Thank You For Your Heart

As a woman, and as a member of the LGBT community,

it’s clear to me one side of the culture war is fighting to exploit and break my heart,

and the other is fighting to protect it. 

The right wing is after my heart. No they don’t want to win my love. They want to exploit and break my heart.

If an unwanted pregnancy happened to me, they want my heart to pump blood to my fetus against my will. They talk about the heartbeat of a fetus, and don’t mention that a fetus doesn’t have functioning lungs, and the circulatory system doesn’t function to sustain an animal without functioning lungs. A fetus is part of woman’s body as long as it is merged with and developing because of her circulatory system. There is really only one fully functioning heart until a woman chooses there to be two. To take away a woman’s choice is to turn her into a receptacle and to exploit the use of her heart for purposes that are not her own.

Because my heart, my love, belongs to a woman, they want to deny me my love. They want to break my heart. They want to use the law to criminalize my love. They want to demean my love and deny me the protection and nourishment that their love enjoys in society. They say my love destroys. They say my love destroys marriage, destroys the culture, and is the reason terrorists attack. They call my love evil, an abomination, a sin.

The culture wars are fought over and around and through my heart.

Dear Right Wingers,

When you say abortion rights should be restricted, you are saying my heart is not my own, it can be used against my will.

When you don’t stand for marriage equality, you are saying my heart is not my own, and my love can be denied and demeaned.

I live in the heart of America, in the heart of a state that is shaped like a heart.

Let this all be a poetic clue.

The culture wars are over now. They will not get you the power you seek. Lay down your weapons. Stop using my heart to play politics. Stop using my heart to make yourself feel superior. It is a losing game.

Everything you are looking for can be found in loving. Expand your love and free yourself.

Dear Progressives,

Thank you for your courage.

The root of the word “courage” is “cor” the latin word for “heart.”

Thank you for your heart.

Your love made visible through politics, is a fortress I live inside, until the attacks end. Your love is my shelter until everyone is free.

Mary Jo Kilroy is The Real Deal

On Saturday, Shannon and I went to a planning session for Mary Jo Kilroy’s campaign. Afterward, I had the opportunity to catch a couple of people on camera, talking about why they support Mary Jo.

Raphael Davis-Williams

Eric Young

And here’s a video I made after the event when we were talking with Mary Jo’s husband. It’s a little taste of the way District 3 was gerrymandered by the GOP…

Valentine’s Day and Marriage Equality

On Valentine’s Day, Shannon and I participated in an event to raise awareness about marriage equality. Here I am all bundled up, ready to go stand outside the courthouse in the snow with Shannon. If we had equal rights, we’d be able to walk into that courthouse and get married, just like anyone else.

Lauren Loves Shannon

We tried to get a marriage license last year, as part of this annual event for equality. This year we stood outside with others who were showing their support and speaking to the media. In this video, I’m interviewing Ed Mullen, Executive Director at Equality Ohio.

The meeting with Mayor Coleman that Ed mentions in this video was successful and now our Mayor endorses marriage equality!

1021 people signed a petition and their names were placed in 1021 valentine’s day cards and delivered to the Mayor on Tuesday. Hundreds of activists called the Mayor’s office and countless people met privately with the Mayor to advocate their position and ask him to publicly support marriage equality. Once he heard from his constituents about what marriage equality means in our day to day lives, he was able to take an informed stand.

Please take a moment to thank him.

Phone : 614-645-7671

Email : 311@columbus.gov

A new coalition is growing support for marriage equality. Equality Ohio announced the coalition on Valentine’s Day. The name of the coalition is Ohio Leaders for Freedom to Marry.

Columbus City Council President Andrew J. Ginther, Franklin County Commissioner John O’Grady,  and former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Tim Hagan are the three chairmen of Ohio Leaders for Freedom to Marry.

Please take a moment to thank Andy Ginther and John O’Grady for their support of Marriage Equality.

Andy Ginther – (614) 645-2931/ KCPaul@columbus.gov
John O’Grady – (614)525-5589/ skkeels@franklincountyohio.gov

To see the full list of elected officials in Ohio who support marriage equality (names are being added to the list every day so if someone who represents you isn’t on there, ask them to join) click —-> HERE. 

There is also a new grassroots effort to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot to overturn the Ohio constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage and replace it with an amendment ensuring marriage equality for everyone in Ohio.

