The Committee for a Better Ohio Suggests Extreme Rights Violations

The Committee for a Better Ohio, a 501(c)4 non-profit run by aspiring candidate for Governor, Conrad Allen, suggests the extreme idea of Ohio putting a bounty on Black Lives Matter “members”. This idea is a major threat to freedom and civil rights and cannot be tolerated in a free society.

First of all, Black Lives Matter is a decentralized movement rather than a member-based organization, so it’s unclear how you would differentiate between a BLM member and supporter. Whether or not you agree with BLM, to suggest that the state should pay to round up their supporters would be an extreme violation of 1st Amendment rights of free speech and right to protest and other civil rights, and would set a dangerous precedent for this country.

It is true that some people have resorted to rioting, looting and violence during Black Lives Matter protests, some not even affiliated with BLM. It is also true that some BLM supporters have been reluctant to condemn these actions. These actions are condemnable, are against the law, and the perpetrators should be held accountable for their actions. This unrest is a serious concern and we must work to overcome it.

However, there are thousands of Black Lives Matter supporters who are peaceful, who do condemn the violence, and who simply want fair and just treatment of Black people. In many neighborhoods across the country, including in Ohio, you can see signs stating “Black Lives Matter”, some also including other messages about love and kindness. It is incomprehensible to think of putting a bounty on these people. We can overcome the unrest in part by hearing the concerns of these peaceful citizens and collaborating on solutions.

Some other posts from CFABO demonizing Black Lives Matter:

Remember that many white supremacists have also caused much violence in the past and even recently, and those who do should be held accountable under the law, but those who are peaceful still retain their right to free speech without putting out a bounty on their entire group, even if we disagree with them.

The Committee for a Better Ohio has also shared videos with elements of the QAnon conspiracy theory, as well as erroneous analyses of COVID-19 statistics. Their Facebook page repeatedly uses questions to suggest specific ideas, a tactic that allows them to make understood assertions while avoiding accountability for having made those assertions, something this site condemns as “loose language”.

Conrad Allen and The Committee for a Better Ohio would not make Ohio better, and instead threaten our freedom and constitutional rights.

RationalOhio.com condemns white supremacy and believes that Black people deserve equal protections under the law.

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