Standing out among Columbus’ multiple crises of identity is its refusal to make serious, accurate comparisons with any other cities anywhere: not in Ohio, the US Midwest, the US, North America, the world. This is a certain form of urban or place blindness, amnesia, and/or pathology—chose your metaphor and analogy. In other words, an unwillingness, even inability to find itself and therefore to develop and grow fully, responsibility, and honestly with respect to its human and physical resources, possibilities and limits.

This requires admitting and accepting all contradictions, limitations as well as strengths. The most distinctive cities admit the problems frankly. Most have a public sense of humor. Pittsburgh, for example, was long the pothole capital of the U.S. That is no longer the case. A local candy manufacturer now sells Pittsburgh Pothole Filler, an attractive box of  popcorn dipped in delicious dark chocolate. Buckeyes, chocolate or plain, do not compare.

All knowledge including self-knowledge is comparative. Columbus’ willful blindness imprisons it.

Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 10:00 AM
House Bill 259 (H.B. 259), one of two bipartisan bills to end Ohio's death penalty, will have its first of four expected committee hearings in the house this week.  Every time we have a hearing on our bill, it demonstrates that there is legislative momentum behind ending the death penalty. Each hearing we have is a step closer to a vote. Ohioans to Stop Executions is asking us to come to the Statehouse, in person, to be present for H.B. 259's first hearing.  

Our organization's team will work with folks in the major metropolitan areas of Ohio to organize carpools and transportation, as needed. If you can attend the hearing, please add your information here.  

Location:  Ohio Statehouse, room 313, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus.  

A megalomaniac is a pathological egotist, someone with a psychological disorder who exhibits symptoms like delusions of grandeur and an obsession with greatness, power or wealth.

 A sociopath is a person whose behavior is antisocial, often criminally greedy, and who lacks a sense of moral responsibility, empathy or social conscience. Sociopaths never sincerely apologize nor are they capable of exhibiting remorse for wrongs that they have committed.

 A narcissist is person who has an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration, sexual gratification, applause and a lack of empathy for others.

  A paranoid person or group exhibits excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of other individuals or groups.

 A xenophobe is a person who is fearful or contemptuous of that which is foreign, especially of strangers or of people from different countries or cultures.

The Columbus Coalition for Rent Control (“the Coalition”), a local nonprofit organization advocating a citizen ballot initiative, filed more than 4,200 petition signatures with the Columbus City Clerk at 11am on Tuesday, October 3, seeking a vote on a legislative proposal designed to empower citizens and encourage property owners and residential landlords to moderate rental price increases.

The group has determined that it will cease collection of petition signatures and will withdraw the petition, instead asking the City Council and council candidates for election to enact the legislation, which the Council could do on any Monday. Members of the Coalition released the following statement: