Speaking in Defense of Children
In a recent Letter to the Editor, the letter writer has asked that Skip Claypool be removed from the Geauga Board of Mental Health because of remarks he made regarding SOGI and children who want to change their gender.
There is a need to provide support for youth who are unsure of their sexuality. The first place for this support should come from the families of these youths. Families should never be left out of the discussion.
There are proposed amendments to the Ohio Constitution now that would eliminate parents from their child’s decision to use medication or surgery in an attempt to change their gender. If you go to the SOGI website, you will see they are opposed to bills now in the Ohio Senate that would prohibit certain procedures to alter a minor child’s sex, and they oppose the bill that would exclude transgender males from participating in girls’ sports. For these reasons, Skip Claypool questioned the Board of Mental Health’s involvement with groups that support SOGI.
Science is not settled on the efficacy of gender transforming drugs or surgery. There are studies that show suicides do not go down when youths begin a regimen of gender transformation.
Puberty can be a very unsettling time for youths and making the decision to change one’s gender during this time can have consequences that cannot be changed. No parent wants his child to suffer, and children should not be bullied or stigmatized for their sexual identity. All Skip Claypool was doing was asking the questions that need to be asked. Questions like, Are parents a vital part of the equation? Is this a true case of gender dysphoria? What are the long-term physical and emotional effects of gender transformation?
We support Skip Claypool, who has always asked the tough questions despite the backlash he receives. Skip is not speaking for himself, he is speaking in defense of children.
Christie Hall
Newbury Township
Stephanie Snook
Bainbridge Township
Elsie Tarczy
South Russell Village
OAG, David Yost, Good Start for East Palestine!
I’d like to thank Ohio’s Attorney General, David Yost, for suing Norfolk Southern Corporation for their operational gross negligence. The train derailment in East Palestine caused untold damages to Ohio’s natural resources and residents. An excerpt from the case states, “untold volume of hazardous materials, hazardous substances, hazardous wastes, and/or other harmful pollutants to be released into the air and water and onto the ground.”
The information incorporated into the case demonstrates a close partnership between Ohio’s EPA and AG offices. The extensive record of chemicals causing long term damage to Earth should fume every environmentalist and climate activist, not just a lifetime Republican. Sadly, local activist organizations like NOACA must think carbon emissions are more deadly than dioxins as they have been silent on this real threat to NE Ohio.
Although the case has strong merit, I believe the government needs to do more for the people of East Palestine. Here are 4 suggestions:
- Create a fund for the people funded by Norfolk Southern to ensure Ohioans are rightfully and fully covered for their personal, business damages and healthcare costs caused by hazardous chemicals.
- Ensure mineral rights stay with the rightful owners. Nobody should be forced to sell their house and forfeit their mineral rights.
- Provide tax incentives for businesses to stay in East Palestine and additional ones for those who relocate in the proximate area.
- Provide a means to detox from dioxins, such as chlorine dioxide, which I’ve been told destroys dioxins.
In closing, I would like the state to be very aggressive against Norfolk Southern. In its latest financial filings, Norfolk has $2B in current assets. Let’s go after $300M and split it three ways: $100M for Ohio’s EPA efforts, $100M for a fund for the residents and $100M for new infrastructure improvements.
Ohioans deserve justice.
Joe DeBoth
Geauga County Republican Committee Member
Precinct #1: Auburn Township A
Two-Party System?
The County Republican Party leadership is called “Central Committee.”
Step 1, understand the issue.
According to lore, the U.S. is a “two-party system.” With two parties, there is competition for ideas and your affection. Having only one party is a monopoly; no one effectively works for you because no one need care. I believe we are perilously close to a “uni-party.”
Central Committee is comprised of two parts: County & State. Did you know? You have a Rep in each level. In theory, they should listen to and advocate for you. In reality, the Republican Party has morphed into a top-down structure, changing from “of, by, and for the People” into something that more closely resembles a top-down dictatorship.
Unfortunately, Geauga’s Central Committee decided some time ago to switch to closed meetings, blocking their occasional actions from public view. A few County Central Committees in Ohio have opened themselves to public scrutiny and have been met with shock at just how far Left parts of the Party have become.
In Geauga, it was decided that secret votes are the preferred means of deciding issues, so no one can ever know how any of Geauga’s 78 elected representatives is performing. A few of us advocate for exactly the opposite: transparency and accountability.
Step 2, envision the possible.
Some areas of Ohio enjoy a robust Republican Party. They have Young Republican clubs, recurring meetings that are open to the public, speakers series, a newsletter, website and even an up-to-date contact list of elected representatives.
An active Republican Party might counter the siren-song, Lurch-to-the-Left of the Democrat Party, championing traditional values and leaving room for ALL types of people. We might draw attention to issues such as School Board races, encourage Patriotism, and embolden young generations to be more Liberty Camp and less Social Justice Activist. We might also have a HQ that is open, inviting and full of all sorts of visitor and promotional material, and on election day we could have signs out at voting locations promoting Republican candidates.
A strong Republican Party in Geauga might even educate on significant issues such as NOACA’s Climate Action Plan, which has implications for roughly every aspect of life in Geauga, including agriculture.
Instead, each effort to open meetings to the public has been blocked, every attempt to record vote information is overridden, efforts to open the floor to important new issues is shouted down, and we have lawsuits and assault charges instead of all the great things that are possible. I’ve personally been involved in efforts to highlight Democrat influence on the County Republican Party, only to be shouted down.
The answer is two-fold: FortifyGeauga.org (citizen action group) and Precinct Strategy (bringing traditional Republican values back to Central Committee).
I join the growing list of people calling for new leadership for Geauga’s Republican Party, and I am far from alone on this. I encourage you to join the movement.
Jonathan Broadbent
Newbury Township
