News & Commentary

The right to vote has been fought over since the very beginning of this county. Using qualifiers like property, sex, color, and now even ID, those with access to political power have found plenty of reasons to restrict the participation of those without it. Over the 228 years since the delegates to the Constitutional Convention put their signatures on the Constitution of the United States, “the people” of this country have been pushing back to be included in the promises of democracy. In 2004, the U.S. Congress declared each September 17 to be Constitution Day in commemoration of the document’s signing. On this day, all publicly funded schools are now required to feature educational programming about the Constitution. Now this date gives everyone a chance to reflect on this country’s founding promises, and look forward to coming elections for signs about its future. By the People Government “by the people” has always been an elusive ideal. When teachers talk with their classes about the Constitution, let’s hope that tales about freedom and more equitable governance are enriched by parallel stories of the struggle to become part of those ideals.

Are you hooked on the Peabody Award-winning, critically acclaimed Netflix series “Orange is the New Black?” The stories of main character Piper Chapman’s time in prison have been shown on screens across the country, and brought prison issues to the conscience of the general public. In fact, The Washington Post called it “the best TV show about prison ever made.” Character complexities, a diverse cast, drama and humor, have all added to the success of the show, and exploited society’s binge-watching tendencies. Events and Inspirations The real-life inspiration behind the show is Piper Kerman. In 1993, after graduating from Smith College, Kerman became romantically involved with a woman, who was a drug runner for a West African kingpin. Piper herself never smuggled heroin, but she did help launder money. In 1998, years removed from her life of crime, customs agents came to Piper’s New York City apartment with an indictment for money laundering and drug trafficking. In 2004, after years of legal entanglements, and over a decade after her criminal involvement, Piper went to prison. The people Piper met along the way and the experiences she had became the inspiration for her memoir, The New York Times No. 1 bestseller, “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman’s Prison.” Through her wonderful book, and the subsequent TV show, Piper has captured the hearts and minds of the country, and introduced them to the world of prison, in a way that no one else has. An Agent For Change But Piper is not just an author, she is an activist. Currently, Piper serves on the board of the Women’s Prison Association in New York City. The WPA recently introduced the program, JusticeHome, which will allow some mothers to remain at home with their children, while serving their sentence, helping to keep families together. Piper frequently uses her Twitter account to dialogue on girls’ and women’s rights, as well as mental health and mass incarceration issues. Piper even testified in front of congress on the negative impact of solitary confinement.

If you live in Ohio and are inclined to follow political news and developments, you are already aware voters will be asked in November whether or not they favor legalizing marijuana in Ohio. What you probably do not know is Toledo voters have a similar issue on their citywide ballot.  With early voting, they are already casting their ballots prior to the city’s September 15 election day. What’s Issue One in Toledo? Unlike the statewide ballot initiative, Toledo’s proposed statute does not seek to legalize marijuana. Even with the approval of Toledo voters, that would be a losing battle because state law trumps local governments in this regard. Instead, Issue One in Toledo would decriminalize marijuana and make other common sense changes to that city’s drug laws. Now, if you are fairly knowledgeable about this issue, you already know state legislators, to their credit, decriminalized marijuana throughout Ohio decades ago. However, because Ohio is a “home rule” state, local governments are free to pass and enforce certain categories of laws on their own so long as they do not conflict with state law. This has resulted in slightly different marijuana laws in and around Ohio depending on where you are. For instance, being caught with even small amounts of marijuana in Medina means a first-degree misdemeanor and a mandatory three days in jail for those convicted.