In an ongoing struggle for free speech, a dedicated coalition of Ohioans from across the state have worked diligently to defeat legislation that conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism and ties it to heightened criminal penalties. Lawmakers attached the same provisions to multiple bills in a deceptive legislative bundling maneuver to fast-track controversial measures by contributing to ‘Christmas Tree’ bills during the lame duck session. Wednesday night December 18 marked the end of the 135th General Assembly and advocates remain energized and committed to protecting First Amendment rights in 2025. 

Once upon a time during the winter solstice, the Friends of Serpent Mound, a group of supporters who donated time and labor to the site’s upkeep, were allowed to light up and honor Serpent Mound with sand bagged votives (pictured above). The winter solstice, of course, is the shortest day of the year and thus the longest night of the year.

This event – that some called the “Lighting of the Serpent” – drew more people to this marvel of ancient times than all the other days of the year and all combined at its peak. Fascinating is how the Serpent’s spiraled tail aligns with the winter solstice sunrise while its head aligns with the summer solstice sunset.

In thousands of movies and tv shows, a future is imagined in which full-grown adult humans with less self-control than toddlers both get into fist fights at the drop of a hat and possess the technology to obliterate entire cities or planets at the touch of a button. The fantasy of living in outerspace certainly does not help us preserve the one place we know how to live. But the most damaging fantasy here is that of maintaining widespread acceptance of violence and continuing to exist into an age of easy annihilation by the decision of a random person or of a machine. Our current luck — the number of times we have nearly had a nuclear war and avoided it — is almost unbelievable. The luck that would be required for much of science fiction to exist is not believable at all.

Nuclear Danger
Countless observers believe that we are right now closer to nuclear war than ever before. There are a number of reasons to take this seriously:

In a bold yet peaceful demonstration of civic engagement, a group of determined Ohioans gathered Tuesday in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse to take action against the proposed amendment to H.B. 315. This amendment, which incorporates the controversial IHRA definition of antisemitism, has sparked widespread concern over its potential impact on free speech and the First Amendment.

The sit-in was carefully planned as a way to both garner media attention and directly address legislators. Sitting in a circle beneath the grand dome of the Statehouse, participants passed out call scripts and worked together to make phone calls and write emails to their representatives. This unique form of advocacy transformed the Rotunda into a hub of collective action, with citizens uniting their voices in the very space where decisions are made.

As representatives walked by, participants continued to make calls and send emails, ensuring their presence and concerns were impossible to ignore. This wasn’t just a call for attention—it was a clear message to lawmakers: “We’re here, we’re engaged, and we demand to be heard.”