January 18, 2013 · 3:04 am

My Abbruzzi Heritage,By Louise Annarino,1-17-2013

MY ABBRUZZI HERITAGE,By Louise Annarino,1-17-2013ImageAngelo and Louise Abbruzzi,My Maternal Grandparents,By Louise Annarino

My mother Angela often told me stories about her family, their journey to America and their struggles as new immigrants. It is not unlike the struggles of current immigrants from Latin America, Somalia and the Mid-East.

Angelo Abbruzzi,her father, grew up in a village on a hillside above Naples called Benevento. He had a twin brother, Pat and brothers Peter, and Joseph; and one sister, Antoinette. When he and his siblings entered through Ellis Island, they found themselves separated into different lines to await processing. Some of his family were recorded correctly with the surname Abbruzzese; but Angelo and another brother had an unsolicited name change to Abbruzzi.

Angelo served in the Italian Army before immigrating to America and became a skilled stone carver. He found work carving the decorative lintels and corners of NYC skyscrapers. He returned to Italy to visit family and discovered the love of his life in Benevento. My grandmother, Louise DiBella (or perhaps DiBelli,or Iabelli;Blame Ellis Isle again!) had returned to her village from Brazil, while Angelo was in America.

Louise was born in Benevento, one of 4 children: brother Severio and sisters Maria and Rosaria. At the age of 7 her mother died and her father relocated his small family to Brazil, where he bought land and developed a coffee plantation. When Louise reached the age of 15 she was sent back to relatives in Italy to learn how to be a proper young lady. Her family might say she failed miserably, but I think she was a raging success.

She was smitten by the young man from NYC who carved art into stone and marble; and, he, by her. He went back to New York to raise money for her passage since he was not one whom her family would have approved as a husband. Before he left for New York, he hired musicians to play Neopolitan love songs beneath her window every night while he was away. Both my Mother and Grandmother hummed and sang these songs as they worked about their kitchens.

As soon as he had sufficient funds Angelo returned to Benevento, and the two young people immigrated to America. They were married after they arrived, at St. Benedetto Church in NYC, and settled in Bronx, NY. Later, they moved to Staten Island, NY. Louise never saw her family again, but did keep up written correspondence with her sister in Brazil. Angela remembers reading those letters to her mother and writing a response since Louise was not able to read, nor write. When her father died she was not able to claim her inheritance, lacking fare to South America.

Angelo and Louise had 10 children: August, 18 month old twins who died from influenza,  Tony, Ursula, Pat, Michael, Joseph, Angela, and Carmella. Many nights Angelo brought home with him children whom he found sleeping on the streets; offering them affection, a seat at the dinner table and warm place to sleep for the night. This did not sit well with the more practical Louise who found it difficult to feed her own children. But, Angelo simply told her to add a little water to the sauce or soup and stretch it so all could eat. Angelo was generous in other ways. He loved his garden, where he grew not only vegetables, which Louise approved, but wondrous flowers which took up vegetable space. He cross pollinated flowers to create new variations and people came from as far as New Jersey to get his seeds and plants, which he freely gave away rather than sell.

The family was very poor. At a young age, Angelo developed high blood pressure.At that time there was no treatment. He was forcefully retired as a stone carver since his employer feared the possibility of stroke or heart attack made it dangerous to work at such heights. No one would hire him until he found work pulling a garbage cart through the streets, collecting rubbish etc. It was never enough to support his family. He developed severe asthma from spending hours picking through slag and coke piles near the railroad to find enough unspent coal to heat the coal stove which provided the only source of warmth for his children.

The children scoured the streets looking for small jobs. And Mike often came home with a  bottle of milk filched from someone’s front stoop. Angela started cleaning houses for others at the age of 6, scrubbing floors until her small hands were raw from the lye soap. In this way she raised money to buy herself sandals to wear for her First Communion.She and her younger sister Carmela “Millie” would save a few pennies to buy penny bags from a local store. These bags contained stale candy the owner could not sell to anyone else. They felt they had a rare treat when they could afford one of these bags.

Occasionally, they would notice men gambling in the alley, coins piled as they rolled dice on the pavement. They would yell shrilly, “jiggedy, the cops!”, alerting them to police about to catch them. The men would run away, leaving the pile of coins in their haste and the kids would scoop up the money and run in the opposite direction. There were not really any cops!

