Calling All Ohioans To Stand Together in Solidarity

A painted bridge in west Columbus reads “We are stronger together”. Photo by Cyrus Gomez.

Lately it feels like America is dangerously divided, but I’m calling all Ohioans to stand together in support of our shared aspirations, to gather strength from our common values and life experiences, and also our differences that allow each of us to contribute in our own way to the success of our state and our local communities. We don’t always agree on everything, but Ohio’s strengths make us well suited to weather any storm and overcome any obstacle. We face real challenges that threaten to unravel our mutual prosperity, such as the pandemic, civil unrest and an uncivil election cycle, which is why we must reaffirm our foundation. Polarizing voices from outside our state cannot divide us if we don’t allow them to. The people of Ohio will prevail, but first we must know what it means to be an Ohioan and what it is that unites us.

Let’s consider why we can take pride in Ohio and what we aspire for it to be, and how our shared values serve as a foundation for working through the disagreements and challenges of 2020 and beyond.

First, a sense of scale

The United States is the third largest country in both land and population, and it can be challenging to pick out a shared identity with 330 million Americans. It’s a little easier if we imagine Ohio as its own island for a moment. We hear so much about what’s happening in Washington DC, Hollywood or New York, it can be a relief to mute the national narrative from time to time and just focus on what we’re all about here in the Buckeye state.

Ohio ain’t no small potatoes. In the U.S., we’re the 7th largest state by population, and have the 14th most populous city in the capital Columbus. Our 11 million people are more than the population of half of the countries in Europe, like Sweden. If you imagine Ohio as an average sized nation, it can raise your estimation of the full potential of our state.

John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati. Photo by Robert Conklin

We’re among the smaller US states by area, but still larger than dozens of European nations, including Iceland and Portugal. We can drive from Cleveland through Columbus to Cincinnati on Interstate 71 in under 4 hours, or cross the state east to west on Interstate 90 or Interstate 70 in about the same time. We care about keeping our roads and bridges in good condition and keeping traffic flowing, even if we grumble at delays when construction crews are working on them. We appreciate our truck drivers who keep products moving from producers to sellers to buyers, keeping our economy going which keeps our own paychecks coming each month.

The nature of our land

As Ohioans, one thing we all have in common is that we really know the true meaning of the 4 seasons. Our springs are very wet and full of dandelions sticking out a day after mowing. We pay attention to our tornado sirens that tell us it’s time to head for the basement. Our summers get into the 90’s and the kids run through the sprinklers. Our autumns are beautiful shades of red, yellow and orange from up to 70 species of trees, but it always feels too short when hints of snow drop in by Halloween. Our winters drop below zero degrees, and the kids love an unexpected snow day off from school to build a snowman. We scrape the ice off our cars and shovel the snow off our driveways. We appreciate our snow plow drivers who clear the roads so we can get to work, but hate the salt that corrodes the metal of our cars. Half our days are cloudy, so we appreciate a nice sunny day, when we make it a point to get out and enjoy some fresh air.

We love our Great Lake Erie to the north, carved out thousands of years ago by glaciers, big enough that you can’t see the other side from the beach. Those in the north know the beauty of a sunset on its waters, and also know its lake effect snow that can easily leave feet of snow at your door step. We love our beautiful rivers and streams, where you can go for a walk, listen to the trickling water fall over rocks, or maybe find a good spot to swim. Ohio itself means “great river”, the name given by the Iroquois to the river defining our jagged southern border. Our waters make for great fishing on a weekend afternoon, where you might catch a rainbow trout down at the creek or a walleye or perch out on the lake. We care about the quality of our precious water that we drink, fish, swim and enjoy, and hate to see it give way to pollution, such as when the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in 1969.

Alum Creek in Columbus. Photo by Cyrus Gomez

Our land is fairly flat and full of open land and open skies, except to the east and southeast at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, where we cherish the beauty of our Hocking Hills and Old Man’s Cave. We love our state and local parks where our children can play and we can meet with friends, join a game of cornhole, ride a bike or watch the colorful cardinals, robins and blue jays in the trees.

Our food is our sustenance and our culture

While driving through the state we see farmlands full of crop fields and livestock. We have thriving corn and soybean industries worth a combined $4 billion, plus wheat, tomatoes, and more. Did you know the modern tomato was developed in Reynoldsburg, Ohio by Alexander Livingston? We appreciate our farmers who keep us fed throughout the year, and supporting our local farmers is good for our local economy and good for the environment too.

