Steyn on Kavanaugh

art credit: lasvegas.cbslocal.com

Mark Steyn summed it up:

My God, the Senate is a vile and repellent institution, but even so it outdid itself yesterday. I almost vomited listening to that oleaginous Connecticut creep Blumenthal throwing in Kavanaugh's face the ancient Common Law caution on witness credibility: Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus - false in one thing, false in everything.

Is there any man who could less credibly deploy that dictum than Blumenthal? A hollow little "stolen honor" fraudster who was false on one huge big thing - that he served in Vietnam when he never went near the joint - but yet expects to be taken seriously on everything else. That was Kavanaugh's only misstep, not flinging that phrase back in his pompous halfwit interrogator's face. Other than that, he gave a raw, impassioned performance so freakishly authentic by US Senate terms that it may have saved the day. We shall know in a few hours.

Full column is here.

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President Trump on Kavanaugh

Everyone was riveted to the hearings today, especially prepared remarks from Judge Brett Kavanaugh, and surprisingly (at least for me) Sen. Lindsay Graham.

Here's President Trump's tweet (h/t Sundance):

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Gov. John Kasich: who knew?

A.F. Branco cartoon via Powerlineblog

S. Noble at the Independent Sentinel reports:

Governor Kasich showed his true colors in a tweet, fully rejecting the President’s agenda. Kasich is a globalist and he’s with Hillary. He is opposed to Trump’s concept of America First because he wants to have his Kumbaya moment in history with the leftists of the world.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) criticized President Trump over his rebuke of “globalism” during remarks at the United Nations, while stealing a slogan from Trump’s 2016 Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Kasich warned Trump that his policy of “America First” could result in “America Alone.” He added that the U.S. and other nations are “Stronger Together,” a nod to Clinton’s campaign slogan.

Forget sovereignty, forget borders, and let’s lead from behind. If anyone ever doubted Kasich’s loyalties lie with the left, doubt no more.

Read more here. And as of last winter, Gov. Kasich didn't rule out a 2020 run for the Presidency? 

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Bad news from Cuyahoga County Council

art credit: snopes.com

Last night, and despite considerable opposition, the Cuyahoga County Council succeeded in its latest power-grab, creating the “Commission on Human Rights.” Cleveland.com reports:

Cuyahoga County Council on Tuesday passed legislation that protects the LGBTQ community from discrimination and creates a commission with the power to level fines if it finds discrimination did occur.

. . .

The legislation -- proposed by County Executive Armond Budish and sponsored by council members Dan Brady, Yvonne Conwell, Michael Houser, Dale Miller and Sunny Simon -- passed by an 8-3 vote along party lines. Republicans Nan Baker, Michael Gallagher and Jack Schron voted against the legislation.

. . .

It also creates the three-person Cuyahoga County Commission on Human Rights. If someone believes they have been discriminated against, they will be able to take that complaint to the commission, which could level civil penalties, award attorney fees, and order individuals to stop engaging in discriminatory practices if it determines that discrimination occurred.

. . .

An even larger crowd turned out for public comment again on Tuesday, with about 80 people speaking for and against the legislation as council prepared to pass it. County officials estimated that at least roughly 220 people attended the meeting.

Read the rest here. (Previous blogs here.)

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Cuyahoga County Council Votes tomorrow

This follows up earlier blogposts here  from our friends at Ohio Value Voters. On Tuesday, September 25th at 5:00 pm the County Council of Cuyahoga County, Ohio will hear public testimony against Ordinance No. O2018-0009 sponsored by: County Executive Budish and Councilmembers Brady, Miller, Houser and Simon and the VOTE will take place.

TOMORROW: COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING:

Event date:  Tuesday, September 25, 2018 - (5:00 PM)

Arrive about ½ hour early.

Address:  2079 East 9th Street, 4th Floor (corner of East 9^th & Prospect).

There is free parking across the street in the 900 Tower Prospect Street garage. Proceed north on 9th Street, turn right on Prospect and the parking garage will be on the right hand side. If you park on level 5 in the garage, the bridge connects you to level 4 of the Cuyahoga County Administrative Building. Remember to get your ticket validated at the security check point.

