Opinion
After two years and over $3 million later, Ginther and City Council once again showed their true colors and genuflected to those who have historically continued to control development policies in Columbus: the developers and the development community. And after all the bragging about how many people sent in comments, attended public meetings, and the creation of the Zone In propaganda gallery, that there were virtually no changes made to the city’s initial Zone In policy. Yes, a two-year dog and pony show that resulted in ignoring public comment.
I am a historian and preservationist in Columbus, and I am generally in support of the proposed legislation and support the clarification that historic districts won’t be disregarded with the new code. I nevertheless deeply urge a delay or even a “no” vote at this time, in order for a solution to be found for an alarming issue. I have raised this issue with the zoning team multiple times and have yet to hear a response. Your vote is the last potential for affecting change.
Columbus has an incredible array of historic, and architecturally significant, houses, churches, fire stations, schoolhouses, and more. The vast majority of these are not on any register, and will immediately be at a much higher risk of demolition if Zone In were to pass as is currently written. We will be at threat of losing much of our remaining historic heritage, and especially the most visible sites on these well-traveled corridors.
Why are many amongst us still tiptoeing around language when it comes to the horrific Israeli genocide in Gaza?
Layers of censorship imposed on Palestinian and pro-Palestinian voices in corporate and social media seem to have blurred the judgment of some. They continue to speak of a 'conflict', calling on 'both sides' to use ‘restraint’ and, partly, blaming the Palestinian Resistance for the ongoing Israeli massacres.
Though such language is expected from the 'sensible' few of mainstream media, there are those who are counted as ‘pro-Palestine’ intellectuals, journalists and activists who often use similar language.
On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, the US Congress reached a new low. Our elected officials, once the envy of the world, proved beyond any reasonable doubt that, in the words of Will Rogers, “the United States of America has the best Congress money can buy.” Or, as Mark Twain said, “We have the best government that money can buy.” On this day of infamy, a certified war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been committing genocide in real-time for the past 10 months while the world watches, was received by the US Congress and hailed as a hero.
Everyday we hear horror stories from the Gaza strip (concentration camp).
70% of residential buildings are now destroyed, friends of ours that have
been forced to move 7, 8 or 9 times to places that are then bombed again.
Children burned or mutilated. Tens of thousands of women and children
murdered with Western Support. The situation here in the occupied West Bank
has been horrible before 7 October but the level of horror amplified ten
fold since. This increase in rate of home demolitions, land confiscation,
killing of Palestinians, military and settler pogroms against our people,
closing off of 12 ghettos/concentration camps created to store the unwanted
indigenous people. All Palestinians are targets whether they miraculously
remained in Palestine or are in exile diaspora. The Zionist movement is
taking desperate measures to liquidate even the hope of liberation. Even
the delusional hope of a two state "solution" is obliterated with laws and
with increased colonial settlements: There are two times more colonial
settlers per square kilometer here in the West Bank than inside the Green
Line.