Photo by Carl Schlabach

In our countryside you can see hunters bringing home venison for their family to eat, keeping alive a human tradition that is almost 2 million years old. In contrast, our cities also have vegetarian and vegan restaurant options for those who choose not to eat meat.

Whether we’re dining in at a restaurant or getting fast food takeout, we appreciate our food service workers, such as at Wendy’s founded in Columbus or Skyline Chili founded in Cincinnati. We also appreciate our grocery store workers keeping the shelves stocked, like at Kroger which is also founded and headquartered in Cincinnati.

Our state pride

We love football! We are home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, where the origins of the NFL started. Ohio also had the first all-pro baseball team. We have 8 professional sports teams across football, baseball, hockey and soccer. We’re home of the renowned Ohio State University Buckeyes college football team from Columbus as well as the legendary NBA player Lebron James from Akron.

Photo of Dix Stadium in Kent, OH by Gary McLaughlin

The Wright Brothers grew up here and designed the first airplane in Ohio. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, lived in Wapakoneta where the Armstrong Air & Space Museum sits today. John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth in space, was born and raised here and was a long serving U.S. Senator for Ohio. In 2016, the Columbus International Airport was renamed in John Glenn’s honor. Ohio is also the birthplace of 7 US Presidents.

We love our Cedar Point in Sandusky, which has competed for tallest rollercoaster in the world, a title it last held in 2005. The Top Thrill Dragster still holds the #2 position.

Ohio is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, as well as a number of famous musicians, such as the band Twenty One Pilots.

Did you know our state flag is the only one that isn’t a rectangle? Its shape is a triangular swallowtail.

Our shared aspirations and values

Ohio is a place where you can raise a family and most can afford to live. We believe in good work ethic. We want a decent job and an affordable home where we feel safe. We want our kids to have fun while they’re young, but also learn to be smart and strong, with good teachers and coaches so they’re prepared for life when they become adults. We appreciate our schools and teachers when they help our kids advance through math, history, English and science.

We have choices on how we want to live in Ohio. You can live in the heart of the city near great restaurants, arts and entertainment, where you can express your own unique identity. You can live in a tree-lined suburb if you don’t mind a 30-60 minute commute to work. Or you can live in the quiet countryside, where your dogs and chickens can run free, you can tend to your farm in peace, have more privacy and be more self-sufficient. Each person can decide which style suits their life best, and each lifestyle brings its own contributions to society from different angles.

We want to be able to practice the religion in the way that we choose as long as we’re not hurting anyone else. Whether it’s going to church every Sunday, saying a prayer on your own terms, or having religious views that aren’t mainstream, we enjoy the freedom of religious belief knowing that our government can’t force us to practice one specific religion or another.

We take comfort when we know that a good hospital is nearby, such as the Cleveland Clinic rated #2 best hospital in the country, or the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center or Nationwide Children’s Hospital which are among the top 10 children’s hospitals. We want to know that if we get sick or hurt, we can access and afford services to heal and recover. We appreciate our nurses, doctors and hospital staff who work long shifts to help us mend.

Columbus, OH. Photo by Tim Trad

We also appreciate the white collar and tech companies in our state that provide good paying job opportunities and keep our state’s economy strong in the modern area, while providing valued services for people around the state and country. That includes our towns’ newspapers and local news that provide us with useful information about local current events and the actions of our elected representatives.

A politically purple state

During election season we’re bombarded by election commercials and partisan phone calls because we’ve been a swing state and our votes are highly sought after. The nation has looked to us to determine who our next President will be, so we cherish our right to vote. Driving through Ohio, it can feel like we’re very divided, based on the yard signs and political flags you see for each party, especially along urban and rural lines. When the candidates throw mud at each other, it can feel like we’re supposed to be throwing mud at each other too, even when we’re neighbors or family members.

However, having such contrasting perspectives can be a great opportunity to craft a well considered policy that benefits all Ohioans on both sides of the political spectrum, but only if we start from a place of mutual respect based on our common values and state pride, driving us toward shared prosperity. Having rigorous debate is an important and healthy part of democracy. In that sense our differences can be a strength rather than a weakness.

Photo in Columbus by Jessica Sloan

We should not allow a handful of people in Washington to divide us as Ohioans, or turn neighbor against neighbor. We each have different ideas about who will best serve our country and our state, and what policies are best, but that must not detract from our day to day life of cooperation, reciprocity and good will among Ohioans. Most people just want to make a good life for their families without causing any trouble for others, and if we focus on that together we can build a strong and prosperous state. No matter who wins in November, we must honor the democratic elections and focus on our own roles of positive contribution to our local communities. We can make Ohio a state that stands for mutual respect whether or not influential voices from outside our state do.