In 2004, Ohio voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that enshrined discrimination against LGBT people by denying them the right to marry and the right to have any of the legal benefits of marriage. A lot has changed in public awareness about LGBT people since 2004. Eight years have passed, and we might be ready for some big positive changes. We’ll see. And we’ll keep working until all people in Ohio are treated with dignity.

We don’t have an enumerated anti-bullying law in Ohio nor do we have a statewide anti-discrimination law. Remember, we can’t just tell young people, “It gets better.” We have to actually make it better for them now. If we want to stop LGBT youth suicides and help LGBT youth reach their full potential in school and in life, we must take action to protect them from discrimination, abuse and oppression. All kids are hurt by participating in, seeing, or being the object of hateful attacks based on intolerance of diversity in orientation and gender expression. We must protect all of the children in Ohio.

When it comes to Columbus, where I live, things are better here than on the state level. However,  I want to know what is going on with people who are supposed to be representing Columbus, Ohio.

Dear City Representatives: People in Columbus Ohio support marriage equality. If you want to represent us, you’re going to have to evolve. Every single person on the City Council should support marriage equality.

Right now only three people out of the seven on the City Council support marriage equality. What’s going on here? I really don’t get it. I want to do a poll in Columbus so the reps can see the numbers. I’d bet it’s something like 75% support. The courts should ensure that minority rights are never restricted by a majority, so the popularity of equality should be irrelevant. But especially in a city like Columbus, our representatives should at least publicly support equality.

Please take a moment to thank Andy Ginther, Zach Klein, and Eileen Paley  for being the only members of our City Council that currently support marriage equality.

Andy Ginther – (614) 645-2931 / KCPaul@columbus.gov

Zach Klein – (614) 645-5346 / gdjames@columbus.gov

Eileen Paley  – (614) 645-2010 / npsully@columbus.gov

And please let the other members of Columbus City Council know that you’d like them to take a stand for equality.

Dear Columbus. I’m only saying this because I love you. You’re 200 years old now. I think you’re mature enough to grant full equality to all of your citizens. You can do it. I believe in you.

Columbus is all about diversity and mutual respect. Columb Us is for all of Us. The bicentennial for Columbus happened on Valentine’s Day. This is a perfect time for Columbus to show it is able to love everyone who lives here.

Sometimes Democracy Looks Like A Cell Phone

Yesterday I did some phone banking for Mary Jo Kilroy’s campaign for US Congress.

Mary Jo is the kind of candidate my most progressive friends dream about supporting. If they don’t get out and work for her in the primary, they need to not complain about the Democratic Party not being as progressive as it should be. This is where we shape our party- in the primaries.

Shannon and I moved to Ohio in 2008 and I didn’t get interested in electoral politics until the 2010 midterm elections lit a fire in me and then the union busting SB 5 poured gasoline on the fire. So the first time I met Mary Jo Kilroy was when we participated in an early voting event against SB 5. It was there I learned that Mary Jo’s first campaign, as a small child, was fighting against union busting. That helped me see why Mary Jo understands the issues of the day so clearly. She absorbed early the importance of what’s at stake in the choices we make through our government. Here’s my video of my first time hearing Kilroy speak…

I also had the chance to speak with her on camera at another event in November. The Broad St. Bridge is one of many bridges in Ohio that is structurally deficient, meaning it could collapse under drivers and pedestrians at any time. Concerned citizens gathered on the bridge to demand that Congress pass the American Jobs Act. We wanted to help raise awareness about the bill, because it would mean so much to Ohio. It would put people to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure. Mary Jo speaks toward the end of the video…

As of this writing, there are only 27 more days left until the primary election. Mary Jo is running for Congress in Ohio’s brand spanking new 3rd US Congressional District, pictured here in yellow. The cracking and packing you can see in this map is brought to you by the Ohio GOP. We can fix this with an amendment to our Ohio constitution that will allow an independent body to handle redistricting. But until then, this is what we have to work with. You can verify which district you’re in by clicking –> HERE.  Two of my favorite people (Shawn and Abigail) are working in the field office for Mary Jo Kilroy’s campaign. If you make some calls for Kilroy, you get to hang out with these amazing folks and you get a yard sign.

The first time I saw Abigail was when I filmed her speak at the vigil at the statehouse when the Ohio Senate passed SB5 with a one vote margin. She’s only 19 years old, and I see such a bright future for her. I can’t wait for the opportunity to vote for her for public office.

