Opinion

In May 2020, word began travelling within the Ohio State community that departments had been asked to plan for budget cuts up to 20%, effectively erasing all security for student workers, staff, and contingent faculty. This prompted graduate students from multiple departments to advocate for themselves and create the Graduate Student Labor Coalition (GSLC), a student advocacy group meant to address concerns regarding the University’s response to inequitable working practices related to graduate student workers in the midst of this global pandemic. As the summer progressed, and uprisings against police brutality and racial injustice swept through the nation, it became clear that OSU’s tendency to respond to crises with empty assurances in lieu of meaningful action was not limited to the pandemic. In recent weeks, OSU faculty members of the American Association of University Professors have also brought to light evidence that OSU’s insistence on the necessity of budget cuts is not backed up by available financial records.

On September 15th, Columbus community will join Julius Tate’s family for an evening of poetry with local artists. This evening will honor Tate’s life through celebrating him and all lost from police murder. The march gathers at 5:30 PM at Mayme Moore Park and the poetry readings followed by the march will begin at 6:00 PM. 

This evening will be the fourteenth of sixteen consecutive days of marching for justice to commemorate the life Julius Tate. For the past two weeks, hundreds of community members have come out to voice their support for Julius’s family, and their outrage at Columbus Police Department. 

“The same use of excessive force that resulted in police murder of George Flloyd, Aubrey Ahmed, and Breonna Taylor is the same policing that exists here in Columbus,” says an anonymous community member who has come to every evening of the march. “We still do not have justice for Julius Tate.”

Tate was sixteen years old when he was shot eleven times, handcuffed, and killed, according to the official autoposy. His arm was broken in the process. 

Wade Rathke, founder of ACORN and Chief Organizer of ACORN International, joined us from Mississippi to take about the Voter Purge Project. This protects eligible voters against disenfranchisement by monitoring, reporting on, and organizing against wrongful voter purging. Wade has a list of purged Ohio voters and asked for volunteers to help call them and get them re-registered. Volunteer for Wade Rathke’s voter purge project - OHIO

Like many Americans, I’ll never forget where I was on 9/11. Fittingly, I was in world history class during my senior year at Bexley High School — the hallways had already been buzzing about a possible terrorist attack in New York City that involved hijacked airplanes. Since it was September 2001, we didn’t have smartphones or ample Internet access to quickly check the facts, so we wheeled in a portable TV from the Teacher’s Lounge and fired up the network stations. Sure enough, as the static faded from the screen, images of the Two Towers billowing black smoke across lower Manhattan became visible and our worst fears were realized. At that point, I had only been 18-years-old for over a month, but 9/11 was the day I went from learning about world history to watching it on live TV. By the time the bell rang, the first tower had collapsed into the streets of New York and with it, as Hunter S. Thompson wrote that day, “all hopes for Peace in Our Time, in the United States or any other country.”

Tune into the virtual Hot Times Festival this weekend!

7PM Friday, Sept 11
Gaye Adegbalola will perform LIVE from Virginia

10PM SATURDAY, SEPT 12
Tony Monaco LIVE from his studios!

6PM SUNDAY, SEPT 13
Bobby Floyd - LIVE from the Blue Velvet Room

7PM SUNDAY, SEPT 13
Donna Mogavero LIVE!

8PM SATURDAY, SEPT 12
Shaun Booker - Special Hot Times Concert!
Internationally known, powerhouse vocalist Shaun Booker brings her love to Hot Times in this great set not to be missed!

Original written and printed by Free Press 4 years ago, prior to 2016 election.

Definitions of Terms Used in this Column:

A cult of personality arises when a country's regime uses the techniques of mass media, propaganda, the big lie, spectacle, patriotism, and organized mass demonstrations and rallies to create an idealized, heroic, and worshipful image.

A cult leader is a dynamic leader whose authority is respected and unquestioned. Obedience to the leader is often required, even when it involves deviant or unhealthy activity. Usually, a cult leader is a person of tremendous charisma who makes followers feel loved and accepted. Cult leaders use brainwashing tactics to attract and keep followers.

The above photo shows one of the two Twin Towers on 9/11/01, obviously exploding into fine dust (it is not “burning” down). The explosions were obviously caused by pre-planted explosives in an obviously controlled demolition operation, which means that many weeks – even months - of expert work involving well-trained demolition experts had to have taken place. (In 2001, only a handful of demolition companies in the world could have accomplished the task, but investigations into what actually happened on 9/11/01 were officially prevented, so that even the investigations into those companies did not take place. 

Note that the arrow in the photo above points to one of the many “squibs” of exploding gas which are commonly seen with controlled demolitions. 

Disturbing a Crime Scene is Itself a Federal Crime and Rudy Giuliani is Yet to be Charged

If we were to look beyond words to actions, there would be no doubt that virtually all U.S. politicians have, in effect, taken the Trump/Kissinger view of U.S. troops for as long as there have been U.S. troops.

“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” –Donald Trump, according to Jeffrey Goldberg.

“Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.” — Henry Kissinger, according to Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.

It we were to let the non-U.S. 96% of humanity into our vision, it would be even clearer how little value is placed on human life by those who wage U.S. wars in which nearly all the casualties are on the other side.

It is difficult - and futile - to argue which American president has historically been more pro-Israel. While former President Barack Obama, for example, has pledged more money to Israel than any other US administration in history, Donald Trump has provided Israel with a blank check of seemingly endless political concessions. 

Certainly, the unconditional backing and love declared for Israel is common among all US administrations. What they may differ on, however, is their overall motive, primarily their target audience during election time.