• Your attendance at the meeting does not require you to speak. You will send a message with your presence.
• Speakers should write-out testimony to be presented to the council
• No signs in the council chambers
• Speakers direct comments to entire council (not individuals)
• Sign-in sheet at beginning of meeting is required to speak
• Speakers are allowed three minutes
• No posters

Here is a link to the outrageous ordinance==>Ordinance 2018-0009

PUBLIC TESTIMONY REQUESTED AND 

COUNCIL VOTING 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25^TH 

AT 5:00 PM

The Cuyahoga County Council has been working to establish a county-wide "Human Rights Commission" that will affect every city, resident, business, and church in the county.  The three-person commission is intended to hear ALL cases of discrimination in Cuyahoga County relative to sexual orientation/gender identity.  LGBT citizens will be provided legal assistance paid for by our tax dollars.  This piece of legislation hurts business, puts our safety at risk, and punishes people of faith. This ordinance permits biological men, who consider themselves to be a woman, to enter a woman's bathroom or locker room in "all places of public accommodation."

Lightening up for a moment

Powerline has a weekly feature "The Week In Pictures." My favorite from this week:

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A legal immigrant is now an American citizen

This morning I attended a naturalization ceremony for foreign-born residents. The swearing-in took place in the Ohio District Court in downtown Cleveland, and there must have been at least 100 applicants present, most with family or friends. The presiding Magistrate Judge gave the proceedings a real sense of occasion. He began by leading the Pledge of Allegiance, and then talked a little bit about America’s founding documents and earning the right to citizenship, before administering the Oath of Allegiance. He also posed for photographs with each and every new U.S. citizen holding his or her certificate of citizenship. Most of those who were sworn in registered to vote before exiting the building.

I had not known what to expect, having read a report of a recent and pretty dismal naturalization ceremony in Brooklyn, where no friends or relatives were allowed in the room, and the presiding judge encouraged new citizens to take a knee. Fortunately, the ceremony I attended this morning was a joyful one, the courtroom lent the proceedings a formal elegance, and a well-known painting of George Washington at the signing of the Constitution (see above) was projected on the screen behind the bench. I had brought with me an American flag lapel pin for the new United States citizen, and my hanky. It was needed.

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Tech Researcher Epstein Warns Conservatives: Get Off Gmail!

image credit: 4thmedia.org

I’ve been reading about the thumb-on-the-scale algorithms built into searches and regular activities on Google, Facebook, YouTube, and so on. A tech researcher, Dr Robert Epstein, was a guest on Fox News a couple of weeks ago, so I recognized his name in an article today at Newsbusters. Here’s a sampling:

Google has more power and control than most people realize and a top tech researcher is warning about it.

In an interview at the D.C. premiere of the Creepy Line, a documentary on the dangers of Google and Facebook, Dr. Robert Epstein told the Media Research Center that Google was building personal profiles of users mainly through Gmail. He warned that Google was compiling information upwards of 3 million pages per user, and said, “The more they know about you, the easier it is for them to manipulate you without your awareness.”

Epstein explained what parts of Gmail Google used to create these profiles: every single part.

“I can’t even begin to emphasize how important it is that you not use Gmail. The problem is that it’s so extensive it’s hard to condense into a sentence or two. But the point is that they’re taking that information, not just from the emails you send, but even from the drafts, those crazy drafts that you decide not to send, that all becomes part of your personal profile. If you’re mentioning other people, that goes into their personal profiles.”

He mentioned that it didn’t matter if some users had emails outside of Gmail, those were on the profiles too.

. . .

[C]onservatives have “special reasons to be concerned” based on the leaked emails and videos from Google concerning the 2016 election. Detailing an article that he was about to release, he said, “I describe 10 different methods by which Google and big tech companies can shift millions of votes in the midterm elections coming up in the U.S. I estimate upwards of 12 million votes.”

