Burgess: Big election for Chillicothe and Ohio with Issue 1
When I moved to Chillicothe from Columbus in the ‘80’s, my high school journalism students wondered why. Why would anybody leave the Big City and come here — where they didn’t even have an indoor mall? Well, Columbus has lost most of its indoor malls, and Chillicothe just keeps getting better. The downtown area has been leading the way, with the restoration of the Carlisle Building, new restaurants, beautiful Yoctangee Park, the Pump House arts facility, increasing employment, and more.
Chillicothe is, after all, Ohio’s first capital, with the wonderful Tecumseh outdoor drama and much else to see in the “Foothills of Appalachia.” Now the area is starting to benefit from the World Heritage designation for our ancient American Indian complexes, as interest in and visitations to the area increase.
None of this has been accidental. Republicans and Democrats, city, county, and township have often worked together, as in building the Veterans Parkway on the west side, revitalizing that area.
And Chillicothe has had some good leadership, from one of Ohio’s first women mayors, Margie Planton, to Joe Sulzer, Jack Everson, and now Luke Feeney. Feeney has restored the Fire Services, improved the parks and city streets, and provided an outstanding role model, as the loving father, giving a speech while toting one of his two beautiful kids.
Now, we have a chance to continue the progress — or head backward. Issue 1, if passed, would guarantee us our basic freedom to run our own lives, free from medieval church doctrine, as our US Constitution promises. The 1st Amendment says that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a religion.” But if we are told a person can’t terminate her pregnancy--ever—that’s a religious attitude, held by some churches and not others. And they’ve got rich and unscrupulous political backers. If we lose this basic human right, what’s next? Many in those same churches have banned contraception in other states. Some treat women as second-class citizens in various ways, as they can’t be the head of their churches, have to cover themselves in church, and so on. What’s next? Banning science from our schools? These are the same folks who say that the first woman was created from the rib of the first man. They have a right to their views, but clearly, this kind of thinking shouldn’t be in charge of our health care or our public policies. Churches get tax breaks for their properties, so they are not supposed to be involved in politics, for this reason as well.
They call themselves “pro-life,” and advertise their love of fertilized eggs as “babies,” which they are not for several months. Then after they are born, some of the “pro-life” folks seem to care less about the actual “lives” of babies. Nor do they seem to care about the mothers--who have to carry babies and bear them—risking their lives as women do in childbirth. Often, mothers, forced to bear a child, are left penniless and alone to raise the actual babies. Sadly, some “pro-life” folks tend to oppose health-care for-all programs, or more support for public schools, or housing, or anything else that helps average citizens, if it comes from reasonable taxation on wealth. Nor do they care how a woman or young girl becomes pregnant, possibly preyed upon or even raped.
And current events in the Middle East illustrate the un-wisdom of organizing a nation around a single religion. Let’s don’t go that route.
It’s too bad the sincerely religious, who believe they are morally right claiming to be pro-life, don’t realize they are being used by unscrupulous politicians and wealthy tax-evaders—who can afford to send their own wives, daughters, or girlfriends or to another country for an abortion they work to ban here in America.If you agree, vote yes on Issue 1, which will reaffirm our rights in family matters and religion. Keep “ancient” Chillicothe in the 21st Century.
Jack Burgess is a retired teacher of American & Global Studies.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Burgess: Ohio can progress with Issue I or move backward