And still, strange children showed up at every meal, and Louise sighed as she added water to whatever was on the menu. Louise made her own sauce from their garden tomatoes, garlic etc. She made her own pasta and hung it on lines stretched along the backyard to dry in the sun. Nothing went to waste. The family relied on “home relief”, which today we call welfare, and considered FDR their savior. When the boys were old enough they left for CCC camps, where they learned how to pour cement, lay block, cut wood, build cabins, string electricity etc. None of them ever hired a contractor to build their homes;they built them together from digging out the basement to putting on the roof.

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Angela first spoke English when she went to school. Italian was spoken in their home, at church, and on the radio. She skipped 2 grades and graduated from high school at the age of 16; the only one of her family to graduate. Her first job was, unbelievably, as Society Editor for the Staten Island News. By the time she was 18 she was an executive assistant for the President and CEO of a chemical company in Perth Amboy,NJ. During the war, he traveled on behalf of the war effort so Angela ran the plant. While attending a Catholic Youth Council -CYC dance at her church, she was introduced to a sailor named Angelo Annarino, from Newark, Ohio, who would become my father.

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January 16, 2013 · 3:59 am

A Nation of Cowardly Lions?, Louise Annarino,1-15-2013

A Nation of Cowardly Lions?,Louise Annarino,1-15-2013

 

For the last one-half hour I have played solitaire in an effort to stop myself from writing thsi post. My anger and disgust had built to a fever pitch as I listened to comments made by those who promulgate hate by building fear, in particular using racial fear to fuel anger  and division, blaming their fears on our president. Ann Coulter explains to us that we have a minorities/demographic problem;not a gun problem. I guess that explains how President Obama,is the real problem. Hannity was very appreciative of her racism,um I mean insight.

Rep.John Boehner (R-OH) says he may need to shut down government by blocking the vote to raise the debt limit and pay our bills for “(Republican)party management” purposes. Blaming the president for paying bills authorized by Congress is something new; and,meant to undermine our president. Mr. Boehner,here’s a reminder: Country first,then party second equals patriotism.Harming the nation to harm a president is unpatriotic at best.

And now,republicans are discussing impeachment if the president raises the debt ceiling,or regulates guns. HAve they ever threatened a Republican president for seeking such actions? No. They have been trying to find grounds,reasonable or not,to impeach Obama since his first inauguration. Why would we expect them to stop now?

The eagerness with which Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) vowed to do anything it takes to stop Obama’s acting like a king or monarch in expectation of executive action to put in place reasonable regulations on guns…the week-long litany of an upcoming civil war…the lies circulating on facebook and arriving in my email from otherwise reasonable persons arguing we must stop Obama from working with the United Nations to destroy our 2d Amendment and take away our guns and ammo…and equally inane (yes,stupid,baseless,racist and ridiculous in the extreme)conspiracy theories are causing me to loathe many of my fellow citizens. Almost, I would guess, as much as they have come to loathe me. And that is the danger here.

Racist fear mongering is not new. I get it. Political demagoguery is not new. I get it. Manipulating the ordinary citizen to keep power and amass wealth is not new. I get it. Dividing the 98% so the 2% can get away with anything is not new. I get it. What I don’t get is how silent the leaders of business,politics,religion,news media and average citizens have become;and,how unconcerned they seem to be. SIlence is not an option in the face of evildoing. And what these emails, speeches, commentaries and blatant lies are doing is evil. They are making us fear and hate each other, threaten the financial and political stability of the nation,and create an environment ripe for violence.

The hypocrisy of the NRA to blame vidoe games for gun violence;then,issue a video game for ages 4 and up to shoot up coffins stuns the conscience.The frothing-at-the-mouth NRA spokeman and supporter shouting down Piers Morgan for offering statistics on American versus world-wide gun deaths outrages common decency. Threatening to shoot the president if he regulates guns should make a Tennessee man a criminal, not a celebrity.

I must keep reminding myself that individuals who take these positions are a very small yet vocal minority,influenced and persuaded by a well-funded but even smaller group of news moguls,CEOs and great pirates,gun manufacturers and arms merchants. I expect such greedy power seekers to act this way. I don’t expect my compatriots to fall for such shenanigans, or seeing them, remain silent.