In the Fox interview I watched, Dr Epstein made the point that the compiling of data and the manipulation of YOUR online activities to influence YOUR decisions, including your vote, are taking place and leaving no paper trail. Scary. Read the rest here.

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Ken Blackwell: another look at Ohio Issue #1

image credit: sunrisehouse.com

A week or so ago, Cleveland Tea Party posted a blog examining some pros and cons of Issue #1, which will be on the ballot in November.

Today, Ken Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State, leads off his article “Ohio’s ‘Issue 1’: A Dangerous and Deadly Proposition” with:

They are at it again!  Liberal billionaires George Soros, Mark Zuckerberg and Nicholas Pritzker are attempting to force their left leaning ideology on Ohioans.

This time it’s by spending millions of dollars to weaken Ohio’s drug laws. Soros, Zuckerberg and Pritzker are the lead funders of state Issue 1, a dangerous state constitutional amendment that gives drug dealers a get out of jail free card.

They want you to believe their proposal is in line with marijuana reforms in other states. It’s not. They will say it’s in the interest of public safety, and will lead to better treatment options for addicted Ohioans. It won’t.

. . .

Drug abuse has had a disproportionate effect on Ohio families, and tragically, our state is ground zero in the fight against overdoses. Law enforcement officials are overwhelmed by the overdose crisis and we cannot afford, in terms of treasure and human suffering, more of these drugs on the streets. But that will be the legacy of Issue 1.

Read the rest here.

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Debate scheduled: Sherrod Brown vs Jim Renacci

art credit: digitaltrends.com

From Andrew J. Tobias at cleveland.com (posted yesterday):

The two major candidates for this year's Ohio Senate race will debate in Cleveland next month, organizers for the event announced Monday.

Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and his Republican challenger, Rep. Jim Renacci, have agreed to debate at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14 in Cleveland, about three weeks before the November election.

The debate will be held at the Westfield Insurance studio theater at the Idea Center in Playhouse Square, according to the nonpartisan Ohio Debate Commission, which is organizing the event.

Two veteran journalists -- Ann Fisher, of WOSU public radio in Columbus and Russ Mitchell, anchor at WKYC-TV in Cleveland -- will serve as moderators. Tickets for the event are free, and organizers say more information about how to attend will be posted on their website, www.ohiodebatecommission.org, on Tuesday.

Stay tuned.

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Constitution Day and Citizenship Day

image credit: lauruscollege.edu

Today is Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, and “the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions, and all federal agencies, provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day.” Er, one day out of the year? Nevertheless, Salena Zito reports some encouraging news:

"We must not be afraid to be free," Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black famously said in a dissent defending free expression. That appeal is germane today, especially on college campuses, professor Daniel Cullen argues.

Cullen, a professor of political science at Rhodes College, is working to engage liberal arts college students on the critical importance of the First Amendment and free speech. It's part of a program at 30 colleges and universities across the country [which] will be marking Constitution Day on September 17, the 231st anniversary of its signing.

“It is a critical moment in American society and culture to deeply reflect First Amendment traditions as they relate to the Constitution,” said Cullen of the initiative sponsored by the Jack Miller Center.

. . .

“There was a survey recently done by the Knight Foundation that found a majority of American college students today either believe incorrectly that the First Amendment prohibits hate speech, or if it doesn't, then it ought to,” he says.

Simply put, it is an entire generation forgetting that one of the proudest achievements of American democracy is that we agree to tolerate the speech we hate.

“Nevertheless it's that proposition that a majority of college students no longer accept. They don't think it's something to be proud of. They think it's an error so the question is, ‘Why?’ And I think the best answer is that they, especially the iGen generation have become highly sensitized to the harm that speech can do and the offensiveness that often goes along with speech,” he said.

. . .

Yet Cullen remains hopeful, “What we do is we try and separate truth from falsehood and truth from error, and students remain naturally intellectually curious. They want to hear the arguments for important moral viewpoints, even arguments for viewpoints that strike them as fundamentally wrong.”

Read the rest here.

