Women members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers are in Columbus this week. Until 5 p.m. today the their new Harvest Without Violence mobile exhibit will be stationed in the South Oval on the Ohio State University campus. 

The OSU campus location is fitting. The university's administration has chosen to renew its contract with Wendy's to keep one of its stores on campus, despite the fast food chain's refusal to join the CIW's Fair Food Program. 

The mobile exhibit highlights gender-based violence, which the Fair Food Program has made great strides to eliminate in Florida's fields. Instead of joining the program, Wendy's decided to stop sourcing its tomatoes from Florida farms. Instead, they are buying tomatoes from growers in Mexico, where sexual harassment, rape, child labor, and slave labor are still rampant in the agricultural industry.

While 25% of women experience sexual harassment and sexual violence in the workplace overall, in the agricultural industry more 80% of women are subjected to these abuses.

Thursday, October 19, 6-8pm
Driving Park Library
Facebook Event
Join us for our monthly meeting to discuss our progress in our groups and listen to a short teach-in.
BQIC meetings will now be 3rd Thursdays of every month. Our November meeting will be Thursday, November 16 also at the Driving Park library.

One month ago, I initiated here at Unz.com a discussion of the role of American Jews in the crafting of United States foreign policy. I observed that a politically powerful and well-funded cabal consisting of both Jewish individuals and organizations has been effective at engaging the U.S. in a series of wars in the Middle East and North Africa that benefit only Israel and are, in fact, damaging to actual American interests. This misdirection of policy has not taken place because of some misguided belief that Israeli and U.S. national security interests are identical, which is a canard that is frequently floated in the mainstream media. It is instead a deliberate program that studiously misrepresents facts-on-the ground relating to Israel and its neighbors and creates casus belli involving the United States even when no threat to American vital interests exists. It punishes critics by damaging both their careers and reputations while its cynical manipulation of the media and gross corruption of the national political process has already produced the disastrous war against Iraq, the destruction of Libya and the ongoing chaos in Syria.

The City Council race in Columbus is shaping up to be an interesting one. Yes We Can candidates Jasmine Ayres and Will Petrik are running on progressive platforms that include affordable housing, policing reform, renewable energy, and a living wage. Beyond a few token initiatives, the current City Council only pays lip service to these concerns. As Berniecrats, Petrik and Ayres intend to push hard for real reforms.

It remains to be seen whether Left Democrats will be able to win seats on City Council without the corporate campaign backing enjoyed by the three candidates endorsed by the Franklin County Democratic Party. If Ayres and Petrik do manage to get elected in November, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to reform the local political machine from the inside. The FCDP establishment holds the levers of power in the party, and they have made it clear that they like things as they are. They will resist to the death any changes that displease their corporate sponsors.