When you visit Kilroy for Congress and click the link to volunteer, you can find an opportunity that’s right for you. If you go into the field office to help make calls, they will give you a prepaid cell phone to use to call supporters.

Sometimes democracy looks like a cell phone.

Angela Zimmann

Angela Zimmann is running for US Congress in Ohio’s 5th US Congressional District. Her campaign represents a moment of opportunity for America. An opportunity for a stronger economy that’s built to last and protected from crashes brought on by fraud and exploitation. An opportunity for more good jobs for everyday Americans with democracy in the workplace for all who chose it. An opportunity to benefit from our shared natural resources instead of allowing them to be turned into money in an offshore bank account belonging to some multinational corporate CEO. An opportunity for a tax system that doesn’t burden working people and generates enough revenue to keep investing in vital programs. An opportunity for greater freedom and equality for everyone.

The balance of power between the two political parties is what determines whether we move forward or backward as a nation. It determines how the laws are written, whether essential appointments to vital agencies are appointed or not, and who serves on The Supreme Court.

Since the 2010 midterms, we’ve all witnessed the horrors of what handing over control of Congress to the GOP has meant for America. In 2008 the country started moving in the right direction, but once our President was faced with a GOP Congress and a filibuster controlled Senate, progress has largely stalled, and regressive legislation has advanced.

Ohio can help the Congress regain a Democratic majority in the 2012 elections. The district I live in, District 3, is fairly certain to send a Democrat to Congress in 2012. Therefore, if you live in this district with me, you might want to consider investing some of your time and energy into helping a progressive candidate win in a competitive district. You can find out which district you are in by clicking this map…

MAP OF OHIO’S NEW CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS 

Angela Zimmann is running against Republican Bob Latta. Bob is a corporate lackey. He takes big money donations and does big money’s bidding. One place where this is clearly evident is in his environmental record.

In an editorial on December 14, 2011, the Times ranked Latta number seven on their list of the ten “most powerful and outspoken opponents of clean air, clean water, conservation and climate action.” The editorial noted that Latta “has the distinction of sponsoring the most far-reaching and destructive amendment to the most egregious anti-environment bill passed by the House this year,” referring to Latta’s proposed amendment to the TRAIN Act. The editorial notes that the TRAIN Act is “a breathtaking (literally) gift to polluters” and that Latta’s amendment “undermines a cornerstone of the Clean Air Act, requiring the EPA to take industry costs into account when setting health-based standards.” The editorial reiterates the danger of Latta’s proposal with, “This would allow corporate polluters to overrule scientists and strikes at the heart of the polluter-pays principle that has guided environmental policy for 40 years.”

“In a day and age when one in three children is being treated for asthma, it is outrageous that Bob Latta is more concerned for the profits of the big polluters that fund his campaigns than he is for the health of our children,” says Zimmann. “Bob Latta is proposing to trash a forty-year-old standard that makes polluters pay for their blatant disregard for the air we breathe.”

Latta’s abysmal record on protecting our air, land, and water has also been noted by Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP), an organization of conservation-minded conservatives whose honorary board has included such notable Republicans as Senator John McCain, the late Barry Goldwater, and Theodore Roosevelt IV. In July 2011, REP released their Congressional Scorecard for 2010, giving Latta a score of 12 out of 100 as well as assigning him a “demerit.”

“People of all faiths understand that we are called to be stewards of our resources,” says Zimmann, an ordained Lutheran minister. “When we substitute special interest politics for sound conservation policy, we put the health of our children in jeopardy and spoil the earth for future generations.”

Bob Latta has more than doubled his personal wealth since taking office. He’s now worth more than 2.5 million. How did he do that? The current salary (2011-2012) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is only $174,000 per year. There’s something fishy going on here.

Members of Congress regularly receive sensitive information about the state of the economy and get advance notice on the actions of corporations, but they don’t adhere to the laws that prohibit buying or selling stock based on that information — laws that everyone else in America must abide by. Representative Louise Slaughter has introduced legislation to ban insider trading by members of Congress, known as the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, but Republican leadership is blocking a vote on this bill. All the more reason we need to elect more Democrats to Congress.

