As the first notes ring out on that iconic guitar song, ‘Ohio’ by Neil Young it never fails to raise the hair on my neck. The angst pours out of that opening guitar solo and somehow a song about 4 Vietnam protesters being killed in Ohio has to carry the same weight today as it did in 1970. Tin soldiers aren’t what we face now, but a Republican majority that has now defied the Ohio Supreme Court’s decision against their electoral map for the 6th time.

To quote another guitar legend, ‘excuse me while I kiss the sky’ because I don’t want to be negative here, this is an opportunity for reasonable people in the Buckeye state. There is an opportunity in November, provided by reasonable people of this state voting in their own interest, and the interest of their children in August on issue 1.

I’m old enough to be one of those people that, ‘Saw the towers fall’ as was pointed out to my girlfriend when a young person asked about her age. I also remember that it was Ohio that re-elected Bush in 2004. That’s the thing though, I know Ohio is a shadow purple state if the circumstances are right, and there are enough votes in the metropolitan counties of the state to drown out the ignorant if we turn out. This November is that chance, abortion and weed, if that doesn’t scream freedom I don’t know what does.

Ohio Issue 1, to establish reproductive healthcare into the state constitution could not be more important. I live in Columbus, and, ‘this our fortress’ as it used to read on the outside of Historic Crew Stadium, central Ohio is our fortress. Abortion on the ballot gets that crucial but fickle Delaware county suburban mom that cares about her daughters vote, and that is tangible. That is something that can translate Ohio into a national discussion when we think about the electoral college in a year.

‘Four dead in Ohio’ is a tragedy, but it doesn’t have to be a legacy. Those people that died that day were out there protesting to make this state and this world a better place as they saw fit. Let us all carry on in that tradition of informed political action and put Ohio back into the purple column, and make Trump or whoever becomes the nominee from that grift show party sweat. ‘What if you knew her, and found her dead on the ground? How can you run when you know?’