An uneasy but hopeful 2015 unfolds as we celebrate The Free Press’ 45th year. We began as an underground OSU campus-based newspaper in October 1970 by activists enraged over the Kent State killings and the senseless Vietnam War. The Free Press has gone through many iterations over the years as a publication and website. Though we’ve always struggled with funding, we’re trying to publish this newspaper twice a month in 2015. If you have a business or service you’d like to promote, please contact our ad sales staff to help support our mission – to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.

Obama’s left turn: too little, too late?

Looks like Obama has grown a spine at the last minute, knowing he’s a lame duck in his last two years. The president lifted the embargo and recognized Cuba, announced he will veto the Keystone pipeline, changed the enforcement of immigration laws, wants college education to be free….what’s up? He’s finally doing the things the majority twice elected him to do. Maybe next he’ll free Leonard Peltier.

Don’t Gintherize Columbus!

I’m a private practice psychiatrist in southern Ohio for over 22 years. As a physician, it’s become intolerable to see the abuse of power our state pushes on its population because supposedly “mainstream medicine” has an opinion that marijuana is deadly. It’s a shame our legislature doesn’t listen to their constituents, nor to the specialists that they quote. Marijuana is not a dangerous compound. Even so, our state is keeping increasingly more people incarcerated and disabled due to possessing marijuana, which is simply despicable and dangerous.

Our legal system, reliant on busting far too many level blacks and Latinos for marijuana offenses, is unjustifiable. Not only can race alone raise economic barriers, an arrest translates into a criminal record that squelches economic opportunity and places required licenses and certifications off limits. Even with probation, it’s exquisitely difficult to escape the web of an un-recalcitrant legal system.

I think some of you have wondered where I've been, at least I'd like to hope so. Indeed, I've missed the intermittent hate mail and compliments from people nowhere close to my intended audience (fellow nonwhite revolutionary socialists under 35 where are youuuuuuuuu). Initially, my hiatus was borne out of dirty rotten old-fashioned opportunism. I was figuring that if I was going to write for free, I might as well do it on my own platform. But I would also be selling myself short, because to be real wid it, I was also getting a low-key case of drapetomania.

“Banks have all the money, and the rich hold all the cards.” These are common laments among Central Ohioans who, as the dismal turnout in the November 2014 elections indicate, suspect that democracy is not working as it should. While the majority of citizens and businesses play by the rules, clearly other are writing the rules, and not to our benefit. Large and often multinational corporations expect politicians to fight for their interests, not ours. It’s all too much, and we wonder, why don’t citizens unite and take back our democracy? Then along comes an organization called Citizen United. Sounds inviting.

When asked who he thought was the most valuable player for the Ohio State football team’s drive to the national championship game, Evan Spencer carefully weighed his options.

“I don’t even know. There are so many people who have been so valuable to us,” the senior wide receiver said at a media day before the team’s trip to the inaugural national championship game Jan. 12 in Arlington, Texas. “It could be (quarterbacks) J.T. Barrett, Cardale Jones, (wide receiver) Devin Smith or (running back) Zeke (Elliott). Name whoever you want to.”

Asked the same question, coach Urban Meyer had one name jump quickly to his mind.

“(Spencer) is the MVP of our team,” Meyer said. “He's the leader of our team. I'll probably make an executive decision and make him a captain. He's really what, to me, football is all about.”

Spencer made a strong case for the honor in a 42-35 victory over top ranked Alabama in the Jan. 1 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Although he was limited to one reception for seven yards, Spencer:

* tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Thomas;

* leveled two Crimson Tide players to pave the way for Elliott’s 85-yard touchdown run;