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Who knew the war-torn Congo and Hollywood would meet in Ohio and make for a good movie subject?
Keida Mascaro – that's who.
"I gotta make this movie – here, 100% in Columbus, with Columbus money and as much Columbus talent as possible," said Mascaro of New Americans, his and writer Jeffrey Newman's drama about a former Congolese boy-soldier-turned-refugee-turned-immigrant landing here wearing his decades-old refugee camp Surf Ohio t-shirt and a desire to find a certain Ohio amusement park he became aware of in the refugee camp.
"He comes to Columbus because of that shirt and an old '80s cassette Columbus radio mix-tape that has an Ohio amusement park ad," Mascaro explained at the Luck Brothers coffee shop after his post-Thanksgiving workout. "It's his dream, escaping the nightmare horrors of civil war and the get-nowhere camp and finding a paradise of amusement parks and maybe some surfing. Of course reality butts in and his extended family is there for him to a point. His PTSD and naivete complicate matters something fierce."
In Ohio, the 2018 election held consequences for the third party candidates for governor – both myself (the Libertarian Party candidate) and Constance Gadell-Newton (the Green Party candidate) had to earn at least 3 percent of the vote to secure ballot access for our political parties over the next four years, due to the latest restrictive ballot access laws made by Republicans in the statehouse.
Unfortunately, we both failed to meet those margins, even with our vote totals combined. While there is a legal precedent for the Libertarian Party of Ohio to challenge any ruling from the Secretary of State that we are no longer a recognized political party (both the language of the law and a previous court case in the Sixth Circuit proves that minor parties get two statewide elections to meet any ballot access requirements) it’s hard to say if our Republican overlords who now firmly run this state will allow that to happen. Secretary of State-elect Frank LaRose, while hailed in several newspaper endorsements as someone who has worked “across the aisle,” is probably just another Ohio GOP shill ready to do their bidding.
It was not Donald Trump who did in Ohio Democrats on November 6th.
Ohio has not turned Republican.
It was Richard Cordray's fault.
The Ohio Democratic Party's opportunity to take power in 2018 depended on gubernatorial nominee Cordray convincing the voters, especially rural ones, that change was in order because of Republican Party corruption in state government.
This seemed eminently doable based on the ECOT scandal with $180 million lost and the wrongdoing in state government headlined by the resignation of the House Speaker.
Unfortunately, Cordray, his running mate Betty Sutton, and their four ticket mates Steve Dettelbach, Kathleen Clyde, Zack Space and Rob Richardson failed individually and collectively to make the case that their opponents in particular, and the GOP in general, had profoundly failed Ohioans and deserved to be defeated. Cordray, Dettelbach, Clyde and Space all lost by about 4 percent, Richardson by 7 percent.
Twelve years ago, Ted Strickland and company hung the Coingate scandal around the necks of the GOP and took four of five state offices.
Well it took all of two weeks after the election, but as expected, our newly-elected Lieutenant Governor and objectively racist Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has pledged to continue the mass purging of black, minority, young and poor voters.
Husted speaks with smug hypocrisy when he says “…we must also preserve the integrity of our elections.” Our ultra-conservative US Supreme Court in another of its infamous 5-4 decisions granted Husted the power to throw people off election rolls after missing two federal elections. The final verdict comes when the wayward voter fails to respond to what looks like a piece of junk mail sent by Husted.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals stopped the purge-crazed Husted from eliminating more than a million voters prior to this November’s election. Their ruling reinstated voters who had been purged going back to 2011, when Husted first took office.
In a just and democratic society, Husted would be serving time in prison instead of second in command of our state.
An alarming number of atrocious right wing reactionary bills are being introduced during this year’s lame duck period – after election day and before the new state legislators take office. Here’s a roundup of what our state legislators have done, are planning to do and how people are fighting them, all conveniently categorized for you as Good, Bad, and Horrendous.
GOOD
Monday, December 3, 2018, 7:00 PM
President Trump, OAS head Luis Almagro and Senator Marco Rubio have raised the possibility of military intervention in Venezuela. Never in history has a democratic nation been subject to such a lengthy, aggressive, ongoing campaign of Steve Ellner has taught economic history at the Universidad de Oriente in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela since 1977. He is the author of numerous books and journal articles on Venezuelan history and politics. His most recent book is entitled The Pink Tide Experiences: reakthroughs and Short-Coming in Twenty-First Century Latin America. He received his PhD in Latin American history at the University of New Mexico. Campaign to End U.S. and Canada Sanctions Against Venezuela. This program is sponsored by Community Organizing Center, CWA 4502, Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism, and Central Ohioans for Peace. Location: CWA Local 4502, 620 E. Broad St., Columbus, Ohio. Contact: walk@igc.org.
December 1
Today is officially Rosa Parks Day in Ohio - to honor the mother of the civil rights movement.
It is also World AIDS day - World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education. The federal theme for the 2018 observance is “Saving Lives through Leadership and Partnerships.”
Friday, November 30, 2018, 12:15 – 12:45 PM
Thanks to the enthusiasm, energy, and commitment Fair Food allies are bringing to the Fair Food campaign, we invite you to join us on the last Friday of each month for this regular event, adding your enthusiasm and commitment to the action. Posters, a banner, and leaflets will be provided. Fair Food allies and supporters will be leafleting in front of Wendy’s to promote the Immokalee Workers’ Wendy’s Boycott. Location: 2004 N. N High St., Columbus across from O.S.U., near Woodruff. For more information, contact susanjtcarter@gmail.com. Website. Also, if you’re boycotting Wendy’s or will do so, please send Susan your name and contact information to add to our growing Ohio Fair Food Wendy’s Boycott list.
Our final Fire Forged Poetry event of the year is November 30, 6:30-9pm and has an extra special feature. Hanif Abdurraqib will be our feature and he has chosen to donate to Mozaic, a wellness program and community space for transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary people of color ages 13-29.
We will have a short open mic, followed by our feature.
Food Truck TBA!!!
We are looking forward to the feature and the opportunity to donate to an incredibly worthy group.
Fortin Ironworks, 944 West 5th Avenue
Check out more about Mozaic at http://www.mozaicohio.org
Thursday, November 29, 6-8pm
Northside Branch Columbus Library, 1423 N. High St.
Come find out how you can Join the movement to ABOLISH ICE!
As you know, resistance is hard work and living in an increasingly fascist state is exhausting. Abolish ICE COH is having another monthly organization meeting! Join us at the Northside Library from 6-8 pm on Thursday, November 29th in meeting room 2.
#AbolishICE Central Ohio is a civil rights action group joining the national movement to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).