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Big Brothers in NYC, DC watch you; you watch them

Editorials

A poster depicting an enormous face gazed from the wall. The caption ran, “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.” So wrote George Orwell at the opening of his dystopian novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” Big Brother’s image was everywhere, on printed material and on telescreens blasting state propaganda in homes, workplaces, streets and shops. The fictional Oceania demanded devotion to Big Brother, backed by the reminder that the people were under constant surveillance. New York City has an updated version of Big Brother. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is all over street kiosk videos and, of ...

Remembering the Rev. Jesse Jackson

Editorials

President Donald Trump called Rev. Jesse Jackson “a force of nature,” and so he was. Jackson, who died last week at 84, was the last great orator of the civil rights movement. He could bring an audience to cheers or to tears with the power of his personality. I once accompanied him to a Washington, D.C., public middle school. He admonished the young girls in the all-black audience not to get pregnant and to the boys he said to respect the girls and refrain from sex until marriage. They seemed to hang on his every word. Afterward I said to him: “That should be your main message ...

Jackson never lost hope on redemption — and neither should we

Editorials

Having covered the late Rev. Jesse Jackson off and on since the 1960s, I am still amused to receive an email from one of my many critics who wants me to know that you don’t have to be white to find something to criticize about black people, as if I didn’t know. In fact, I’ve made an impressive collection of what I call “I’m not racist, but...” letters, postcards and emails from readers — many of them well-meaning, I should mention — informing me that I should appreciate white people like Jesse Jackson does. One quote I still receive occasionally is from Jackson ...

Team approach could protect older Ohioans

Editorials

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced earlier this month that his office is partnering with the Ohio Bankers League and the Ohio Health Care Association on a statewide campaign to increase awareness about elder abuse AND intercept financial exploitation before it ever does its damage. The Ohio Pharmacists Association is already part of the group, which will help front-line professionals learn how to spot abuse. That kind of training is important if we are to support a population that can be more vulnerable to scams, fraud and exploitation. “Elder abuse doesn’t always leave ...

In economic development, work that matters most isn’t flashy but is foundational

Editorials

When people think about economic development, they often picture big announcements, major investments and ribbon cuttings. Those moments matter. They signal confidence in a region and reflect years of effort by many partners. But they don’t happen by accident. And they don’t continue without someone driving them forward and having a solid foundation underneath. Lake to River grew very quickly from its 2024 origin. In a short period of time, the organization helped establish a clear regional identity, build trust with partners and support meaningful investment across Ashtabula, ...

Ohio HB 326 could provide students with more options

Editorials

Not every student has the same path to follow after high school graduation. They don’t have the same skill sets, interests or aspirations. So why would we limit the options they have for assessing their readiness to proceed on those paths? In Ohio, there may be other options available, if lawmakers give serious consideration to state House Bill 326, introduced by Reps. Kevin Ritter, R-Marietta, and Johnathan Newman, R-Troy. “Regarding the use of nationally standardized assessments in public and chartered nonpublic schools and state institutions of higher education,” it would ...