I can tolerate differences of opinion. I cannot tolerate lies and hate. I don’t expect everyone to understand the law as I do, having studied and practiced it. Nor do I expect them to know the full history and context for the passage of the 2d amendment. But if they don’t know what they are talking about, they should take the time to learn something before simply repeating the garbage they get in their inboxes across the internet via email and facebook etc. We are living in a cultural milieu which creates deranged persons who kill with insensitivity. Failure to change the milieu, to challenge those who oppose such change,and to support those who do is wrong. It cannot be justified by indifference,ignorance or racism. We cannot simply join in and not take responsibility for our actions.

We treat our returning soldiers,who lived among violence,see those around them be maimed or killed, and possibly kill others over a period of a few years, for PTSD,post traumatic stress disorder. Yet, we allow our children to live among violence from infancy and into adulthood, watch their family and friends be maimed or killed, and possibly kill others. What they experience is not PTSD because it never ends. It is OTSD ongoing traumatic stress disorder.

But we sit silently while Ann Coulter and others blame those children of our inner cities, many of whom are minorities, for our violence problem. No,Ms. Coulter, minorities are not the problem; we white people are the problem,we of white-flight,neighborhood gentrification and relocation,gated communities,dislike of paying progressively higher taxes on our higher incomes,refusal to approve school levies,off-shoring jobs. We have created OTSD; and, blaming it on an African-American president, undermining his ability to lead a nation of people whose color we fear…that is the problem! And it is your hypocrisy and lies which prevent us from solving our problem. If we must  be afraid of anything, we must be afraid of our own cowardice.

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January 14, 2013 · 2:43 pm

Stolen Nights,Louise Annarino,1-14-2013

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,Louise Annarino,1-14-2013

Stolen nights

give way to

give-away days

where nothing goes right

and no one

can be good

or enough

for me.

The air seems too thin

to inflate

the ego of distaste

for a body too frail

to tolerate

a push

of caffeine.

One bag of tea

and one old bag

of me

are not a good mix

and nix any dreams

of normalcy.

To be free

to sleep

to dream

to rise with the dawn

and the stamina

to go on

and make a day

so strong

illness cannot make

me give it away

for nothing.

Is that too much to ask?

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January 14, 2013 · 7:03 am

Neither Democrats Nor Republicans Can Afford To Act Like Sheep,Louise Annarino,1-14-2013

Neither Democrats Nor Republicans Can Afford To Be Sheep,Louise Annarino,1-14-2013

“A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.”
 Edward R. Murrow  

My first foray into political activism began when I read about apartheid in Rhodesia and South Africa. My eight year old mind was stunned at the racism which was stamped “approved” by the Rhodesian government. Even more shocking was its apparent acceptance by the United States. I had heard about boycotts,and their use to end segregation. Thus,I could not understand why we were a willing trade partner spending millions of dollars in Rhodesia. My father suggested I ask his childhood friend and our congressman, Rep.John Ashbrook (R-OH) about this when he held his next week-end office hours. I made an appointment for the following saturday. At 10 a.m. I found myself dressed in my sunday best outside the door to his office at the Licking County Court House, nervous but serious about getting answers.

Congressman Ashbrook respectuflly overlooked my awkward effort to hoist my short self up into a chair placed before his desk. He did not even smile at the picture of my legs sticking straight out,too short to even bend over the edge of the seat. He took my concerns seriously and respectfully explained the realities of global politics. At that time Rhodesia was the largest producer of chromium, which we sorely needed for miltary and defense industries. He explained why we needed it and what we had to overlook to get it. He agreed that it was a deal with the devil and not to be taken lightly. He promised to put pressure on Rhodesia and South Africa to end apartheid, to seek alternative sources of chromium and other trade items with countries practicing apartheid, and to look for other ways to address the issue of racism.

Every time anyone in Congress discussed an issue realted to my concerns or new related legislation was introduced he mailed me copies of the legislation and or discussion printed in the congressional record. Over the years,until his sudden death while running for the U.S. Senate, we corresponded on a variety of issues. Few of which we took similar positions on. By then I had become a registered Democrat,but remained an appreciative constituent of the ultra-conservative John Ashbrook. I was starting to love politics.

