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Day Two - #BlackPride4 Trial

Sketch of four young black people with fists in air and words blackpride4

Opening arguments happened today, February 6, in Franklin County Municipal Court. The courtroom was packed with #BlackPride4 supporters.

In their opening argument, the City prosecution emphasized that the protestors did not have a permit to have their silent demonstration during last year’s Pride Parade.

The defense argued that the state could not establish the elements of an actual crime committed and that their clients were not guilty on the facts. Attorney Constance Gadell-Newton, defending Wriply Bennet argued that “there are constitutional issues involved” and notified the jury that they would be asked to uphold the law and Constitution.

The defendants’ attorneys argued that their nonviolent political protest was reasonable and lawful. The police had approached the #BlackPride4 abruptly and immediately got physical with them. No one had asked the police to come in and rough up the demonstrators. Any injury to the police officers, the defense argued came from the police falling over themselves and their bikes as they gave contradictory commands.

Progressive Dems organize with gubernatorial candidate Dennis Kucinich

Middle aged white man with some dark and some gray hair speaking while gesturing to the right wearing a suit, people listening to him

Gubernatorial candidate Dennis Kucinich addressed the first town hall forum of the Progressive Democrats of America Central Ohio chapter on February 5. Kucinich emphasized that he is for universal health care and when in Congress had written HR 676 a Health Care for All bill, co-sponsored by Representative John Conyers. While pitching universal health care, he also put in a plug for veganism, saying that his switch to a vegan diet in 1995 allowed him to get off of six of seven pharmaceutical medications. He told the crowd that he fights to keep community hospitals open but he warned them that closing hospitals is often a tactic to break health care unions.

Kucinich explained that his approach to politics is based on the fact that “I’m an activist at heart.” He claimed that his ultimate agenda is to “empower the people of this state to make their own decisions.” He supports the Community Bill of Rights.

Everyday People: Pre-Petition Submission Press Conference

Blue circle with words Everyday People for Positive Change and the word Columbus at the bottom, red hands in the circle with peace sign, fist and making a heart

Tuesday, February 6, 11am-1pm
112 E Main St, Columbus
We live in a city in which our elected officials take millions of dollars from our failing schools to prop up commercial real estate properties in the hottest real estate markets in the sound.

We live in a city where 2-3 babies die every week before the age of 1 and Black babies die at twice the rate White babies do. The counter-measures proposed by the current machine have barely made a dent.

We live in a city where police brutality is ever on the increase and affordable housing is on the decline.

In the meantime, people who earned votes based on raising real issues are passed over for empty Council seats by City Hall insiders and party loyalists. Nothing changes, but it will. 

Join us as leaders and friends of Everyday People for Positive Change address these and other issues as we prepare to submit the over 40,000 signatures of Columbus residents demanding to bring political power back to the people and away from the corporations and party power brokers they pay with our tax dollars.

Day one of #BlackPride 4 Trial

Drawing of four young black people with fists in air and words Black Pride 4

Jury selection began today in the Franklin County Municipal Court for three of the four members of the #BlackPride4. Judge Ebner asked the defendants if they were aware that they may face jail time if found guilty. She also asked if they were aware of the offers made by the City prosecutors. Both the outgoing and incoming City Attorneys Rick Pfeiffer and Zach Klein have steadfastly refused to drop the charges against the #BlackPride4, or significantly reduce them.
 

#BlackPride4 members Ashley Braxton, Kendall Denton and Wriply Bennet held equally firm in rejecting the City’s offer to plead guilty and face no jail time.
 

The #BlackPride4 were arrested June 17, 2017 during the Columbus Pride march after they briefly held a silent vigil to protest the police killing of black people and call attention to violence against the gay and trans community. As they stood silently with others in the street, partially blocking the end of the parade, police moved in and used physical force to make them leave.

7 days in … Mediocrity

Big white stately building with round top and lots of windows behind a huge green truck with a big arm and huge shovel putting a ton of white snow in a big pile in front

This week, January traveled to Switzerland and was humanely put out of its misery. The politically dreadful first chapter of 2018 contained a lot of “excitement” and taught us plenty about those who supposedly represent us. Regrettably, none of it was great. We should all be glad it is over and use its lessons to move forward into the new month and the rest of the year.

Book Review: Writing to Save a Life: The Louis Till File, by John Edgar Wideman

White words in a red box at top saying Writing to Save a Life, another red box at bottom left saying The Louis Till File and a black and white head shot of a young black ham in a hat and suit

Surely one of the most shocking murders of the modern day freedom movement was that of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi, on August 28, 1955. The fourteen-year-old Chicago native was engaging in a time-honored tradition in the black, northern, urban community: he was sent down south to visit relatives during his summer break from school. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till, had warned him that there was a great difference between Chicago and Money. She cautioned him to stay away from whites, but to show them extreme deference if he had to interact with them. Till left Chicago a fresh, chubby cheeked teenager and returned a grotesque corpse in a pine box.

CDC Director Resigns, but CDC Conflicts of Interest are Par for the Course

 https://worldmercuryproject.org/news/cdc-director-resigns-but-cdc-conflicts-of-interest-are-par-for-the-course/

Will We Get Trumputin's Tax Returns Along With the Nunes Memo?

he partisan uproar over the release of the infamous Nunes memo on FBI surveillance MUST be accompanied by the release of Donald Trump’s tax returns.

If Trump is to be consistent about openness in government and the public’s right to critical information, releasing his tax returns is the least he can do in conjunction with this attack on the FBI.

But of course that would be too much to ask of this White House, which has long since established itself as a fascist regime that hates democracy and is consistent only in its demand for more and more personal power and money for el jefe at the top.

A kleptocracy like this one has just one agenda item – more cash and crushing ability for the would-be dictator and his inner circle. Zero openness and access for the rest of us.

That’s why the fight over this memo has long since entered the realm of the surreal.

Time Has Come Today for the Military Junta

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's coup-installed defense minister has
offered to resign over his involvement in a worsening financial
scandal which threatens to derail Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's
chances of remaining in power after elections in November or 2019.
   Prime Minister Prayuth is already under fire by pro-democracy
activists and others who are dismayed that he has repeatedly delayed
stepping down to allow elections after leading a 2014 coup.
   His defense minister's financial scandal adds to claims that Mr.
Prayuth is not enforcing his coup's promise to stop corruption, but
instead wants to keep this Southeast Asian U.S.-treaty ally under
military control for the foreseeable future.
   Mr. Prayuth continues to warn that the politicians he toppled,
including fugitive former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, might
return to engage in corruption again.
   Ms. Yingluck fled overseas days before being sentenced in August by
the Supreme Court to two years imprisonment for "criminal negligence"

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