Chillicothe, Ross County and the Ballot Box — With the fall election only days away – the biggest election in four years – the Chillicothe-Ross League of Women Voters promoted dialog and diversity.
In their October meeting, they had two speakers in a follow-up to the large August “United Against Hate” event (which was a follow-up to KKK fliers being distributed in Chillicothe in March.) Their meeting was held in the Stevenson Center of Ohio University Chillicothe. Hear the two speakers in their own words in the video interviews at the end.
Cynthia King visited from central Ohio, and explained “Braver Angels,” a national organization to encourage people from different political perspectives to understand each other.
She gave a mini-workshop to to understand the process of moving from disagreement, to not necessarily agreeing, but at least respecting each other and understanding why disagree.
King said Braver Angels started in Lebanon, Ohio in January 2017 after Trump defeated Clinton – when Trump supporters could have refused to dialogue, and Hilary supporters could have sought vengeance. The almost entirely volunteer group has 14,000 members nationally, with membership at only $12.
She said they focus on useful dialog instead of “gotcha” arguments, and they have had debates about abortion, transsexuality, and race. The offer live and Zoom workshops, and support DIY workshops.
Linda Wilson explained WIN, “Women in NAACP.” She said they are a unit of the Ross County group, and want to help people be more cohesive with each other, and be equal.
Wilson said they do not tell people how to vote, but to inform them to get out to vote. They do also champion issues for the common good.
She also pointed out that the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is not about just black people, but to empower all people for the good of the community.
Wilson also described the David Nickens Heritage Center, the African-American museum for Ross County.
Also, the Chillicothe-Ross League of Women Voters’ new video-format Candidates Night is available online. Find 11 video interviews, each under six minutes – or the entire compilation on YouTube.
