It’s time to come together
After all the hard work (on all sides), it’s nice to live in a democracy where we can look back after an election and say: the People have spoken. But with Issues 1 and 2 passing by convincing margins statewide, and given that Ohio had been trending red, one also has to feel that a backlash is taking hold, that a momentum is building, all of which has tremendous implications for the key 2024 election cycle. It’s too soon to call Ohio a swing state again, but statewide elections transcend gerrymandering, and it does feel that The People are turning out to let their voice be heard. From Cleveland City Council to the Ohio Legislature, this election shows just how out of touch our politicians are from the constituents they are sworn to serve.
Ready to move on? Maybe take in a drag show/sausage-making class at Saucisson, or Akron Soul Train’s presentation of Consider This Your Trigger Warningby Cleveland poet/visual artist Raja Belle Freeman, or maybe a Secret Movie Night at the Grog Shop, or the members show & sale, with refreshments and entertainment, as the Parma Art Center celebrates their move to a new location.
Get ahead of things by staying active politically so you’re ready for next spring’s primary season and next fall’s big election. The Lorain Palace will melt down with reggae; the Cleveland Comedy Festival will stay hilarious for four whole days; the Rock Solid Fundraiser will benefit the nonprofit Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present & Future; and finally, 10 years after the initial idea, the Vietnamese Cultural Garden dedicates a new nine-foot white marble statue as the latest gem in the crown of our Cultural Gardens.
And get this: with less than a week’s notice, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture has scheduled a much-needed public session to help explain how they fund the arts. We are planning to be there, as we have lots of questions, and we hope you can attend as well. Get it on.
–Thomas Mulready