We know that the majority of Americans want to forge a better path forward.
Majors Justin Bibb, Tito Brown, Tim DeGeeter, Andrew J. Ginther, Peggy Lehner, Christina Muryn and Mitch Rhodus
| Guest Columnists
Submitted by the Bipartisan Ohio Mayors Alliance Board of Directors: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb (D), Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther (D), Fairfield Mayor Mitch Rhodus (R), Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn (R), Kettering Mayor Peggy Lehner (R), Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter (D) and Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown (D).
Despite the heated rhetoric of this contentious presidential election, it’s important to remember that our common bond as Ohioans is a thousand times stronger than our political differences as Republicans and Democrats.
Representing different cities across the Buckeye State, we disagree on which cities have the best sports teams.
Cleveland and Cincinnati argue over the Guardians and the Reds. Columbus always roots for the Clippers over the Toledo Mud Hens and don’t even get us started on which of our hometowns has the best food or ice cream.
We also often disagree on policy issues. Despite these differences, we still find ways to work together as a bipartisan coalition of mayors. That is because even when we disagree on sports or politics, we stand together as proud Ohioans.
As we prepare for the upcoming election, it is important to remember that throughout our history, generations of Americans have resolved our differences at the ballot box peacefully, put our faith in the voting process and trusted the legal remedies established for resolving disputes.
In Ohio, we can have great confidence that our elections are conducted with accuracy and integrity because of the bipartisan structure of our county boards of elections, multiple levels of identity verification and the long-established process of voting anytime within the early vote window.
In this chapter of our national story, the partisan divisions in our country are taking center stage to the detriment of our common identity as Americans. We know that the majority of Americans want to forge a better path forward. We support our respective parties, but we know that the future of our communities, our state and our country is not all or nothing. We believe in a future where we all win.
We also know that this vision of our shared future does not mean ignoring the real domestic policy and national security challenges that stand before us today. While we can disagree about how to address these shared challenges, we cannot allow these issues to further divide us, to turn us against our neighbors or to justify violence.
Springfield teaches us lessons about community
As we learn the results of our national, state and local elections, we can look to community leaders in Springfield as an example for what it means to meet this moment.
Several weeks ago, the city of Springfield was thrust into the 2024 presidential election and an emotional national debate on immigration.
Starting on the internet, several false and inflammatory claims about Haitian immigrants were amplified across the country. The national uproar led to an unprecedented level of disruption, chaos and fear in Springfield.
Seizing on the national attention, a small group of attention-seeking hate groups descended on Springfield to provoke and antagonize the community, and foreign adversaries took advantage of our internal division to make false threats at Springfield’s schools, community gathering spots and neighborhoods.
No ‘roasted Fluffy.’ Haitians aren’t eating cats in Springfield. Vance is a liar.
Opinion: Springfield’s Haitian immigrant are our neighbors. Hate has deep roots.
Fortunately, Springfield community leaders from the faith community, nonprofit organizations, government and education, along with many others from across the political and ideological spectrum, mobilized to not only support their neighbors and community, but also to show the country and the world that dangerous rhetoric and violent action is not welcome in our state.
Since then, many Ohioans of good faith have come together to reject those who seek to divide us.
State leaders and mayors from opposing political parties have come together to dispute the false claims, set the record straight, and support the Springfield community in many different ways. That is what Ohioans do and why our shared values will always stand strong against division and hate.
These lessons can be instructive in the weeks ahead. For those that seek to undermine our elections, know that Ohioans will stand together to support the patriotic American tradition of free and fair elections. We are not afraid to face challenging moments, and we know that our collective strength and resilience comes from facing our challenges together.
More must be done to bridge the deep partisan divisions in our country, not just in the run-up to this election, but in the months and years ahead.
As mayors, we are committed to convening continued conversations in our communities that bring together diverse groups and individuals to hear from one another about what works for all of us.
Submitted by the Bipartisan Ohio Mayors Alliance Board of Directors: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb (D), Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther (D), Fairfield Mayor Mitch Rhodus (R), Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn (R), Kettering Mayor Peggy Lehner (R), Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter (D) and Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown (D).
“If you can go to someplace that’s so fundamentally different from what we experience here on a day-to-day basis, you should absolutely take the opportunity to,” he said. “And Taiwan is that opportunity.”
