This is a quote from Adam Kinzinger former US Representative from Illinois–a Republican. At first I was shocked but after considering the conduct of the Republican Party and in particular Ohio., I must agree with Representative Kinzinger. When the reactionary US Supreme Court overturned Roe Vs Wade the Republican controlled Ohio legislature passed a draconian anti abortion law–so severe that about 80%^ of Ohioans opposed it. When a 10 year old child was raped and impregnated, she had to go to Indiana for an abortion. Our Republican Attorney General said he did not believe that this had happened and when he finally had to face the act, he did not apologize. When the right to an abortion made it onto the ballot, Our Secretary of State when summarizing the issue on the ballot was suppose to present the issue in a neutral presentation. This did not happen. He repeatedly referred the embryo as the unborn child.
Next is gerrymandering. Ohio is one of the most gerrymandered state in the nation. Repeatedly getting rid of it failed when confronted by the legislature controlled by Republicans. Finally, spearheaded by the former Ohio Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Maureen O’Connor the issue made it onto the ballot but hold on! Our Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose presented a purposely confusing summary. O’Connor appealed the purposely confusing summary to the Ohio Supreme People, but this did not succeed, and the confusing and misleading ballot was voted on. Pople who wanted to get rid of gerrymandering voted no thinking this would get rid of gerrymandering. But, alas! No. Voting no actually meant you wanted to keep it. What happened, it failed and we still have gerrymandering. The Columbus Dispatch Opinion article of Wednesday, April, 16,2025 titled Ohio Republicans embrace strategy of confusing Ohioans at the polls. Alex Triantafilou bragged about confusing voters. Get the article and rea it. Michael Lederman, author of the article, says that Because we Ohio voters do not have fair representation in our elections, the Ohio state government has been rife with corruption for years.
When I first voted, I went to the poling place, I was asked my name. I was found, signed my name, it matched my previous signature and I was good to go. Not now! No sir. We must have a valid photo ID. In Texas your gun permit is ok but not a photo student ID. If someone does not have a driver’s license that person must go to the BMV to get a picture ID. Question…how do they get there? Uber, taxi bus get a friend to take them. More people of color do not have a car so the onus of getting a picture ID falls on them more than white people and keep in mind minorities tend to vote Democrat. By the way these voter suppression techniques are put into place by our gerrymandered Republican legislature. Hold on they are not done.,,no sir; not by a long shot. In order to drop off a ballot, there is only drop box. (Houston is in an enormous county with only one drop box)–not convenient. Of course not and it is not meant to be convenient. I can not just drop off my wife’s and my ballot. Nope, that would be too easy. In order to drop off my wife ballot, I must go inside the board of election and fill out paper work and I just cannot drop off my bed ridden neighbors. I fail to do this it is a felony.
Why did they do this. Within my life time, white people will no longer be in the majority, so if Republicans want to stay in power, they must make it difficult or just disenfranchise people of color. Like representative Kinzinger says; “Republicans do not believe in democracy.”