When Sen.John F. Kennedy ran for president I was ten years old. All of my friends,and the nuns at school,swooned over his good looks and were thrilled to support a Catholic candidate. Our religion and patriotism was under attack by democratic Senator Hubert Humphrey during the primary,and I decided to set the record straight. I researched American history,looking for Catholics who had served in government as patriots to illustrate the ill-considered attacks made against Sen.Kennedy’s ability to lead the country without allowing Catholism or the papacy guide his decisions. By the time I was finished I had ten pages of Catholic patriots on my list.

I learned that the father of the U.S. Navy John Barry,the first captain commissioned by the Continental Congress refused 100,000 British pounds to dessert the American navy and captain any British ship of his choosing. He was outraged. John Fitzgerald was General George Washington’s private secretary during the Revolutionary War. The treasurer who held and disbursed funds during the revolution was Catholic as well as two signers of the U.S. Constitution one who a signed the Declaration of Independence. Lafayette and Pulaski were Catholic. Page after page I listed individuals entrusted by fellow patriots to serve and protect the cause of revolution and the establishment of the new government. I mailed the list to Sen. Kennedy and asked him to use it to put Humphrey and others in their place when they used Catholicism to cast a cloud over Kennedy’s ability to lead the nation. I still have the letter Sen. Kenndy sent in response,thanking me for the information. Imagine my surprise a year later when he quoted from my list during the general election debate, when Vice-President Richard Nixon brought up the issue. My Republican Dad was cheering on Kennedy and patting me on the back for a job well done. I was hooked on politics.

It was years later,while an intern at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office the summer between my second and third year of law school that I really began to understand the inner workings of political institutions, and the people who run them. I did not expect politics to intercept law so easily. The tension between the two is a strong undercurrent. Fortunately,most individuals handle it deftly,appropriately, and ethically. Those who don’t are called to account. What amazes me is not that some try to manipulate government institutions,including courts,for political and economic gain;but that so few do so. Also, the ready aceptance of bi-partisan cooperation,until recently,has been quite impressive.

I recall a case in which the state of Ohio hoped for an outcome which would protect the state and state coffers. However, Ohio law dictated a different outcome, unless we could find strong precedent which would allow the Ohio Supreme Court to oveturn Ohio law on the issue before it. The Democratic AG and the Republican-led Supreme Court each knew that the failure of the legislature to change the law earlier had brought the state to this unfortunate impasse. Several interns worked around the clock to find a case strong enough for the court to hang its hat on. They succeeded and the state’s interest,and taxpayer’s interest was served by the court’s final decision. Politics and law at a crossroads is an exciting intersection for a legal intern.

What I abhorred was the quiet assumption that government workers would donate to political parties,increasing their chances of retaining their positions. This was not stated outright. No such request was ever made. But one could see that attending political events,fund-raisers and showing party support bolstered one’s professional standing whether democratic or republican. I decided I wanted no part of politics. I just wanted to practice law and rise or fall on my merits,not on my political contributions.

After law school,I worked for the non-profit Legal Aid Society of Columbus where my focus was on my clients and the law,without the subtle pressure of financing candidates or political parties. I continued to volunteer for candidates,make contributions to their campaigns, knock on doors, stuff envelopes,do lit drops etc. But these efforts were unrelated to my practice of law. When I left the Legal Aid Society five years later to become Associate Director Of Legal Affairs at Ohio University I made sure during my interview that the position would not be a political appointment, and that I would never be asked to contribute to a specific candidate or party. I was assured that was the case.

However, when the next Attorney General was elected he realized Ohio law had not been strictly followed by his predecessors and announced he would do so. Ohio law stated that only the Attorney General could represent a state agency or institution in any hearing or court,before any agency or commission. The hiring of each attorney by state universities would require approval by the Attorney General, and each attorney would be appointed his Assistant Attorney General. I was right back where I had started!

When I met with the Attorney General he agreed that no one from his staff would ever request my political participation in,nor contribution to any political event or campaign. And, he never disappointed me. Nor did he allow my failure to attend such events to color his view of my professional performance and standing with his office. Other attorneys were appalled at my unwillingness to mingle politics and my legal practice. But,I refused to be a sheep and follow the flock. It would be too easy to be eaten by the wolves which surely would appear. It only takes a few wolves to decimate a flock.

