Referendum Victories

Recent referendum victories

Common sense tells us that problems which exist today cannot be solved by applying long, outdated standards of yesteryear. It is irresponsible leadership and dereliction of duty when the decision-makers rubber stamp any lethal, failed plan without researching science proven, long term alternatives that fit the 21st century. They have a moral and ethical obligation to their constituents to do just that.

By holding their elected officials to higher standards, the citizens of Ottawa HIlls and Broadview Heights were able to put an end to hunting in their neighborhoods. With the passage of Issue 8 in Ottawa Hills, the ordinance that legalized discharging lethal weapons within city limits was repealed. Residents of Broadview Heights also proved that the democratic process works when citizens demanded their voices be heard by collecting 2,111 signatures in 25 days. By doing so, the ordinance that permitted hunting in their neighborhoods was also repealed.

Recognizing that hunters pose more of a threat than the deer, citizens of both Ottawa Hills and Broadview Heights vehemently oppose the use of lethal weapons such as bow hunting and sharpshooting in their neighborhoods. Arrows shot from a hunters bow can travel a distance of 1,000 yards at speeds of 325 feet per second and can penetrate a bullet proof vest. Deer shot with arrows do not die instantly, instead they suffer a long and agonizing death, sometimes running into yards and streets causing accidents. Stray bullets from so-called "sharp shooters" guns also, at times, find their way onto private property jeopardizing the safety and lives of residents. According to the International Hunters Association, approximately 1,000 people in the US and Canada are accidentally shot by hunters every year and just under 100 of these accidents are fatalities.

The solution to present day problems rests in the hands of the decision makers whose job, as public servants, is to represent the will of the people. It is, however, ultimately the responsibility of YOU THE VOTER to see to it that your elected officials know exactly what your will actually is and what solutions are acceptable to you, their constituents. Too often, plans are not shown to be ineffective until the decision makers are no longer in office, leaving you with continued failed schemes. City officials owe it to their constituents to provide them with the facts. In the words of Thomas Jefferson, "Whenever the people are well-informed they can be trusted with their own government." By the collective actions of the citizens of Ottawa Hills and Broadview Heights, it was the people who informed the politicians and victory was achieved!

Elinor Israel, LOHV Ohio