In spite of the Republicans drawing district lines to cut Democrats out of the political process, Angela Zimmann is one of the people who we still stand a chance of being able to send to Congress. Ohio’s fifth congressional district has been fundamentally transformed by redistricting. The Republicans wanted to get Democrat Marcy Kaptur out of office because she stood up against the special interests, so they cut her district in half and gave half of it to District 5. Five went from being an about 55% Republican 45% Democratic district to being 27% registered Democrats 26% registered Republicans 43% independents. Many still consider it a safe district for Republicans, but if we can let enough people in Angela’s district know who she is, and how her values more closely match their own, she will win.

I put together a House Party for her so that I could give my friends an opportunity to meet her and support her. Here’s a video from the house party…

To learn more about Angela, please go to AZ45.US

Chet, Michael, George

Thank you to Michael Greenman for hosting the party, and to Chet Ridenour and George Byrd for helping me with planning and execution.

Caroline and Dan

Thank you to Dan The Baker for bringing your amazing breads and croissants to share with everyone. You can find out how to sample some of Dan’s delicious creations by clicking –> HERE.

American Values

I believe in traditional American Values.

1. Diversity. We have always been a diverse nation, and the push for equal rights for all has been a constant and powerful theme. Out of many one. The ways that I am unique, only make me more American. The tradition of separation of church and state is one of the ways we honor diversity in America. We have a secular government so that government shows no favoritism toward any group’s religious beliefs. Everyone is equal in America and our government is for and by all of us.
2. Conservation. We have a proud history of protecting our natural resources, and making them available for all to share and benefit from. Those with concentrated wealth and power, and the political party that represents their interests, try to undermine this tradition with their un-American willingness to destroy the heritage we strive to protect for future generations. In spite of the destructive greed of a few, we the people have accomplished much and have a beautiful country with a high level of clean air, clean water, living forests, vital topsoil, and essential bio-diversity.
3. Teamwork. Yes, we believe in individualism in America. We hold up the ideal of the strong individual who stands up for those with less power, protecting the frail and empowering the oppressed. We take care of our own in America. We went through a brief period of selfish hedonism in the 1980s but American values are returning now. Each of us must do our part to shake off the residual effects of the era of “greed is good” and return to our bedrock understanding that solidarity is good.
4. Civic Duty. Government only works as well as we do. If every person in America takes their civic responsibility seriously, we will have a government that works to keep us all safe, healthy, secure, and free.
5. Compassion. Americans care. We care about each other, and we care about people the world over. Each of us has had our own personal struggles and pain. I don’t know a single person who hasn’t experienced loss. Americans resonate with stories about people who get knocked down in life, and find a way to get back up, using that experience to then help others who have been knocked down.
6. Economic equality. It is quintessentially American to create policies that help move the poor into a level of economic security and political power known as the middle class. Before America invented the middle class, there were only two classes. Poor and rich. Because economic equality is a strong American value, we have managed to create a system where increasing numbers of people have the opportunity to reach higher levels of personal development and accomplishment while living a secure and happy life. The proportion of people in the middle class should increase while the proportion of people in poverty should decrease- that is the American way, and any variation from that pattern is anti-American. Additionally, wealth concentrated in too few hands, is a threat to our system of government and to our belief that all people should have equal power.

David Robinson

On Saturday, Shannon and I went to a house party for candidate David Robinson.

Shannon and David

David and I

David Robinson is running for a seat in the Ohio House in the 21st District. After the Republicans recently blatantly gerrymandered Ohio, there are very few competitive districts left. The 21st District is one of them. So it’s important that we win in this district if we want to have a shot at having a legislative majority in the House. Having a legislative majority would make it possible for us to stop the most extreme parts of Kasich’s agenda, for the remaining time before we vote Kaisch out in 2014.

Here’s a video I made about the what, where, why, how of the 21st district…

Here’s a video I made of David discussing some thoughts on jobs and the environment…

If you care about the Citizens United ruling and want to abolish corporate personhood, this video is for you…

If you care about tax issues in Ohio, I made this one for you…

 

If you’re outraged about what’s happening with charter schools in Ohio, here’s your video…

And if you’re progressive and wondering whether or not you should support the Democratic Party, I hope you’ll watch and fully absorb this video…

To find out more about David Robinson, and how you can help him win please visit his website…

http://robinsonforohio.com/

David is running in a primary against two other Democrats who I think are less likely to be able to win in the general election against the incumbent. Republican Mike Duffey has betrayed voters on many issues, but he comes with deep pockets because of the rich friends his votes sell us out to. It’s going to take a strong and well-organized opponent to defeat him, and I believe David can get the job done.

