Confederate General James L. Kemper, as quoted in the 1993 film Gettysburg, said to General George Pickett “Well, I got to hand it to you George. You sure got a talent for trivializing the momentous and complicating the obvious. You ever consider running for Congress?”
At the risk of trivializing the momentous denial of rights to women and Ohio voters that State Issue 1 proposes I quote from a post by the Physician’s Action Network: “If Issue 1 was a football game (and the score is) Ohio State 59, Michigan 41 ( then) MICHIGAN WINS!”. Rather, for the rights of Ohioans and for the preservation of our democracy, Issue 1 is nearly as momentous as the 27 “Intolerable Acts” of King George the 111 elucidated in the Declaration of Independence.
Over 710,000 signatures have been collected from Ohioans supporting a November election to place a pro-choice amendment in Ohio’s constitution, as has been our procedure to circumvent an unresponsive legislature since 1912. We do have an unresponsive legislature. A great many of our Ohio Republican legislators were elected from districts ruled multiple times by the Ohio Supreme Court to have been illegally gerrymandered. When politicians pick their voters rather than voters picking their politicians your voice is silenced. Gerrymandering is thus an “Intolerable Act.” Polls show 55-58% of likely Ohio voters would vote in favor of a pro-choice amendment. In 2022 voters from California, Michigan, Vermont, Kentucky and Montana either passed pro-choice amendments or otherwise protected women’s rights from further infringement.
On noting these 2022 pro-choice election results several of our Republican legislators, in collaboration with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose got busy changing the rules in the middle of the game claiming they were protecting our constitution. They ignored prior decisions banning low turnout August elections in a rush to get Issue 1 on the ballot just in time to strangle a November pro-choice amendment. This is not honorable . In fact, by raising insurmountable barriers for petitioning and raising the vote needed to pass a citizen initiative to 60% Republican legislators and LaRose have guaranteed that no popular initiative can survive. Only outside big money interests will be able to infiltrate thousands of paid foot-soldiers to collect petitions and flood our airwaves with ads. Illinois billionaire Dick Uihlein , also a funder of far-right causes and election denialism is funding the pro-issue 1 campaign. Issue 1, should it pass, will also prevent we, the people from passing further anti-gerrymandering amendments thus perpetuating an unresponsive, extreme legislature.
State Issue 1 is an “Intolerable Act” and for the sake of Ohio women, for the sake of our democracy, for the future of Ohio must be defeated. All living former Ohio Governors and five former Ohio Attorneys general have urged a “NO” vote on Issue 1. Democracy means we all have a say, no one is silenced and the minority does not rule over the majority will of the people.
Vote “NO” on Issue 1 for a brighter and happier future for all Ohioans. Vote “NO” on Issue 1 for all the precious women in your life. Vote “NO” on Issue 1 to preserve Ohio democracy.
