U.S.A. — “Issue 1 would raise the requirement for approval to 60 percent and make it far more difficult (some say impossible) to get issues on the ballot,” the Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Board asserts in a July 19 Democrat talking point promotion piece. “Here’s why we oppose Issue 1 and urge voters to soundly reject handing over more of their rights to self-serving politicians.”
The Board, we are told, “includes two editors and four community members.” Who?
“August elections are wrong, if not illegal,” the Board insists, providing no evidence to back up the allegation, such as a successful court challenge to disallow the election, and relying instead on the unsubstantiated opinion that turnout will be small and $20M will be wasted, “further stressing overworked local boards of elections.”
If August elections are such a rarity, how that overworks the boards is left unstated.
“Voters can be trusted to do the right thing,” the Board asserts. “First, Ohio voters are smarter than politicians give us credit for.”
That must be why major urban areas in Ohio are crime-infested Democrat hellholes. They’re counting on the populous urban vote imposing socialism and citizen disarmament on traditional heartland residents and turning Ohio into another Illinois.
“Majority rules in a democracy,” the Board declares.
You know, just like the Constitution says things should work in that section about two wolves and a sheep. What does it take to amend the federal Constitution again?
“Citizens should preserve their power,” the Board proclaims.
Curiously that same Board never came across a Second Amendment infringement it didn’t demand, despite the right of the people to keep and bear arms being the most egalitarian power-sharing arrangement ever conceived.
“It’s bad policy for conservatives,” the Board warns.
Right. You can believe them because Democrat “journalists” have always had Republicans’ best interests at heart.
“Republicans lied about motives,” the Board accuses.
So much for having their best interests at heart.
“Let Ohioans vote fairly on abortion, other issues,” the Board urges.
Some things, like rights, aren’t up for a majority vote. Wolves and sheep again.
“One-party rule harms Ohio,” the Board warns. “We would oppose Issue 1 even if the tables were turned and Democrats were pushing this concept.”
Sure. It’s easy to say that because they know Democrats would never propose anything that would diminish “our democracy”/majority rule.
“Akron Beacon Journal Editorial Exemplifies Clueless, Lazy And Biased Media Coverage,” I wrote over a decade ago, demonstrating the paper’s pompous narrative parroting of the Operation Fast and Furious Inspector General’s report. They haven’t changed a bit, nor have the papers in other Ohio cities.
This means if Ohio gun owners want to see the other side of Issue 1 and how it directly affects their interests, they’re going to need to get the information from someone else.
Fortunately, the grassroots Buckeye Firearms Association is on top of things, promoting information to spread the truth and challenge the “4 Big Lies Opponents are Spreading about Ohio Issue 1”:
LIE No. 1: Issue 1 is radical and undemocratic.
That’s not only a lie. It’s laughable. As I’ve already pointed out, changing a constitution is supposed to be difficult — more difficult than changing ordinary laws.
LIE No. 2: Issue 1 destroys citizen-driven ballot initiatives.
No. It does no such thing. Issue 1 deals with amending Ohio’s constitution. That’s it. It does not affect initiated statutes to change Ohio law or referendums to repeal an existing law. Citizens will continue to have the ability to directly change Ohio’s laws, in addition to working with elected leaders to pass laws.
LIE No. 3: Issue 1 is all about empowering wealthy special interests.
That’s a ridiculous claim. The whole point of Issue 1 is to prevent special interests from using their spending power to buy their way onto Ohio’s ballot and amend our constitution for their personal benefit.
LIE No. 4: Issue 1 ends majority rule and undermines “one person, one vote.”
That’s not only a lie, but a damned lie. Issue 1 has nothing whatsoever to do with voting rights. Everyone who can vote now will be able to vote when Issue 1 passes. And nothing will change about how votes are counted.
Imagine that: Democrats and the DSM lying to make “majority rule” changes to the state constitution and enact more infringements as a population they’re working hard to change grows in numbers. For example, per immigration cheerleader New American Economy:
“Between 2014 and 2019 the region’s population grew by 6.4 percent, with the immigrant population growing by 22.2 percent. In the City of Columbus, immigrants accounted for 29.5 percent of the population growth between 2014 and 2019.”
They’re not jazzed up because they think that once the legal immigrants are naturalized and the illegal ones are put on a “pathway to citizenship,” they’ll vote Republican. What’s baffling is how the Democrats can be in-your-face about it, and all the major gun groups are scared to object lest the Democrats and media, who hate them regardless, say mean things about them.
And while Ohio may yet be nominally Republican for a while longer, the “No on Issue 1” forces have the advantages of high-profile support from media influencers, the League of Women Voters, the ACLU (despite their own bylaws requiring 60% votes), the Democrats, and more. Just anecdotally, in my hometown, which in the past had been reliably Republican until the idiots in charge reshaped our district and forced Democrats down our throats, “No on 1” signs have been cropping up, but I didn’t even see a “Yes” sign until a few days ago when one went up in front of our (still) Republican state senator’s house.
Issue 1 supporters can’t count on getting a fair shake in the media, which increasingly portrays them as “a basket of deplorables” (and that’s being nice). As usual, it’s up to them to educate themselves and spread the word.
If you’re an Ohio gun owner, do that now, and then make sure everyone within your sphere of influence is motivated to vote “Yes on Issue 1.” If you don’t, no one else will.
The election is August 8, and early voting has already started.
“Ohio Issue 1 draws large voter turnout in the first week of early voting,” NBC’s WKYC TV affiliate reports. “In the first week of early voting, over 155,000 Ohioans have already voted.”
Compare that to the Beacon Journal Editorial Board warning, “turnout could be less than 10 percent, which if true, means a very small minority of Ohioans would be making a decision with lasting implications.”
Wrong again. The boobs evidently can’t even coordinate their talking points.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