So please get out and vote in the primary election, so that we have the best chance possible to defeat Mike Duffey. The primary elections are on March 6th. Remember to tell your friends.

Jump Back From The Frack Ohio

Here’s my video from the fracking protest yesterday. AMAZING speakers and crowd – and out of over an hour of footage, I carefully selected only the most choice moments for your viewing pleasure. I hope this vid can be a good way to help people get a sense of what’s going down in Youngstown and what’s the fuss in Cbus. Please share if you care.

Fracking is the most unregulated industry in America. Check out the following information….

In addition to the infamous “Halliburton Loophole” exempting fracking from the Safe Drinking Water Act, the gas industry benefits from a host of sweeping exemptions to our most basic environmental and public health protections. Other laws that the gas industry is exempted from include key provisions of the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, CERCLA (Superfund Act), Resource Conversation and Recovery Act (hazardous waste act), and the Environmental Policy Act.

 

Between all these exemptions, the gas industry has often been described as completely free of all federal oversight. However, federal law does still prohibit the gas industry from one particular practice: the injection of diesel fuel as a fracking fluid. While gas companies are permitted to inject hundreds of known carcinogenic compounds as fracking fluids (without informing the public of what chemicals they are using), the Safe Drinking Water Act still mandated that gas companies not use diesel fuel as a frack fluid. But on January 31, 2011, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced their preliminary results of a year-long investigation into the practices of gas companies. The congressional investigation found that oil and gas companies injected over 32 million gallons of diesel fuel into gas wells in 19 states between 2005 and 2009—in direct violation of the one federal provision from which they were not exempt. Despite having federal laws carved to suit their profits and need for secrecy, the gas industry could not follow the one guideline it had set for itself.

……………………

If you live in Ohio you have a lot of power on this issue. Taking some small steps can have a big impact. There are important pieces of state legislation that you can support right now…

HB 351 is the “What’s in that stuff!?!!!???” bill. They call it brine, which makes it sound like salt water and herbs. We need to know what’s really in it. We need to know what chemicals are in the injection fluid they push into the ground under high pressure in order to create fissures that allow them to get at the natural gas. They won’t tell us which chemicals are in that fluid, and we don’t know what radioactive elements are in it after it comes back up and has to be stored and transported and disposed of. Right now they’re treating it as a non-hazardous waste product, which means they can have an overflow hose dump directly on the ground, as Jamie describes in the video.

House Bill 345, and Senate Bill 213 would put a moratorium on fracking in Ohio until the US EPA completes an impact study.

And Rep Bob Hagan is introducing a bill (I don’t know what it’s called yet) that will create a wastewater injection a moratorium until 2015. According to seismologist John Armbruster of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory injection of fracking wastewater is almost certainly responsible for the earthquakes in Ohio. After the latest and largest quake on New Years weekend, at 4.0 magnitude, state officials announced their beliefs that injecting wastewater near a fault line had created enough pressure to cause seismic activity. So Bob is just suggesting we stop the activity that seems to be causing seismic activity until we have a clearer picture of what is going on.

Also there are bills that are about moving our state in the right direction and can help make us independent from dirty fossil fuels. More than 3 years ago, Ohio passed SB 221, Ohio’s energy bill, our renewable energy portfolio standard. This means we have a goal to have 25% of our electricity from advanced energy by 2025. 12.5% from renewable. We need to make sure that when we talk to elected officials about stopping fracking we tell them to support renewable energy. SB 221 used to be coupled with an advanced energy fund to encourage businesses and people to invest in renewable energy. That part of the bill wasn’t renewed in 2010 but we can push for it to be brought back.

How do you support legislation? You tell everyone you know about it. You contact your legislators and tell them you want them to support it. You work with other people and groups that are trying to educate people about the issues and why the legislation is needed. You get as educated as you can on the topic. You help Democrats get elected. You can do one thing from that list once, or everything from that list all the time, or somewhere in between. Every action you take adds up and could be the drop in the bucket that causes the tipping point we need in order to save Ohio from disaster after heartbreaking disaster.

I leave you with a song to keep you inspired. The artist is Jenny Morgan, performing her song, “You Can’t Drink Money” at the rally yesterday. It’s a danceable, catchy, family friendly tune that puts you in the mood for justice.

