Zerqa holding sign

Friday, March 15, 2024, 3:00 PM
Organized by Zerqa Abid for Congress.  
Bring your Keffiyehs and ballots.  
Location:  1700 Morse Road, Columbus 43229. 
https://www.zerqaabid.com/

Protest

Franklin County Treasurer Cheryl Brooks Sullivan has purchased $10.5 million in Israel Bonds since Israel began bombing Gaza in the aftermath of October 7, bringing the total 2023 investment to $14.5 million and pushing the county’s total holdings to $33 million.

Joe BIden

Introduction

One of the paradoxes of the U.S. political system is how an anti-democratic Trump can win the support of sections of the white male working class, despite Biden’s relatively strong economic policies in support of this class. The present post explores this paradox.

It may not make that much of a difference in the November presidential elections how these workers vote, but their vote totals are still significant because of the number of white male working class people. And  it is worrisome that they are presently a major Trump constituency and have been influenced by his MAGA rhetoric, with its anti-immigrant, racist, anti-democratic, and pro-gun, rants as well as his strongman image. If the trends of the last few decades continue, whether Trump wins in November or not, their support of Trump appears, unfortunately, to be unwavering.

Biden’s State of the Union speech

Oh Lord, kumbaya . . .

As I absorb the daily news of war and global devastation, I sing these words to myself — quietly, yes, secretly, lest I ignite instant flash-bang sarcasm from the surrounding world. What next? A flower in a rifle barrel?

Sarcasm spits in the face of idealism — a.k.a., “feelgood-ism” — and life goes on. Any questions? Sure, war is hell and all that, especially when the bad guys wage it, but sitting around the campfire and lamenting musically for global niceness is a sin against our military budget. Don’t be silly. We need to protect ourselves.

‘All we can do for Gaza is just offer our Du’a.” This is an oft-repeated statement by enraged Arabs and Muslims who feel helpless before the Israeli genocide in Gaza. 

 But is it true that only invocations and supplications are possible, as tens of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are being killed and wounded by the Israeli war machine? 

 No. There is much that can be done and, in fact, many people around the world are already doing it. 

Candidates

Franklin County is poised to elect its first-ever African American county prosecutor this year, but just days before the Democrat primary vote, many African Americans and others in the community are still weighing their options and unsure who is best for the position in this post-George Floyd era and out-of-control gun violence.

But the fact that whoever wins the Democrat primary for prosecutor in the year 2024 will likely be the first ever African American prosecutor for as diverse as Franklin County is speaks for itself.  

“Way overdue,” says former City Council candidate Adrienne Hood who lost a son to the guns of Columbus police. “It will bring cultural awareness that cannot be learned in books of the selection is someone who truly is committed to changing the office thru not only diversity but also accountability.”

Logo

Wednesday, March 13, 2024, 3:00 – 7:00 PM

Stop by the ACLU of Ohio office in Columbus to pick up petitions for the Citizens Not Politicians redistricting amendment and/or sign the petition. 

Location:  1108 City Park Avenue, Suite 203, Columbus 43206.

Smoky area around barrels

We, the undersigned residents of communities surrounding the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PORTS) in Piketon, Ohio, petition the United States Congress to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) to include individuals who have developed health problems due to their proximity to the plant.  More information here.

Zoom call image

Free Press readers gathered Saturday evening, March 9 for a Cyber-Salon.

Link to salon video.

Mark Stansbery, Free Press Board member, started out the salon by introducing the Board President, Pete Johnson.

Pete introduced the primary speaker, Ramzy Baroud, a US-Palestinian journalist, media consultant, an author, internationally-syndicated columnist, Editor of Palestine Chronicle (1999-present), former Managing Editor of London-based Middle East Eye, former Editor-in-Chief of The Brunei Times and former Deputy Managing Editor of Al Jazeera online. Baroud is the author of six books and a contributor to many others; his latest volume is Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out. His books are translated to many languages including French, Turkish, Arabic, Korean, Malayalam, among others. The Free Press has been running Ramzy’s articles for a decade.

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