Hello my fellow Ohioans,
Tomorrow, Ohio is once again a swing state in deciding who will become the next president of the United States.
Already, there has been a great number of Ohioans who has already turned out for early voting, but on November 4th, we will decide if we remain a red state or go blue.
But in essence, it’s not about staying red or going blue, but Ohio’s survival as a state.
Being a life long resident of Ohio, I never understood why this mostly blue collar state is red.
President Bush won the state Ohio in 2000 and 2004, but can anyone tell what has he done for our state?
I’m serious, what has President Bush or any Republican president in recent memory done to help the blue collar worker, the middle class, the farmer or the poor in Ohio?
According to US News and World Reports, Ohio has lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs this decade and its median income has dropped by 3 percent.
I have routinely watched friends and colleges leave Ohio because they couldn’t find jobs here or they had better opportunities elsewhere. The ones who have remained are either doing okay, but not great, while the others are doing everything they can to survive.
If you are a conservative and you are voting for McCain, I get it. You are loyal to your party and the values that the Republicans represent.
But if you live in North Canton and you watched the Hoover vacuum company plant close down (750 jobs lost) or watch your friends or neighbors lose their homes, why are you voting Republican? (In October, Ohio ranked #4 in foreclosures nationwide).
If you seen loved ones shipped off to Iraq for more than three times or seen them come back with mental or physical injuries or worse yet, killed in action, why are you voting Republican?
According to Icasualties.org Ohio has lost 172 soldiers in Iraq (with 1313 wounded), which ranks only behind California, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York in Iraq war deaths.
If you are farmer living in rural Ohio, why are you voting Republican?
Senator Obama supports subsidies and favored recent reforms to steer the assistance away from large commercial operations toward smaller family farms, while McCain opposes subsidies for farmers.
If you’re not voting for Obama because of his race, get over it, its 2008. African-Americans, Latins, Asians, Middle Eastern folks are here and there are not going anywhere.
On the flip side, just because a person votes for Obama, doesn’t mean that inequality or racism is over. The national unemployment average is 5.4%, while the unemployment rare for African-Americans is 11%.
Until U.S. companies start reflecting the equality of the military where diversity is seen in all levels employment, then employment inequality for minorities does not end on November 5th 2008 with a Barack Obama victory over John McCain.
I am not saying that if Barack Obama becomes president, he will be able to fix all or even most of Ohio’s problems.
In fact, he will probably have to make some tough decisions that might hurt Ohio in the short run (budget cuts), but will help us in the long run (renewable energy jobs, anyone).
But don’t we owe it to ourselves as Ohioans to see if a democratic president can help our state.
Granted, one of the things that spurred the job losses Ohio was by Democrat President Bill Clinton’s NAFTA bill. But if Senator Obama keeps to his word and amend NAFTA so that companies will be given incentives to keep jobs in the U.S., this might be incentive needed to help Ohio’s economic resurgence.
However, even with all these facts and figures, at the end of the day my fellow Ohioans, the choice you make for president will be your own.
Neither I nor anyone else can tell you whom you should vote for or why.
But if you love the state of Ohio like I do, you will make a conscientious decision; A decision that will not only effect you and your family, but the very survival for our state for years to come.
Go Buckeyes,
Kevin Lockett
Tomorrow, Ohio is once again a swing state in deciding who will become the next president of the United States.
Already, there has been a great number of Ohioans who has already turned out for early voting, but on November 4th, we will decide if we remain a red state or go blue.
But in essence, it’s not about staying red or going blue, but Ohio’s survival as a state.
Being a life long resident of Ohio, I never understood why this mostly blue collar state is red.
President Bush won the state Ohio in 2000 and 2004, but can anyone tell what has he done for our state?
I’m serious, what has President Bush or any Republican president in recent memory done to help the blue collar worker, the middle class, the farmer or the poor in Ohio?
According to US News and World Reports, Ohio has lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs this decade and its median income has dropped by 3 percent.
I have routinely watched friends and colleges leave Ohio because they couldn’t find jobs here or they had better opportunities elsewhere. The ones who have remained are either doing okay, but not great, while the others are doing everything they can to survive.
If you are a conservative and you are voting for McCain, I get it. You are loyal to your party and the values that the Republicans represent.
But if you live in North Canton and you watched the Hoover vacuum company plant close down (750 jobs lost) or watch your friends or neighbors lose their homes, why are you voting Republican? (In October, Ohio ranked #4 in foreclosures nationwide).
If you seen loved ones shipped off to Iraq for more than three times or seen them come back with mental or physical injuries or worse yet, killed in action, why are you voting Republican?
According to Icasualties.org Ohio has lost 172 soldiers in Iraq (with 1313 wounded), which ranks only behind California, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York in Iraq war deaths.
If you are farmer living in rural Ohio, why are you voting Republican?
Senator Obama supports subsidies and favored recent reforms to steer the assistance away from large commercial operations toward smaller family farms, while McCain opposes subsidies for farmers.
If you’re not voting for Obama because of his race, get over it, its 2008. African-Americans, Latins, Asians, Middle Eastern folks are here and there are not going anywhere.
On the flip side, just because a person votes for Obama, doesn’t mean that inequality or racism is over. The national unemployment average is 5.4%, while the unemployment rare for African-Americans is 11%.
Until U.S. companies start reflecting the equality of the military where diversity is seen in all levels employment, then employment inequality for minorities does not end on November 5th 2008 with a Barack Obama victory over John McCain.
I am not saying that if Barack Obama becomes president, he will be able to fix all or even most of Ohio’s problems.
In fact, he will probably have to make some tough decisions that might hurt Ohio in the short run (budget cuts), but will help us in the long run (renewable energy jobs, anyone).
But don’t we owe it to ourselves as Ohioans to see if a democratic president can help our state.
Granted, one of the things that spurred the job losses Ohio was by Democrat President Bill Clinton’s NAFTA bill. But if Senator Obama keeps to his word and amend NAFTA so that companies will be given incentives to keep jobs in the U.S., this might be incentive needed to help Ohio’s economic resurgence.
However, even with all these facts and figures, at the end of the day my fellow Ohioans, the choice you make for president will be your own.
Neither I nor anyone else can tell you whom you should vote for or why.
But if you love the state of Ohio like I do, you will make a conscientious decision; A decision that will not only effect you and your family, but the very survival for our state for years to come.
Go Buckeyes,
Kevin Lockett
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