FROM THE PRESIDENTS DESK

There is a lot going on this month: we’re continuing to collect signatures on the Citizens Not Politicians (CNP) petition everywhere we can; Nancy Gurney is exhausting herself giving CNP anti-gerrymandering presentations all over northwest Ohio; the Voter Service Committee (VSC) is and will be tabling everywhere they can – all over the county this month and onward; the High School VSC group is making plans for voter registration drives; the Hot Button Issue Committee (HBI) is on fire with the highly current and controversial topics it is presenting to the public this month – this week at Lourdes University the speakers will examine the Separation of Church and State and next week at our general meeting, which is always open to the public, we’ll have an expert explain current laws to encourage responsible gun ownership, and we can ask/think about their adequacy.

In addition to these events and activities, our league has partnered with the Multifaith Council and the Toledo Lucas County Public Library to present an ambitious three-part lecture/participation series, Investigating Reality: Discerning Truth in News and Other Media, a much-needed exercise in our current political and cultural climate. The series, taught by John Krochmalny the last two Mondays in April and the first Monday in May, will force us to think about how we process information, recognize manipulation, and perhaps lead us to challenge our senses and essentially examine our assumptions and biases. It will also give us some insight historically. Misinformation and disinformation, con artistry, and just plain lying, are not new in human discourse, nor are the reasons for their existence. Don’t miss this opportunity; come to one or all of the sessions, there will be something of value in each one. 

I can’t finish without a plea! VSC is busy, busy, busy – as I have already noted. This committee does the work at the heart of LWV’s mission: voter registration and voter education. It needs people interested in being part of that activity. The VSC actually has a lot of fun. The volunteers go places they may not otherwise explore, such as high school cafeterias, college auditoriums, job fairs, grocery stores, and festivals. They meet people they otherwise might never talk to, and they share information about upcoming elections and voting. Just a few hours at varied times/days are needed. Please volunteer. Log in as a member on the website and add your name to the VSC list. If you have trouble logging in, call Leena 419-410-9426 or Nancy 317-730-4782 or Lynne 419-376-8303 to volunteer.

--Ann Fabiszak Payne, LWV-TLC President