When I see what is happening in republican political circles I worry about all those republicans who are fair and reasonable,who seek consensus, who prefer bi-partisan discussion, and who understand that legislation can be improved by listening and learning from the other side of the aisle. They have allowed wolves to come among them in sheeps clothing. Democrats are not immune from such an incursion,especially if they act like sheep. We are watching too many republicans being eaten alive not to understand it can happen to democrats as well. No one in either party can afford to act like sheep.

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January 13, 2013 · 4:45 pm

The Quietest World War in History,Louise Annarino,1-13-2013

The Quietest World War in History,Louise Annarino,1-13-2013

 

Drones have enabled the west to fight a world war without its citizens being aware. These unmanned silent ships of surveillance cruise the world directed from afar. U.S. and RAF pilots control these flights from Nevada, except for the initial take-off and landing which are controlled by companion crews where the drones are physically maintained.1

The United States,unlike Britain also uses armed drones to attack targets the drone has isolated; the RAF uses conventional weapons once the drone has isolated a target. U.S. surveillance drones are also used by French forces to guide air attacks. The U.N. relies upon drone surveillance to understand threats to nations around the globe,and make appropriate decisions calling for intervention. Nowhere is this more evident than in the growing threat from Islamist rebels aligned with Al Quaeda in northern Africa known as A.Q.I.M. (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), where troops from 15 nation regional block the Economic Community of West African States known as ECOWAS are being trained by the European Union.2

This world war is as different from the Cold War as the Cold War was from WWII,which differed from WWI. But, it is as widespread and threatens the survival of nations, and kills both combatants and civilians. There are at least two notable differences: First,the lack of awareness by citizens of the west that they are engaged in a world war; a war which will not end with the withdrawl of conventional troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. and second, the lack of attention we citizens of the west pay to media accounts.

There is growing concern over the backlash of the use of drones. However, the alternative to the use of drones would be far worse. There would undoubtedly be more civilian deaths,more combat deaths and injuries for soldiers on both sides,more property destruction,higher numbers of refugees,more danger to our troops etc.1 We must question,however,whether this reduced impact of war by the use of drones merely extends its duration by lessening our attention and outrage.

President Obama and Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel share a world view that war is hell and we only go to war when asolutely necessary. Each seems to  understand far better than we that we are engaged in a different kind of war, a war where acts of terror are the weapon of choice by those bent upon the destruction of western economic,social, and religious dominance. Such a war cannot be fought with conventional methods. President Obama and Chuck Hagel are ready to restructure the Pentagon and the military industrial complex. The military and industrial complex is fighting back. Companies which manufacture conventional weapons fear lost revenues should they be forced to compete with high-tech robotics industries, or re-tool conventional arms to high-tech arms manufacturing plants. It is all about the bottom line for them. It cannot be so for the nation,nor for the security of its citizens.

Our national security depends upon a new methodology,one understood and currently deployed to maximum effect possible by President Obama. It behooves us to pay attention and to understand the need for change he suggests. A smaller overseas military footprint; development of new technology to reduce civilian deaths,increase certainty as to terrorist targets,use of surveillance for broader objectives etc. is our future.3 Beating swords into plowshares must still be our goal;but,how we get to that place is changing. However,we cannot condemn what we do not understand. The silence is deafening and Hagel’s Senate confirmation hearing will be more about protecting the financial interest of private contrators and arms manufacturers than our country. The dones may be silent. We need not be. We must not be.

1.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9552547/The-air-force-men-who-fly-drones-in-Afghanistan-by-remote-control.html

2.http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/world/africa/french-airstrikes-push-back-islamist-rebels-in-mali.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130113

3.http://www.popsci.com/category/tags/drones

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January 12, 2013 · 5:43 pm

MISBEHAVE A LITTLE,by Louise Annarino,1-11-2013

Misbehave a Little,Louise Ananrino 1-11-2013

The people who were trying to make the day worse

were not taking the day off. 

Why should I?

Bob Marley

It is tiring to be a change agent. Whether one is a writer, activist, educator,or politician the day-to-day grind takes its toll. But, failing to write,be involved,teach or legislate for positive change is not an option in a democratic republic. Those who raise questions, challenge the status quo,post on facebook pages,knock on doors,make phone calls,write letters to the editor,speak up in meetings,add unpalatable topics to agendas and otherwise interfere with business as usual are not trouble-makers but patriots.The Chuck Hagels of the world are too far and in between.