Ohio citizens cannot readily solve the problems facing other cities like San Francisco, Portland or Chicago, but we can work on the issues affecting Dayton, Athens, Toledo and the rest of our communities right here in our own state. If we work to make Ohio reach its maximum potential and ensure opportunities exist for as many of our citizens as possible, then we’re doing our part to make a stronger nation, while other states and cities do their part. We can do this by working with our fellow Ohioans who have different ideas from ours, rather than working against them.

Challenges

Our pride in our state should not blind us to the problems we must work to overcome. Opioid drug overdose deaths are on the rise. The threat of human trafficking is real in Ohio, even as misinformation and conspiracy theories about it make matters worse. Gun violence affects the safety of our communities. Many of our factories have closed down and outsourced jobs put our people out of work. Black people and other minorities have deep concerns about racial justice issues. And of course, the thousands of deaths from COVID, businesses struggling or closing due to decreased consumer activity and restrictions, and disagreements over mask wearing have created much uncertainty. These problems are very challenging and will require our best and brightest ideas to mitigate them.

To some people, this article may seem too cheery and optimistic in light of these issues, especially when they hit close to home. However, the only way to deal with these issues is to redouble our commitment to civility and shared prosperity, to stand for solidarity with each other and against injustice. Echoing divisive rhetoric by national politicians or sensationalist media personalities, getting enraged over what gets shared on social media and escalating violence by rioters or militias will only make things worse. Let’s commit to make this a great state for all Ohioans, by deescalating the rhetoric of violent confrontation, stop demeaning each other because of our differences, really listen to the people affected by each of these concerns, and spend some time to make things better for our fellow citizens. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s sure better than giving in to fear or hatred.

We can do this Ohio

Some of the commonalities we share in Ohio are geographic or historical, others are more broadly American values, and some are simply human aspirations. Nonetheless, I hope most Ohioans see the picture I’ve painted as a rough characterization of what our state is or maybe what we might aspire for it to be. Of course we should stand together as Americans too, but first we stand for the betterment of our own state.

Not everyone will relate to or agree with all of the generalities mentioned above, and we have many different and sometimes contradictory ideas on how best to achieve the goals we do agree on. People will have many different experiences that shape what Ohio means to them. Ultimately my aspiration is for every Ohioan to have access to many different kinds of opportunities to live, work and play throughout this great state of ours, to live whatever peaceful style they prefer, and find their own way to feel fulfilled in contribution to their community, and hopefully build an Ohio we can all be proud of.

Please leave a comment on what being an Ohioan means to you. Share this article with your friends if you agree that we need to stand together for the good of our state despite our differences, whether or not our favored candidate wins this election.

Afterward

Focusing on Ohio does not mean completely ignoring the rest of the world, and it’s certainly no excuse for mistreating people from out of state. Treat people you encounter with kindness and decency no matter where they’re from, whether it’s Kentucky or China. Travel around the country and world, experience different sights and cultures, and grow your perspective. Feel free to donate to humanitarian causes beyond our borders. Pick a problem to work on that tangibly benefits other people, whether or not they’re Ohioans.

And yes, we should seek solidarity with Americans in general too. For example, the rivalry between Ohio State University and Michigan State University is fun, but the lyrics of We Don’t Give a Damn for the Whole State of Michigan go too far. Of course we should give a damn about Michiganders; they’re a fellow Midwestern and neighboring state, and often our literal neighbors who transplanted here. But also considering that the plot to kidnap Michigan’s Governor was hatched in Ohio, we have to look out for each other to ensure peace in our nation. We should foster mutual respect between all 50 states.

More broadly, the natural environment knows no borders, and we must work together to preserve it for everyone. We must keep the Ohio River clean for not only southern Ohioans, but also everyone downstream onto the Mississippi River. Likewise, climate change is a global problem which needs partners from around the world to mitigate.

All of that is worthwhile, but people have limited time and energy, and worrying too much about all the big picture problems we see on TV or the internet can be overwhelming, especially since there’s little we can do about most of them. It can sap our energy, drain our empathy, and distract us from doing things that could make a real positive impact in our own area. Usually, the most effective opportunities to help out are close to home: tutoring a kid who needs a little extra help, donating clothes, moving furniture for a friend, shoveling an elderly neighbor’s driveway, etc.

Politically, there’s even less you can really do about problems in another state. Lawmakers don’t even listen to voters outside of their district, let alone in another state. But locally you can mobilize voters to influence your representatives or replace them with someone better.

These are some of the reasons why this article is about focusing a little less on national issues and a little more on local matters here in Ohio.

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