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#WalkAway Campaign

 

image credit:breitbart.com 

Maybe you know one or two liberals who are having second thoughts about the Democratic party platform, tactics, and Big Government values (the opposite of Tea Party values). If so, this information will be of interest.

The headline at The Daily Signal: “Rally in Washington Will Urge Disillusioned Democrats, Leftists to ‘Walk Away’”

The organizer: actor, singer, hair stylist Brandon Straka.

The #WalkAway event: The march and rally will be held Saturday, Oct. 27. The event will start near the Democratic National Committee headquarters building on Capitol Hill and end on the lawn of the Capitol. The date is 10 days before the midterm congressional elections.

On May 26, Straka released a video of himself explaining why he was walking away from the Democratic Party and building a platform for folks who shared similar experiences. Mr. Straka can use all the help he can get, since a few days ago, his Facebook page was suspended for 30 days but then suddenly reinstated under questionable circumstances. 

The full report on the October 27 #WalkAway rally in DC is here. We Tea Party members welcome any #WalkAway red-pill takers into our community.

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Fake Weather Channel

Hurricanes are no laughing matter, but watch a few seconds of the Weather Channel tracking Hurricane Florence (YouTube), via Conservative Treehouse. Tony scar's Twitter caption:

So dramatic! Dude from the weather channel

bracing for his life,

as 2 dudes just stroll past.

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On the November ballot: Issue #1

image credit: freerepublic.com

Jeff Sanders at PJ Media reports:

Ohioans will soon be voting on Issue 1, a ballot initiative that is ostensibly about reforming drug laws, but actually is about giving "get out of jail free" cards to not only drug offenders, but dozens of other kinds of criminals in Ohio's prisons. The ballot initiative is known as "The Neighborhood Safety Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Amendment" and is a six-page amendment to the Ohio Constitution.

(You can read the actual language of the ballot, as well as pro and con arguments regarding the issue at the non-partisan voting information site, ivoters.com.)

The premise is that too many non-violent criminals are clogging up the courts and prison system and we need to get them out of prisons and back into society. Supposedly this will save the state of Ohio a ton of money. Prison expenditures should only be for violent offenders, proponents say.

Only that's not what will happen if Issue 1 passes. Here are three reasons Issue 1 is a terrible idea.

Then follows these bullet points, each one fully analyzed in the report [see the link below].

1.    Drug convictions will only count as misdemeanors

2.    It will let dangerous criminals out of prison

3.    The ballot initiative is funded by out-of-state leftists

The report concludes:

Through his Open Society Foundation, George Soros helps fund Tides, and Tides, in turn, sends money to things like this Issue 1 on the Ohio ballot. The Open Society Foundation sent $1 million to fund Issue 1. Soros knows what he's doing. He knows that his donation will allow him to own a piece of the Ohio Constitution — if Ohioans fall for it.

Why would these progressive billionaires — who won't have to live in Ohio and suffer the consequences of a bad constitutional amendment — want this in Ohio?

Issue 1 has received approximately $5 million — the vast majority of it from out of state. Now, $5 million is pocket change to Zuckerberg and Soros and their billionaire socialist pals. Is this a probe to see how well this kind of "under-the-radar" ballot initiative will do in a somewhat conservative Midwestern state? Ohio is a key swing state... wouldn't that be something if the leftists from California and New York could turn Ohio into a "forward operating base" or testing ground for their ideas about dealing with drugs?

If they are successful, it will cost them only pennies (comparatively speaking). But it will cost the citizens of Ohio plenty.

Read the rest here. And forward links to your family and friends.

(Note: The Columbus Dispatch reported on both gubernatorial candidates Mike DeWine's and Richard Cordray's positions on Issue #1 here .) 

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The Blue vs Red Wave

art credit: flickr.com

Newt Gingrich has me on his mailing list; he original published “President Trump Defines the Big Choice for 2018” at Fox News here.  Here are his opening three paragraphs:

For Republicans to win in the upcoming midterm elections, they must understand – and make clear to the American people – that November represents a big choice election, wherein voters will decide between two competing alternative universes.