Protecting All of Ohio’s Children

This morning, Shannon and I stopped by the statehouse and I spoke with Kim Welter about protecting all of Ohio’s children.

The Ohio Senate Education Committee heard testimony on House Bill 116, which is one of the bills Equality Ohio has been working on.  This bill was considered in a form with important provisions relating to training and cyber-bullying, but it didn’t include enumeration of specific categories protected from bullying, including sexual orientation and gender identity.

It’s important that Ohio’s anti-bullying law enumerate specific categories. Studies show that enumeration works to decrease the amount of bullying. Also, children FEEL safer at schools with enumeration policies. I really want all children in Ohio to feel safer at school, don’t you? I know I’m more able to learn and make friends in environments where I feel safe. I know that emotional stress has negative impacts on brain development. I know that I want all of the children in Ohio to be given an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

After The Ohio Senate Education Committee heard testimony on House Bill 116, I interviewed Kim Welter about what happened in the hearing and what comes next…

Kim Welter is the Director of Programs and Outreach at Equality Ohio. She joined the organization in 2008 after serving as the Executive Director of EqualityToledo for over 2 years. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she got her secondary teaching certificate through the University of Findlay and her Master of Arts and Education from the University of Toledo where she taught composition for 3 years. Kim is currently working on an M.A. in Public Affairs at The Ohio State University. In 2010, Kim took a leave of absence from Equality Ohio to serve as Campaign Manager for the ONE Bowling Green Campaign in Bowling Green, Ohio.   When not working, Kim enjoys reading, films, and spending time with her children and her partner of 12 years.

2011 Year In Review

At the beginning of 2011, we marked The One Year Anniversary of The Citizens United Decision with an event about corporate personhood and corporate constitutional prerogative. Here’s one of my videos from that event…

It’s interesting to look over our American history and realize that since FDR, the Democratic Party has been the party that limits corporate power, and the Republican Party has been the party that unleashes corporate power. It’s important to remember that Democratic Presidents are more likely to appoint judges to the Supreme Court who will rule in favor of human rights, and Republican Presidents are more likely to appoint judges to the Supreme Court who will rule in favor of concentrating wealth and power in fewer hands. What our Constitution says, matters less than what the Supreme Court members interpret it to say. The way right-wing judges interpret the constitution expands corporate power and shrinks human rights. That’s why we must work hard to elect Democratic Presidents. Who we elect as President determines who will sit in the most powerful branch of government our Supreme Court.

Back to the year in review.

Early in 2011, Republican Senator Shannon Jones launched her attack on unions for the benefit of those who profit most from corporate power. Shannon Jones probably wasn’t trying to be cruel. She was just acting out the Republican Party ideology. The Republican Party ideology is built on mythology and power-lust. People are drawn to it out of ignorance. Luckily a number of people in Ohio (mostly Democrats) were informed enough to see this brazen act of ignorance on display at to rise up and fight back. Here’s my video of the very first protest against union busting SB5…

In March the Fukushima nuclear disaster happened. For me the disaster is a reminder of how important it is to follow Germany’s example. They are pushing renewables forward and phasing out nuclear. It’s also important to elect Democrats because they are more likely to support regulation of the nuclear industry and public money spent on helping people prepare for, evacuate from and recover from any future nuclear disasters here in the United States. Here’s a video I made of Harvey Wasserman talking about the Fukushima situation soon after it occurred…

In March I was very excited about the UK Uncut movement to raise awareness about corporate tax dodging. I was thrilled when US Uncut formed and Ohio chapters started popping up. It’s important to elect Democrats because they do a better job of making sure corporations pay a fair share of taxes. If we want more progressive tax policy in America we need to help Democrats win with wide enough margins for long enough in order for the Republican Party to shift substantially left in order to capture some votes again. Then we’ll have better tax policy. Here’s a video I made of US Uncut Ohio’s visit to Verizon…

In April I helped put together an event at the Kirwan Institute. We explored the issues around the US Constitution, the Supreme Court, and how corporations are treated.  The speaker in the video is, john a. powell, (he writes his name in all lower case) and he’s the Williams Chair in Civil Rights & Civil Liberties at the Moritz College of Law and executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State. Listening to him talk about the issues of corporate power and the SCOTUS deepened my understanding. He also gave me an article he’d written on the topic of, “Corporate Prerogative, Race, and Identity Under the Fourteenth Amendment.” What I learned from him shifted me from being focused on a constitutional amendment, to being focused on electing Democratic presidents so that the Supreme Court justices will interpret and apply the constitution correctly.