 

Backlash like backwash is never pretty. It carries the flotsam and jetsam of petty jealousy and fear. Leaders too often react as if activists’ suggestions for change are criticisms of their leadership rather than a course correction of the effort in which they are each engaged. Leaders fear being shamed, replaced or made obsolete, especially when grassroots activists engage in the process of evaluating their common effort. We have no time for such emotional attachment to correctness while opposing forces marshall against our gains and plot our losses.Those engaged in the effort to make the day better do not have the luxury of sitting on their laurels, as Sister Robertine,OP used to warn her students. Women get this more easily than men. Perhaps because they are seldom ceded power.They paste it on bumper stickers with the phrase “well-behaved women seldom make history.”

 

Ego too often gets in the way of real change. Thus, we must continue to urge change and not take the day off. We must set aside focus on individuals, and focus on the enterprise itself. Those with overdeveloped egos have trouble doing this. Like weightlifters who overwork muscle groups they sometimes get too big for their britches. This is something we are all prone to do.Thus,we all must fight against it. Bloggers,educators,party leaders and politicians must welcome comments no matter how uncomfortable, because comments stimulate new ideas and offer insights otherwise unavailable to them. And, this is why diversity is so helpful to reaching well-developed strategies and positions. This is why Chuck Hagel is needed at the Pentagon.

 

So,take time to comment whenever you can. Your input matters. You are what makes democracy work. Misbehave a little. As we would say in the 60’s, “Tell it like it is!”

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January 12, 2013 · 2:41 pm

FORGIVEN,Louise Annarino,1-12-2013

FORGIVEN,Louise Annarino,1-12-2013

 

Stripped away,

guilt lay

a plutonium ash

across the top of my shoes.

“i’m sorry” too heavy

a phrase to free me

from your tears.

But, your hydrogen

laughter bubbling

over my feet

is strong enough

to lift the weight

of my guilt

and I rise

toe over heel

in stockinged feet

weightless,

guiltless,

forgiven.

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January 10, 2013 · 5:12 pm

NO TED STRICKLAND NOR AFRICAN AMERICANS,By Louise Annarino,1-10-2012

NO TED STRICKLAND NOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS,By Louise Annarino,January 10,2012

 

Sutton, Ryan, Fitgerald. What do they have in common? Each is considered a potential candidate for governor of Ohio. Each is white. The Democratic Party often chides the Republican Party for its lack of diversity. Maybe Democrats should look at the glass ceiling within their own party. Why are no African-American candidates mentioned as potential candidates, now that Governor Strickland has announced his disinterest in the position?

 

It cannot be said that Democrats have no potential African-American candidates capable of serving as governor. There are  several ready to take that position today:

-Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory who has served in both the Ohio House and Ohio Senate, where he served as the Assistant Minority Leader.

-4th term by a landslide, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, the first African-American mayor of Ohio’s capitol.

-State of Ohio Senator Nina Turner (SD25), who has gained national attention for her strong defense of voting rights and women’s rights.

 

While it is true that racism impedes the election of African-Americans in Ohio, the problem is much more complex. http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2012/11/electing_black_statewide_offic.html No African-American Democratic candidate has been elected to statewide office; but, three African-American Republicans have done so.

 

Democrats must ask, what are we doing wrong? Instead we seem to accept this dilemma as a reason to shy away from promoting African-American candidates for statewide office. U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty is an anomaly, running in a newly-created safe district, perhaps the safest in the state of Ohio. Could she have defeated Senator Portman, which would have required sate-wide support? The Democratic Party must address its own racism, and find a strategy which allows African-Americans to succeed in state-wide political races.

 

The first step is to NAME African-Americans as potential candidates for EVERY position;to APPOINT them to highly visible committee and leadership positions and lead ISSUE promulgation efforts, and elect them as PARTY LEADERS. What we need is affirmative action, not passive acceptance. Democrats cannot continue to take African-Americans for granted as voters, as party members, nor as candidates. Still, this is not enough.

