Local

Columbus Police Chief Thomas Quinlan, in a news report today, May 31, 2020, was quoted as proclaiming: “Saturday night sent a strong and clear message and [that he] hopes it prevents more destruction.”

Quinlan referred to the draconian and unnecessary curfew imposed on Columbus Saturday, May 30 by Mayor Ginther, and the Ohio National Guard and Ohio state trooper deployment to try to stop the city’s anti-police brutality demonstrations.

Such a tone deaf statement, sadly typical of our Columbus Police Department (CPD) for so many decades.

No Tom, your message tells us this:

· No one in city or state government or the CPD has heard a word the demonstrators are saying

· City and state priorities are that broken windows are more important than lives lost to police brutality

· City and state priorities are that demonstrations must be tamped down, and the safety and health of protestors is irrelevant (hence macing in the face)

· The status quo of racism and police brutality in the city and CPD is in place and nothing will change

· You think you’re being a tough macho guy but really it seems cowardly.

Just when we were ready to move on to the next step in “Tips and Tools,” we have a public health pandemic with politicians and pundits predicting the whole world of work and popular activity will change. Social distancing will mean the end of meetings. Work will be remote or at home, rather than office based. Fewer will travel and the whole world will zoom into the future as masked marauders six feet apart. No one can doorknock. People won’t open their doors.

Trust me on this: not in our neighborhoods.

Drive into almost any low-moderate-income community, and I challenge you to count the masks and make a note where you happen to see social distancing. It’s just not happening in the same way. There is a real racial, age, and class divide here that is starkly visible.

Bus service for example in many cities require masks now to ride public transit. In fact, talking to the head of a regional transit authority yesterday, he said maybe half of the riders in his majority African-American city was wearing masks. Talking to the bus drivers’ union leadership, they were clear that their drivers were in no position to enforce the decree. They are drivers, not police.

This summer, WCRS FM will celebrate ten years of broadcasting from the Free Press Carriage House in Olde Towne East. While the physical WCRS Studios have been closed for the last two months, there is reason to celebrate how far WCRS has come from its humble beginnings.

WCRS FM began broadcasting in 2007 at 102.1 FM, a low-power frequency which was accessible in the East and Northeast Parts of the Columbus Metropolitan area, and translated on 98.3 FM, a translator frequency reaching the Central parts of Columbus.

When describing what the programming that WCRS has to offer, then-Simply Living Director Marilyn Welker said in a 2008 Short North Gazette article on the purpose of WCRS, “There is such a lack of voices of different perspectives relative to community service and ethnic issues and cultural celebration. It’s not on the Columbus radio stations.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid out a lot of things about our society that are the ugly truth. One of them is that Columbus is still a city reliant on cars to get anywhere. The reduction of Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) service is living proof of that, as COTA has drastically cut back on service to focus on essential travel during Ohio’s Stay at Home Order.

On March 19, COTA’s Board of Trustees voted to make service free for the foreseeable future, and all passengers (with the exception of passengers in wheelchairs) to enter and exit through the rear door, which makes sense because it separates the passengers from the driver. Rush Hour Lines and other select routes were eventually phased out by early April. Buses were capped off at 20 passengers per bus, roughly half its normal capacity. Once a bus is at capacity, passengers standing at a bus stop are forced to wait for the next bus, which could be as long as two hours, depending on the route.

One of the most important political metrics is the approval-disapproval ratings of public officials.

The greater the approval percentage the more likely an officeholder will get re-elected.  

The greater the approval percentage of a non-officeholder the more likely that person will get elected to public office.

Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has earned skyrocketing approval ratings for his swift and decisive actions to protect the public during the pandemic caused by the spread of the coronavirus. Call him Mr. Popularity.

Public opinion surveys have put DeWine's approval rating in the 80-89 percent range, the highest in the country among governors and double the approval rating of Republican President Donald Trump. Interestingly, every governor in the country has an approval rating in their state higher than the President's.

DeWine looks like a lock for re-election in 2022 if he seeks a second term. If he chooses to "go political" in the fall and campaign for other Republicans in Ohio, even Trump,  he will be a powerful influential force because of his popularity.

The following are statements about the death of another African American at the hands of those sworn to protect us and the local and nationwide protests still ongoing.

My message to protesters is simple, will their turn up be a turn out in November?

Adrienne Hood’stragic story is well known and far too common. The mother’s 23-year-old son Henry Green was murdered by Columbus Police in June of 2016.

“The last few days have been emotional roller coaster. I am angry at what I saw, I ask the Lord, “Just how much more are we supposed to take!”

Video obtained by the Free Press from a Thursday, May 28 Columbus protest against the murder of Geroge Floyd in Minneapolis, depicts peaceful demonstrators sitting down facing a phalanx of bicycle cops as officers suddenly begin spraying them in the face without warning. 

WATCH VIDEO HERE: https://youtu.be/AB6LmkmLnUI

The video circulated briefly on Facebook but has been removed by Facebook least four times.

Mainstream news account of the incidents blame the demonstrators for starting a "riot" but witnesses tell the Free Press a different story. The old adage remains true - put police in riot gear, and there will be a riot.

Joe Motil, a former City Council candidate and outspoken critic of the Columbus Police Department states that, “  It really should  come as no surprise that Black America and others who have lost all faith and hope with how police officers continue to avoid being properly prosecuted,  have begun displaying their built up anger with combative  protesting.”

Motil states that,” Here in Columbus and other cities across the country, the media’s attention is once again centered on the actions of protesters and not where it should be.  The media should be questioning city leaders and police chiefs about what they are doing to ensure that rogue police officers shall be properly prosecuted and justice to Black victims and their loved ones will be served.”

Saturday, Ma7 30, 10am-12pm
Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square
***On the sidewalk in front of the Ohio Statehouse facing High St.***

Bring your signs and face masks this Saturday, May 30 from 10 AM-12 PM for a demonstration to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd! We will be gathering in front of the Ohio Statehouse along High St. on the sidewalk. We CANNOT be on Capitol Square, so please be sure to stay on the sidewalk.

A couple of things:
1. We WILL be enforcing social distancing guidelines. We don’t want to give the police any reason to want to make any arrests or try to break up our demonstration. If that means we’re stretch out over a couple blocks on High St, so be it! The more the merrier!

2. It’s supposed to be cooler this Saturday, but definitely bring some water and sunscreen. It’s mentioned above but also wear a mask!