In May we protested Fracking on public lands in Ohio. Republicans love it because they’re short-sighted. Democrats consider the science. You know who I vote for.

On Sunday, June 12th, 2011, speaker of the house John Boehner gave the commencement address to the graduating students of The Ohio State University. He was chosen by OSU president Gordon Gee. Gordon Gee earns $1.6 million a year and is known for treating universities as if they are Wall St. corporations instead of institutions of higher learning. His neoliberal economic philosophy fits well with that of John Boehner. Neoliberal economic policies are destroying the future of the graduates Boehner was addressing at the OSU commencement. Boehner supports cutting funding for education and moving to a privatized/corporatized model and because of this it’s inappropriate to have him speak at a public university. The economy and climate change are the two biggest issues today’s graduates will face in their life times and Boehner is an enemy of the graduates on both issues. Here is a quote from John Boehner on climate change…
“The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you’ve got more carbon dioxide.”

In response to this outrageous ignorance, the Progressive Student Coalition invited Tim DeChristopher to come to OSU and deliver an alternative commencement speech. This video documents part two of that speech.

In March, a federal jury convicted environmental activist Tim DeChristopher of two felony counts for disrupting the auction of more than 100,000 acres of federal land for oil and gas drilling. The auction was one of the Bush administration’s last-minute moves to sell off oil and gas exploitation rights on vast swaths of federal land. The auction itself was illegal.

Tim urges us to choose courage over fear as we face the disastrous challenges that were left to us from the reckless choices of previous generations. He urges us to not allow those in power to hold onto that power by increasingly brutal methods, but instead to stand in solidarity and build a more just and healthy world.

In this video Tim talks about how we’re locked into drastic climate change now. I’m sure that’s true, but I still think there’s always ways to make things worse, and always ways to lessen our negative impact on the climate, even in the context of drastic change. And I also believe that it’s still vitally important to switch to green energy because those energy sources are safer and more reliable under the climate change scenarios we’re facing. If we want to move in the direction of more green energy, we’re going to have to shift the United States to the left. We do that by influencing public opinion, and by electing Democrats. Our current Democrats reflect how much our nation has drifted to the right in the last 30 years because of all the elections we’ve lost to Republicans. Everything has been drifting to the right, and although we’ve been able to make some small progress in spite of that, we’re loosing fundamental policies at the same time. We can’t afford to let Republicans win any more. We must start moving in a healthy direction. Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to climate change is that the Democratic Party supports spending public money on preparedness, and helping people to evacuate from and recover from the disasters we’re all going to be facing. If we let Republicans win, we shouldn’t be amazed if we find ourselves living out a nightmare with no help in sight.

OK back on track to the year in review. One of my videos of Tim from June, 2011…

In June we had the People’s Parade to celebrate our 1.3 Million signatures to put SB5 up for repeal. I used a reading from “The People’s History of The United States” as the audio track for my video of the event, but it’s really much too somber to match the day. I wanted to transmit the message that it’s important to understand this fight as part of a historic struggle against oppression, but the audio is a mismatch for how the day felt. If you watch until the end you’ll get a taste of the joy in the air…

Republican Governor John Kasich signed a 3,262-page budget document on June 30 in a ceremony at the Statehouse. Provisions in the bill abolish the estate tax effective Jan. 1, 2013. Here’s my interview about it with Zach Schiller of Policy Matters Ohio…

In July we asked AEP what their number is. But I don’t know how effective it is to shame corporations into better behavior. We need good laws, with good enforcement, to create a level playing field where good corporations aren’t swallowed up by corporations that profit from pollution and exploitation. Democrats move us in that direction, but Republicans are all about deregulation.

In July we paid a visit to Republican Representative Steve Stivers’ office…

In August, upset about Republicans holding the nation hostage by refusing the raise the debt ceiling, and concerned about the creation of the Super Austerity Committee, we paid a visit to Republican Senator Rob Portman’s office…

In August, I had my first ever interview with Democratic Governor Ted Strickland. We talked about SB5/Issue 3, about the Republican war on voting, about Kasich, and about the Ohio constitutional amendment that was designed to block the Affordable Care Act (Issue 3).