If Republicans maintain – or even grow – their majorities in the House and the Senate, America will be operating in a grassroots rebellion-conservative-Republican universe after November. That will mean President Trump’s agenda will continue (and possibly accelerate). More conservative judges will join the federal bench. Our taxes and unemployment figures will remain low, while our jobs numbers, wages, and economic growth will continue to increase. Finally, our borders will be secure, our military will be strong, and our nation will prosper through free, fair, and reciprocal trade practices.

If Democrats are able to take the House and gain seats in the Senate, we will be in the media-Left-Democratic Party universe. They will oppose every Trump-Republican plan that is proposed (and likely try to impeach the President at the first frivolous opportunity). Every day will be dominated by scandals and defined by identity politics. Nominated judges will sit in limbo as the federal caseload builds – delaying justice and fair trials for many. They will raise our taxes and reverse the economic gains of the Trump Administration – causing unemployment to rise and our economy to stagnate.

The rest is here. Election countdown: 54 days till November 6.

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Remembering 9/11

The media and social media are filled today with remembrances of the 2001 attacks on 9/11. Sundance pays tribute with this photo:

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In heaven's name work for him

photo credit: nydailynews.com

Whether it is the pathetic “Anonymous” op-ed in the New York Times, or the disgraceful behavior of Colin Kaepernick, I was brought to mind of a work ethic that I came across decades ago:

If you work for a man, in heaven's name work for him! If he pays you wages that supply you your bread and butter, work for him - speak well of him, think well of him, stand by him and stand by the institution he represents. I think if I worked for a man I would work for him. I would not work for him a part of the time, and the rest of the time work against him. I would give an undivided service or none. If put to the pinch, an ounce of loyalty is worth a pound of cleverness. - Elbert Hubbard

To which I would add, if you cannot speak well of your employer, start looking for a new job. 

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Update on Richard Cordray campaign event

Cleveland Tea Party posted on Sept 5:

Guess who's coming to Cleveland? Cleveland.com reports:

Former President Barack Obama will campaign for Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Richard Cordray in Cleveland on Sept. 13, one of Obama's first electoral rallies of the 2018 midterms.

Cordray is a former Obama administration official, having served as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. . . .

The Cordray campaign did not immediately provide a time or location for the rally, other than to say in a press release it would be in the evening.

This event will be open to the public.

UPDATE from Cleveland.com:

The campaign for Richard Cordray released more details on Sunday about President Barack Obama's upcoming visit.

Obama will appear with Cordray, a Democrat running for governor, Thursday night at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District East Professional Center Gymnasium at 1349 E. 79th St. in Cleveland. An exact time for the program has not been announced, but doors to the public event will open at 5 p.m.

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The Great Divide

DC Whispers published this tweet:

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Cuyahoga County Council’s public hearing postponed

Image credit: stemgenex.com

I’ve posted twice on The Cuyahoga County Council’s intended power grab to meddle in the lives of residents. As posted earlier:

The Cuyahoga County Council has been quietly working on legislation to establish a county-wide "Human Rights Commission" that will affect every city, resident, business, and church in the county.  The three-person commission is intended to hear ALL cases of discrimination in Cuyahoga County relative to sexual orientation/gender identity.  LGBT citizens will be provided legal assistance paid for by our tax dollars.  This piece of legislation hurts business, puts our safety at risk, and punishes people of faith.   This ordinance permits biological men, who consider themselves to be a woman, to enter a woman's bathroom or locker room in "all places of public accommodation."

But the public hearing scheduled for Sept. 12 has been postponed again; I wonder if that’s a good sign. Just received an Alert from Ohio Value Voters:

The public meeting to discuss and vote on the proposed "Human Rights Commission" at the Cuyahoga County Council has been placed on HOLD (once again) and will NOT be held on September 12, 2018.

A date for the meeting has not been announced.

Previous Cleveland Tea Party blog posts are here and here.

