Speakers at the Sanctuary City demonstration Monday, March 13 outside Columbus City Hall demaded sanctuary for all: "Immigrants, refugees, Muslims, Mexicans, Asians, Black people and Trans people."  Although it was bitterly cold, several dozen people held signs and rallied hoping to get their message to the Mayor and City Council meeting inside.

Speakers included organizer Pranav Jani of the International Socialist Organization, Ruben Herrera of the Central Ohio Workers Center, Zarqa Abid of ProjectUSA, Tynan Krakoff of Showing Up for Racial Justice, Tammy Fournier Alsaada of the People's Justice Project and others. All of them agreed that Mayor Ginther had given lip service to making Columbus a sanctuary and opportunity city -- but the continuation of Columbus police shooting black people, pepper spraying and arresting protestors and the expansion of the Summer Safety Initiative prove he is not serious about creating safety for all residents of the city. The crowd chanted "Liberation! No incarceration!" "Black Lives Matter!" and "No Ban, No Wall!"

Everyone who was Amy Wickes Friend on Facebook will remember her iconic pose: one hip thrust out, a big smile on her face as she flashed a peace sign. Amy left us too soon on March 9, 2017. To understand her life, one need only read her important book, From Privilege to Prison: Finding Purpose in a Dark Place. Anyone being abused in jail, in prison or in any part of the criminal justice system could count on Amy to come to their aid. Anyone with influence, be it County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, City Attorney Rick Pfieifer, all the judges in Franklin County, media people – including me as the Editor of this newspaper – could count on the Wickes treatment: a passionate and unrelenting appeal for morality, decency, justice and facts.

Actor/playwright/musician Hershey Felder’s stock in trade is a musicalized (uh, is that a word? If not, it is now) version of the one-man show. This triple threat dazzles audiences with his live depictions of musicians to the accompaniment of his own virtuoso piano playing. But Felder’s plays are far more than being solely solo concerts. Felder not only regales theatergoers with the sounds of talents such as George Gershwin, but engages auds with his vivid portrayals of the artists, unfolding their private and public lives.

Kick-Off Meeting for Columbus City Council Reform Working Group
March 9 - 6:30PM
Martin Luther King, Jr. Branch Library, 1600 E Long St, Columbus, OH 43203
Kick-off meeting on 2017 campaign to reform Columbus City Council. Help organize our thinking around a new campaign and strategy to victory on election day.

For months now, our country has endured the tacit denigration of American ingenuity. Countless statements -- from elected officials, activist groups, journalists and many others -- have ignored our nation’s superb blend of dazzling high-tech capacities and statecraft mendacities.

Fortunately, this week the news about release of illuminating CIA documents by WikiLeaks has begun to give adequate credit where due. And not a moment too soon. For way too long, Russia has been credited with prodigious hacking and undermining of democracy in the United States.