 

The same shortcomings which affect white candidates affect African-American candidates, but with greater impact. Campaigns are won street by street, ward by ward. Most citizens have never met a Democratic ward leader, would not even think to contact that person for assistance. Most citizens make no regular contribution to their County Democratic  Party because they see no day-to-day return for their investment. Outreach is non-existent,marketing haphazard at best. Sharing information within closed party circles has its place but is only a small part of a communications effort. When was the last time the party organized  a community service project? Advertised it as a party effort? First serve, then ask for donations to party coffers.

First Lady Michele Obama recently asked for participation in a Day of Service to honor Martin Luther King,Jr. Could not the Franklin County Democratic Party do something similar? Every month? What are we doing to create an image of a party who cares for each and every citizen across the state? We cannot ask for support from a community which we make no effort to support.

 

How does the Democratic Party advertise what we do accomplish? Yes, it takes money. Are there not enough Democrats with wealth to support specific projects? Using social media is not a panacea. Simply having a web page or Facebook page is insufficient. Newsletters must reach beyond the party faithful. Radio,television,community paper promoting Democrats? Non-existent in central Ohio.

 

Advertising requires a subtle message which emphasizes what the party is doing for Ohioans. The big message should be helping, with a footnote identifying the party as the helper. An example would be signs posted on infrastructure projects explaining what the project is accomplishing for citizens, and thanks to the party candidate bringing the project to the state. Then, Republican Governor Kasich could not claim credit for projects he initially opposed.

 

The party can win over voters whose racism may lessen support for African-American candidates if the party itself has ingrained a sense that Democrats are the community’s strongest supporters. Such passion for the party would benefit all Democratic candidates. In the meantime, African-American candidates must be groomed, promoted, supported and positioned for the next campaign. Past failure is no excuse for doing nothing;it is a reason to learn from our mistakes.

 

 

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January 5, 2013 · 4:21 am

SOMETHING LIKE RAIN,by Louise Annarino,1-4-2013

SOMETHING LIKE RAIN

Louise Annarino

November 26,2012

 

It is something like rain.

Steady drip,drip,drip

 

a long soak,

 

or intermittent showers

marking the hours.

 

An occasional storm

building on the horizon,

 

sudden cloudbursts,

sodden drowning,

 

high winds

following brief alerts,

 

even hurricanes

every decade.

 

But,

how would love grow

without it?

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January 5, 2013 · 4:14 am

PROTESTING IDENTITY,by Louise Annarino,1-4-2013

PROTESTING IDENTITY,by Louise Annarino,1-4-2013

 

In the midst of campus chaos at OSU I went home one week-end. Week-ends are busy for restaurant owners; so, as usual, if I wanted to see my dad I had to go to the Center Cafe. It was usually a rewarding experience to be welcomed by Dad, my uncles and their regulars. Uncle Joe would boom out a hearty, “Hey, it’s my niece. Say hello to her everybody!” Uncle Frankie would quietly grin and ask, “Want  cheese on that body builder?”, as he placed a burger on the grill. Uncle Johnny would uncap a cold coke, fill a glass with ice and pass it across the bar to me with a “Hey kiddo!” Dad would come from behind the bar, give me a kiss on the cheek, motioning me to a booth where we could talk. It was homecoming to my second home.

 

That Saturday morning, It was not surprising to see a new American flag hanging on the wall of the entrance foyer; there were three equally large flags  hanging above the booths running along the wall across from the grill and bar in the front dining room. Each flag had been flown above the U.S. Capitol and gifted to the brothers by a congressman or senator. What did surprise me was the hand-written sign hanging in the entry foyer “Protesters and hippies will not be served. America! Love it or leave it.”

 

I stood there a moment wondering what kind of welcome to expect this time. Barefoot, a tie-dyed scarf for a top, cut-off jean shorts with a shredded hem, and a triangled-flag scarf on my head, tied at my nape to hold back, my waist-length hair; I looked a proverbial hippie. I had been protesting the racism,sexism and homophobia on the OSU campus for two years. Now, our protest had merged with anti-war protests across the country, and I was boycotting classes. I came home hoping to find a safe refuge, a peaceful respite from the constant turmoil and endless disputes, from the gassings and shootings.

 

Pointing out the sign, I asked my uncles, “Are you sure you want to serve me? I am one of those protesters you dislike so much.” They each smiled their crooked smiles, not their usual ear-to-ear grins and said, “Sit down and eat. You look like you are ready to disappear.” In order to love me they refused to see me. I had disappeared the minute I entered the restaurant.

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