, and BLM, significantly the descendants of the survivors of the colonization of Africa and the Americas. 
Video of statue removal-10TV

Thursday, June 2, 3-6pm
Ohio Statehouse
This teach-in is geared towards STUDENTS from ALL school districts and colleges who are interested in removing cops from their campuses! No organizing experience is necessary. The event will begin at 3:00 outside the statehouse! Snacks and water will be provided, courtesy of Ohio Voice.
NON-STUDENTS: please SHARE this with all the students you know who'd be interested in learning how to take effective action!

Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 10:00 - 10:30 AM
Donald Trump previously looked set for re-election: earlier this year the US economy was booming, and the Democratic party was in disarray. A lot has changed in recent months. The coronavirus outbreak and recent protests have derailed Trump’s election chances, leaving former vice-president Joe Biden in an increasingly strong position.  Please join Agathe Demarais, Global Forecasting Director and Cailin Birch, Global Economist, as we discuss: The impact of coronavirus and protests on Trump’s campaign, The Economist Intelligence Unit’s US presidential election call, and What a Biden victory would mean for the US and geopolitics. There will also be a short Q&A at the end of the webinar.  If you wish to participate, please register here.

It’s maddening that the three words “Black Lives Matter” is so hard to say for some of our public officials. Those in the majority of the Ohio Assembly, where a resolution was introduced to declare racism a public health crisis earlier this month, would do our country a great service in urging their allies to learn to say it and mean it. But considering that the US Vice President won’t say it, those of us who’ve been in the streets proclaiming it shouldn’t be surprised when so few people in power are willing to use those words, let alone show up in the streets to say it with us. 

As someone who’s worked with both organized labor and justice-seeking organizations from before the first shot in this recent uprising was fired—who has participated in dozens of direct actions, petition drives, and various other campaigns that either directly or secondarily had to do with racism—I have a question. As someone who, like anyone with a shred of empathy within them, was horrified in watching any portion of the 8:46 video in which yet another police officer murdered another Black man, I have a caveat to this support.

Tuesday, June 30, 6-7:30pm
Ohio Statehouse
Facebook Event
We’re excited to work with @activistplusarts on our teach-in titled Abolition 101: Imagining a World Without Police or Prisons for next Tuesday 6/30 @ 6:00 @ the Ohio Statehouse. Come learn from local Black abolitionist organizers about what police abolition is, why it’s better than reform, and how we can achieve it here in Columbus! We will record and/or livestream! Graphic designed by Dominique @rat.core_ #12ToAbolish12 #AbolishThePolice #DefundCPD #FireQuinlan

Monday, June 29, 2020, 3:00 - 4:00 PM.  Black Matters 101:  Dismantling Structural Inequalities.  The Black Matters 101: This Side of the Pandemics series of virtual webinars addresses the current state of national affairs as they pertain to Black people. The health pandemic created by COVID-19 has brought racism to the forefront as a public health crisis that has been and continues to be an age-old detriment to African Americans. The health disparities crisis is compounded by the persistence of police killings and civilian vigilantism that traumatize black communities. This webinar series brings together educators, students, community activists, civic leaders, and the general public to discuss topics emanating from the volatile moment of the pandemics, and, importantly, to develop action-oriented strategies for social justice.

Sunday, June 28, 3:16pm
https://www.comfest.com/virtual/virtual-workshops/
Free Press Editors Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman discuss life living with a pandemic, anti-racist protests, and potential election tampering this fall.

Saturday, June 27, 4pm
Columbus City Hall, 90 W. Broad St.
Join us for the formal launch of the #RecallGinther campaign beside the Christopher Columbus statue at Columbus City Hall. We will have Recall petitions, speakers, and plenty of ways to get involved. You do not want to miss this special event!

Our dear friend Miriam Vargas has now been in sanctuary at First English Lutheran Church for two years (or 731 days). How many days do you estimate that you’ve been in quarantine or practicing robust social distancing – mostly from home? These past few months we have all been deepening our understanding and empathy for Miriam’s painful situation through our newly lived experiences. We now have an easy way for you to act on that deeper empathy through an app called Tithely. Some of you are already familiar with this easy support mechanism through your own congregation.