Local

From Win Without War
Students across the country are heading back to school — and that means they’re facing the threat of gun violence.  On September 4, Apalachee High School was added to an ever-growing list of mass shootings in the United States. Four people were killed, and nine others hospitalized. The suspect is just 14 years old.  The venues of these shootings have varied: Houses of worship, movie theaters, grocery stores, schools, nightclubs. But one thing they often have in common? The gun used to commit the violence is an assault weapon.

The gun lobby would love for us to think it’s impossible, but with champions in Congress and the White House on our side, there is a real chance we will win. There’s already legislation in Congress — the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 (S.25/H.R.698) — waiting to be passed. One of the simplest, biggest things you can do right now to make that happen? Show up and speak out today.  

On Tuesday night, September 10, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump faced off in a high-stakes presidential debate where Harris emerged as the consensus winner after getting under the former president’s skin during a tense part of the debate. It was a highly important debate for both of them as the latest polling numbers showed them neck and neck in the battle for the White House. Trump attempted to stick to his typical talking points but slowly fell away after an odd rant about immigrants eating dogs in Ohio.

In a world where surface-level interactions have become the norm, We The Outsiderzz is leading a movement to create transformative connections. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to build bridges that link individuals to their deeper selves and to each other, fostering a community where personal stories and struggles are met with empathy and understanding.

Founded in Pickerington and now expanding throughout Columbus, We The Outsiderzz isn’t just another community-building initiative. It’s a movement grounded in the belief that vulnerability is strength, and that real change starts when people can freely express their true selves without fear of judgment. Our approach challenges old beliefs, embraces new perspectives, and encourages people to connect on a deeper, more meaningful level.

However, the journey hasn’t been without adversity. A recent hack led to the loss of hundreds of subscribers, over 20,000 views, and close to a year of hard work. But this setback only fueled our resolve. Co-founders Tony Palmer and Adrian Collins took this as an opportunity to recommit to the mission, digging deeper into their passion to rebuild stronger than ever.

I used to live at the Governor’s Terrace apartment building on East Broad Street between North Ohio Avenue and South Champion Avenue. This location sits between the sites where Columbus police shot and killed 13-year-old Tyre King in 2016 and 16-year-old Julius Tate three years later.

It is north of Broad Street, so the gentrification name of this area is known by some as the King-Lincoln District. Former Mayor Coleman insisted on calling it King-Lincoln, but many raised here or connected in some way prefer, if not demand, this historical African American enclave be known as the name it was born with – Bronzeville.

When I moved into Governor’s Terrace in 2016, I got in around $700 a month. As time passed, Bronzeville became whiter and whiter, and housing prices in Bronzeville went up and up. My lease was locked in at a reasonable yearly price increase so, even after several years, I was still around $800 a month.

Please join us for our next meeting on Tuesday September 10th, 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Doing environmental and democracy work, particularly leading up to the November election, is vital and has its small rewards but it can also be physically, mentally and emotionally draining.  In acknowledgment of this struggle, we’ve asked Bailey Fullwiler, an Eco Social Worker and Yoga & Meditation Guide, to lead us through some self and collective care exercises.  Join us as we take some time for ourselves to reflect and recharge. 

Link for September meeting. 

Monday, September 9, 2024, 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Bexley Public Library, 2411 East Main Street Columbus, OH 43209
Louisiana educator, librarian, and activist Amanda Jones shares her memoir/manifesto That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning!  Registration for this free event is on Eventbrite. One can pre-purchase That Librarian during registration. Jones’ book will also be available at the event. 

This article first appeared on the Buckeye Flame.

Bans on conversion therapy on minors now cover 25% of the state’s population.

After doing some research on the topic during summer break, Lorain City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to ban conversion therapy on minors during the council’s regular meeting on Sept. 3. 

“It was a great thing to do for the young people in our community,” said Council-at-large member Mary Springowski after the vote. Springowski had dedicated the ordinance to her brother Seán Donovan, who died in 2006 from an HIV-related illness. “I’m very glad that the council got on board with this.”

The Center for Election Innovation & Research (CEIR) has some good news and a few pointed critiques ahead of this November’s election. In a survey of states’ efforts to protect their voter registration databases from cyber-attacks, the group found election administrators have made great strides in protecting the voter rolls from outside threats.

CEIR executive director David Becker explained that in 2016, Russian actors briefly gained access to Illinois’s voter registration database. His organization has been surveying states about security protocols every federal election cycle since.

“Our nation and the 50 states are doing a very good job with voter registration database security,” he explained. “I think it’s one of the reasons that we’ve seen, to my knowledge, no real successful efforts to breach voter registration databases over the last several election cycles after the 2016 wakeup call.”

But at the same time election officials are thwarting threats from without, they’re also undermining voter confidence from within through last-minute, legally dubious audits and policy changes.

Wherever you live – whether it’s a Deep Red State or a Deep Blue State – you no longer have to feel the election has already been decided because you already know how your state’s going to vote. I am here to tell you, as you sit there 100 miles east of Bentonville, AR, or smack dab in the middle of the sweet aroma of Super Silver Haze in Berkeley, CA, you can have a powerful effect on this election! 

Beginning today and running all weekend long (and throughout September), the Democratic Party is organizing virtual phone banks for the Harris-Walz campaign, and for other Democrats down the ballot.

Click here for more information and to sign up!