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Twitter Permanently Bans Alex Jones – Who’s Next?

image credit: savvygirls.ca

I don’t click very often at InfoWars, which is accessible on several aggregator sites [as of this posting, the website is still up, including reports of the censorship]. But that’s not the point. Mike LaChance at Legal Insurrection has a scary report “based on new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy”:

The deplatforming of Alex Jones by social media sites should disturb you whether you are a fan or not. I’ve never been a fan of Jones or his Infowars site. I’ve never gotten past the time Jones led an angry mob against Michelle Malkin in 2008. Still, if this can be done to him it can be done to anyone.

Twitter was the last holdout of the Jones purge, but announced their decision yesterday.

Eli Blumenthal writes at USA Today:

Twitter bans conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, Infowars from social network for violating ‘abusive behavior’ policy

Alex Jones has been kicked off of Twitter.

The controversial founder of conspiracy website Infowars was banned from the social network Thursday afternoon. Both Jones’ personal account and that of his website were removed by Twitter.

“Today, we permanently suspended @realalexjones and @infowars from Twitter and Periscope,” Twitter’s official Safety account tweeted. “We took this action based on new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy, in addition to the accounts’ past violations.”

This strikes me as a violation of Jones’s First Amendment rights. As the headline says, “who’s next?” Read the rest of the Legal Insurrection account here.

UPDATE at 2:10PM via PJ Media: Alex Jones: "I’m the 'Beta Test' for Tech Companies to Start Censoring Conservatives."

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Richard Cordray's upcoming campaign event

Guess who's coming to Cleveland? Cleveland.com reports:

Former President Barack Obama will campaign for Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Richard Cordray in Cleveland on Sept. 13, one of Obama's first electoral rallies of the 2018 midterms.

Cordray is a former Obama administration official, having served as the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. . . .

The Cordray campaign did not immediately provide a time or location for the rally, other than to say in a press release it would be in the evening.

This event will be open to the public.

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REPOST: A Bad Idea from the Cuyahoga County Council

art credit: gamesageddon.com

Cuyahoga County Human Rights Commission 

REPOSTED FROM AUG 21

Cleveland Tea Party would not have a role to play in, say, the ongoing targeting of the Colorado baker who won’t produce a cake celebrating gay marriage or transgendering. However, one of the three core Tea Party values is limited government, and the Cuyahoga County Council is planning to take it upon itself to further meddle in the lives of residents. Our friends at Ohio Value Voters sent out the message below (warning: Cringe Alert). Mark your calendar, make some phone calls, or send messages:

Residents of NE Ohio

Public Testimony Requested

Wednesday, September 12 at 5:00 PM

The Cuyahoga County Council has been quietly working on legislation to establish a county-wide "Human Rights Commission" that will affect every city, resident, business, and church in the county.  The three-person commission is intended to hear ALL cases of discrimination in Cuyahoga County relative to sexual orientation/gender identity.  LGBT citizens will be provided legal assistance paid for by our tax dollars.  This piece of legislation hurts business, puts our safety at risk, and punishes people of faith.   This ordinance permits biological men, who consider themselves to be a woman, to enter a woman's bathroom or locker room in "all places of public accommodation."

On Wednesday, September 12th at 5:00 pm the County Council of Cuyahoga County, Ohio will hear public testimony against Ordinance No. O2018-0009 sponsored by: County Executive Budish and Councilmembers Brady, Miller, Houser, and Simon.  

Resources/Articles and ACTION items: 

Click Here For Council Meeting Instructions

Action Item: Tell the council (by phone/email) to Vote NO on Ordinance No. O2018-0009. Click Here for a list of Phone Numbers/Email Addresses of Council Members

Read this article, "How to think about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Policies and Religious Freedom," by Ryan T. Anderson

Resource: List of Gender Identities & Pronouns

The above linked Heritage Foundation Article is good but rather long. I found a shorter article – and it pulls no punches –zeroing in on “Marxism and Marriage” at American Thinker here. 

I also checked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which already has jurisdiction over claims related to LGBT; see here. The Cleveland Field Office website is here; its page for filing a charge of discrimination is here. So the Cuyahoga County Council's intended power-grab can also be filed under the Department of Redundancy Department.

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