Local

This year's election taught us that big money has taken over Ohio politics and that the news media's role in influencing election outcomes has become insignificant. Consider the following three cases in point:

1. Rob Portman and his backers spent $50 million in television ads making exaggerated, deceptive claims that Ted Strickland was a bad governor. Before the ads started to run, Strickland was ahead by 15 points. Three months later, Portman was ahead by 15 points and won going away. In other words, 30 percent of the Ohio electorate is so gullible that it can be swayed by a barrage of misleading unanswered ads.

Aside: Portman featured his wife in television ads. Jane Portman told the camera: "Rob has a good heart." Sorry, Jane, your husband Rob, who orchestrated $50 million in lies about Ted, has a "dark heart."

Central Ohio residents have the opportunity to take direct action to safeguard our water, though we must act fast. The opportunity is through support of the Columbus Community Bill of Rights, the proposed city ordinance that affirms our inalienable rights to protect our community from the harmful effects of fracking and associated activities. Two factors necessitate prompt action: the March 2017 deadline to submit petition signatures demonstrating widespread support of the initiative; and the threat posed by the injection wells currently in our watershed area.

Trump. I’m just getting past the paralysis. For maybe the first time in my life I’m experiencing fear in a macro sense. I mean, I’ve had my fair share of acute terror, but nothing like this ominous dulling crush. Jesus fucking Christ. I’ve seen enough to understand that wholesale bigotry has never stopped frothing under the American surface. Candidly, before I took Trump seriously as a candidate I was somewhat appreciative of him for dragging this filth out into the light, even if it was for all the wrong reasons. But God, I never realized how bad it would shake me to see it out in the open. To actually see people performing the Nazi salute and screaming “heil Trump!” To see just how emboldened people are, how aggressive they have become about indulging their poison. One of those open carry freaks is now hanging out at Indianola and Olentangy, claiming the existence of a “menacing” homeless person. Jesus fucking Christ.

610 WTVN on your AM dial, Central Ohio’s conservative windbag and of course home to big fat idiot Rush Limbaugh, ran an extra number of gun sale commercials the afternoon of the Ohio State tragedy inflicted by a legal immigrant and student who lost his mind through hate. Coincidentally, interspersed among these same commercials were a lot of callers speaking angrily that if many OSU students were packing guns, the tragedy would have never happened in the first place.

The Free Press, in an effort to understand why conservatives hate immigrants, blacks and poor people so much, regularly turn into the channel’s John Corby Show in the afternoon. After shooter situation massacres, 610 seems to refrain from running gun advertisements, but they do run an abnormal number of freeze-dried food commercials for all their prepper listeners who fear the apocalypse could happen at any moment (and under President Trump, some freeze dried eggs sounds like a good idea). And while John Corby and his crew would never, ever claim to be aligned with the alt-right, they sure as heck sound like bigots when they implicitly complain about immigrants, blacks and poor people.

The November 2016 election of the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, has enticed people to protest, march in the streets, insult and physically attack both Trump and Hillary supporters and some have even demanded a recount of votes in three states.

Now that the year 2016 is ending, Americans, black and white, male and female, old and young, educated and uneducated, rich and poor are all wondering what the new year will bring under the political leadership of Trump. 

Women are wondering what it means for them now in the work place. After hearing the remarks made by Trump in regards to men with power being able to “grab” women in their private parts. They fear that they will now have to deal with an increase of unwanted, unwarranted sexual abuse on the job.  Is the glass ceiling going to be lowered even more for the working woman?

The Free Press will honor Calvin Hairston with our 2016 Award for Community Volunteer.

Calvin Hairston is well-known on the streets of Columbus, and in the halls of power for always speaking his truth -- providing facts and perspectives that makes the powerful uncomfortable and giving strength and encouragement to the weak. Calvin has been a leader in efforts to revitalize the Near East Side and advance political reform to advance African American population of Columbus. He is a member of the Columbus Action Network, has been instrumental in the effort to preserve the history of Poindexter Village and worked hard to support the three petition efforts to move to a City Council elected primarily by district including his support for last year's Issue 1. As a supporter of other advocacy groups, Calvin has been a strong and consistent supporter of police reform efforts being advanced by various groups, and is well-known by the OSU labor and student advocacy communities for the positions he takes for justice and fairness. 

The impatience across much of the media is palpable. 

Recount?

Oh groan. That’s not going to change the election results. The consensus “truth” writhing just below the surface of the mainstream, eyeball-rolling disapproval of Jill Stein’s call for and financing of a presidential vote recount in Wisconsin (and perhaps in Pennsylvania and Michigan) is that the political and media consensus has already established who the next president is. Like it or not.

You are invited to help us honor local community activists at the annual Free Press/Democratic Socialists of Central Ohio Awards Event. It will be held Monday, December 5, 2016 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. The location is The Hub, 1336 E. Main St., Columbus.

This year's awardees are:

Free Press "Libby" Award for Community Activism - Carolyn Harding and Greg Pace of the Columbus Community Bill of Rights

Free Press Community Volunteer Award - Calvin Hairston

Democratic Socialists Award - Michael Vinson

Bill Moss Award for Outstanding African-American Activists - Sherri and Butch Hamilton of Black Central

We will have light refreshments, music, and socializing among friends!

The HUB Community Development Corporation is a non-profit Workforce and Economic development enterprise, housed in a 15,000 sq. foot facility, whose primary responsibility is to link individuals and small businesses with viable educational, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities

Michael Vinson will be honored with the Demoratic Socialists of Central Ohio Eugene V. Debs Award for Political and Educational Advocacy on Monday, December 5, the Free Press and DSCO will honor local community activists at our 2016 Awards event from 7-9pm at The Hub, 1336 E. Main Street.