Featured speakers for Gift To Be Simple include: 

Here’s what happened at the October Free Press Second Saturday Cyber-Salon on October 9.

Watch the salon video here

Free Press Board member Mark Stansbery kicked the salon off by announcing it was the Free Press’ annual “Libby” award ceremony.

Free Press volunteer Suzanne Patzer explained who Libby Gregory was – she was aformer 70s and 80s era Free Press Editor and tireless activist for environmental, peace and women's issues. She was also an entrepreneur -- starting the first vegetarian restaurant in Columbus, the King Avenue Coffee House; Tradewinds (one-time home of the Free Press); and Byzantium, colubus’ premier bead store. She was tragically killed in a 1991 plane crash. The Free Press honors her memory by giving the Libby award each year to honor our local community heroes, who promote alternative paths and are helping to give birth to a better world.

Saturday, October 9, 7-8pm

The Columbus Free Press Libby Award for Community Activism for 2021 honors Esther Flores, born for such a time as this.

Esther Flores is a registered nurse fiercely committed to restoring the dignity and health of women who have been thrust onto the streets of Columbus by sex trafficking, addiction, and domestic violence.  Through her harm-reduction non-profit 1DIVINELINE2HEALTH, she offers support and services to the women she calls “Street Sisters.”  

Esther says, "They are not prostitutes. They are ‘Women Who Haven’t Been Loved Enough.’ “ 

A recent article and a recent book have raised this familiar topic anew for me. The article is a super uninformed dud of a hatchet job on Michael Ratner by Samuel Moyn, who accuses Ratner of supporting war by trying to reform and humanize rather than end it. The critique is terribly weak because Ratner tried to prevent wars, end wars, AND reform wars. Ratner was at every antiwar event. Ratner was at every panel on the need to impeach Bush and Cheney for the wars as well as for the torture. I’d never even heard of Samuel Moyn until he wrote this now widely debunked article. I’m glad he wants to end war and hope he can be a better ally in that struggle.