“They were covered with blood and burned and blackened and swollen, and the flesh was hanging from the bones. Parts of their bodies were missing, and some were carrying their own eyeballs in their hands. And as they collapsed, their stomach burst open.”

But war is necessary, right?

The speaker, quoted recently on NPR, is 88-year-old Setsuko Thurlow, one of Planet Earth’s remaining hibakushas: survivors of the atomic devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. She was in Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945. Since that day, she has devoted her life to the elimination of nuclear weapons — that is to say, to creating awareness. Everybody knows that war is hell, but hell is just an abstraction, easily shrugged off, unless you live through it.

Throughout 2020, I keep reaching the same political conclusion about the Republican Party, at both a national and state level. Even though this year has felt like 1918, 1968, 1998 and 2008 combined, it’s pretty wild how many crises the Republicans in D.C. and Ohio have weathered since the year began. Not surprisingly, it seems like even 2020 is finally starting to take a toll on the ol’ Party of Lincoln.

Consider that when 2019 rolled over, President Donald Trump had already been impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives and was about to face trial in the Senate. Not only did the impeachment process irreparably divide the country, but Republicans found themselves divided on how the rule of law should apply to The Teflon Don. Some conservatives like Rep. Justin Amash (L-MI) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) felt Trump’s actions were worthy of impeachment, which naturally earned them their due condemnation from their conservative counterparts and right wing media. Nonetheless, the cracks were beginning to form in the GOP’s foundation -- and it was only January.

Canton, OH – The Wooster Daily Record’s three-part series on COVID outbreaks in Ohio protein processing plants shows that Ohioans continue to benefit from the hard work of immigrants and native-born meat packers, while employers fail to provide for their health, safety, and financial stability. (See also, “Farmworker advocates press state for health and safety mandates,” Fremont News-Messenger).

Wednesday, August 12, 6-8pm

Register: https://bit.ly/PPVOPhonebank

The path to victory starts with you. While organizing looks different during COVID, phone banking digitally gives us the opportunity to build power across our state and cast a wide community net.

November isn't the end of our work, it's just the beginning.

No worries if you haven't been on a phone bank before! We'll make sure you're trained up and ready to roll before we move to make calls! Calling voters is an awesome way to share why this election matters to you and encourage them to join us in this fight.