In September, at the Columbus Labor Day Festival, Democratic Governor Ted Strickland’s speech was phenomenal. It was very hard to stop myself from cheering as I filmed it…

In September we protested how Republican Governor John Kasich is a job killer. By cutting revenue for Ohio, because he wanted to extend more tax breaks to the rich, he cut good jobs from Ohio and the public services those jobs performed. By attacking teachers with SB5 he pushed teachers into early retirement. By refusing the funding for high-speed rail, he killed good jobs for Ohio and he killed the future jobs that would have been attracted here or able to develop here because we would have had a more modern transportation system.  By cutting services that people depend on in Ohio, he made it so people have less to spend, and less spending means fewer jobs. He’s a disaster for Ohio’s economy.

Here’s my video of us letting him know how we feel about it all…

In September Obama visited Ohio to promote his Jobs Bill. I joined the protesters who were trying to pressure him to block the Keystone XL Pipeline. Now I wish I’d gone to hear him speak instead. No matter what Obama decides about the Keystone XL Pipeline, I will stand by him. He’s making difficult decisions in the middle of a nation that is so ignorant on the issues, it cripples him. If he steps too far away from the center path, we’ll wind up with a Republican in office. He’s also making decisions in a precarious global situation that is above the current understanding of the average American.

I’m a passionate environmentalist. And I’m certain that the best hope we have for steering our nation onto a path that is more responsive to ecological realities, is by electing more Democrats. It’s simple math once you understand how government works, and what the realistic alternatives to our government system are. I don’t support collapsing this government in hopes that something better will come. And I don’t support fighting against Democrats with the end result of helping Republicans win. I will stand by the institutions that have created the freedoms we now enjoy – the labor unions, and the FDR legacy Democratic Party. They might not be perfect but no one has ever shown me something better.

I support the people who are working to raise awareness about how horrible the Keystone XL Pipeline is. If enough people are against the pipeline, then the political blowback against Obama won’t be as huge if he stands against it. That’s my ideal outcome.

Here’s my video of his visit to Columbus…

In September we fought against voter suppression in Ohio…

In September I went to my first ever Ed Schultz Show. He came to help us fight SB5…

In September we fought against the right-wing attack on women’s healthcare, women’s bodies, and reproductive choice in Ohio…

In September I went to my first tax committee hearing and learned about trickle-down trickster Richard Vedder. Afterwards I found a youtube video of him and Chairman Adams, hanging out together at ALEC. If you don’t know what that is, you really should google it. Here’s my video of Vedder…

In September we had our Bike To The Future Event, as part of a world-wide event to help move the world beyond our fossil fuel addiction. Shannon and I helped a little with organizing the event. Here’s my video of it…

In October I won a scholarship to attend the Take Back The American Dream conference. Here’s one of my videos of the event…

In October we went to our first Occupy event…

In October I met Cliff Schecter…

In October we got to vote early NO ON SB5 with a team!

In October we did our bit to help Eric Brown win. We were crushed when we learned the right-wing extremists succeeding in taking him down in November. This situation is a reminder that we as Democrats must pay attention to the courts. The radical right works hard to keep reasonable people off the bench. They know that people move up through the justice system and can wind up on the Supreme Court and they want to make sure that only people who hate women and gays, worship corporate power, and want to smash the separation of church and state, ever serve on the Supreme Court.

In November I had the opportunity to interview Democratic Governor Ted Strickland a second time…

In November we got to be in the audience of the Ed Shultz Show a second time…

In November we defeated SB5 by a margin of 63 to 37! Go OHIO!!!!

November 17 was the two month anniversary of Occupy Wall St, so in Columbus, Ohio we marched in solidarity with this movement for economic justice. Our focus as a group was on demanding that the US Congress pass a jobs bill that will tax the rich and use the money to invest in putting Americans to work fixing our crumbling infrastructure.

In December we celebrated with the Ohio Democratic Party! Go Democrats!!!

In December, Shannon was featured in the world’s first Who’s Who Book for the LGBT community…

That’s not everything that happened this year, but those are some highlights. I can’t wait to see what 2012 will bring. If you’re a political minded liberal person living in the Columbus area and you like this blog, please tell your friends about it. It’s my intention to make this blog one more way to get people connected and involved in making Columbus a great place to live.