Voice of the People: Concerned about Gesiotto Gilbert, Tim Ryan's views on abortion

Republican not fresh face we need

Many people are calling for “fresh faces” in Washington, D.C., and say Madison Gesiotto Gilbert is just the person we need to represent the residents of Summit County. A quick look at her record speaks to the contrary. She tweeted “[Donald] Trump accurately pointed out the immense number of people on the ground to support our President and election integrity!” during the Jan. 6 insurrection. Gilbert has demonstrated that she’s the wrong person for the job.

Gilbert is an extremist and former Trump surrogate who has supported abortion restrictions without exceptions. She has invoked racist dog-whistles in response to the murder of George Floyd and criticized Republicans for their failure to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. Gilbert also supported the so-called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which reduced taxes on wealthy corporations, allowing them to move jobs overseas. Additionally, Gilbert has falsely claimed that abortion is the No. 1 killer of Black women.

Gesiotto Gilbert has a divisive and combative history making her entirely wrong for our county and our country. Fortunately, Emilia Sykes gives voters a better option and a better future for Summit County.

Catherine Basile, Cuyahoga Falls

Ryan's abortion views troubling

Support for Tim Ryan as Ohio's next senator was proposed in an Oct. 16 column by John Bridgeland that was heavily geared toward the fact that he grew up in the Midwest and continues to foster regional values. It then became a big stretch when he suggests Ryan also represents Midwestern values. How can this be as he voted for two 2003/2004 bills — the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (House Resolution 760, sponsor Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio) and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (introduced in the Senate by Sen. Mike DeWine and passed in the House as House Resolution 1997), but then, despite being a “good Catholic,” he changed his mind after he had his first child. And not to go halfway, he supports all abortions. So much for pain avoidance.

Philip Leber, Akron

Support Wadsworth library renewal

The Wadsworth Public Library has a levy coming up on Election Day. This is not an increase or a new tax; it is just a renewal of a tax that is already in place.

As 43-year residents of Wadsworth, we encourage our friends and neighbors to support this levy on Nov. 8. We deeply appreciate the many benefits our beautiful library provides: new books to read, movies to watch, interesting programs, services and educational opportunities. There are also convenient meeting rooms available for use by community residents and organizations.

According to a study by the Ohio Library Council, for every $1 invested in Ohio’s public libraries, residents receive a $4.98 return on investment.

Dave and Leslie Critchfield, Wadsworth

Tim Miller shows courage

We want to express our gratitude to the 12 members of the Ohio State Board of Education who voted to refer the resolution entitled “Resolution To Support Parents, Schools, and Districts In Rejecting Harmful, Coercive, and Burdensome Gender Identity Policies” to the executive committee ("Ohio's state school board pushes back vote on anti-LGBTQ resolution," Oct. 16). We especially want to thank board member Tim Miller (District 10), who made the motion of referral. We are heartened by the compassion and courage displayed by Miller, particularly since his District 10 seat is on the 2022 ballot. He and 11 other board members recognized that this resolution would have a lasting and negative impact on students, educators and school district funding.

We think it is important to highlight that while the resolution author, Brendan Shea (District 5), specifically mentions his Christian faith in his bio (and religious language appears in the resolution), and Miller does not, it was the latter who displayed a better understanding of our Christian tradition’s commandment to love our neighbors. We have no idea if Miller subscribes to Christianity, and it doesn’t matter. But we, like many Christians in Ohio, are weary of our faith being weaponized to legislate morality and used as a shield with false claims of persecution when hypocrisy is brought into the light. We believe Ohio is a better place as a multi-faith and multi-ethnic democracy and our mandate to love our neighbor requires that we consider the wants and needs of everyone. It is our sincere hope that even as we learned the Executive Committee will meet on Oct. 31, the members of the committee will choose to focus on doing what is right for all Ohio students, not seek to score easy political points, and certainly not use their faith as a litmus test for what is right for all Ohioans.

The Rev. Jon Osmundson, Hilliard United Methodist Church, Hilliard, and Pastor Hank Osmundson, Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio and St. John’s United Church of Christ, Columbus

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Readers criticize candidates Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, Tim Ryan