Ohio GOP Senate Candidate Says People Should Stay in “Violent” Marriages
That’s only one of many reasons why JD Vance is a bad choice for Ohio
Venture capitalist turned Ohio Republican candidate for senate, JD Vance, rose to prominence with the publication of his bestselling 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy and its subsequent 2020 Netflix movie adaption. In it, he tells the story of “a family and culture in crisis”, his Appalachian roots, and what it was like growing up in rural Ohio and Kentucky. He describes the crisis of hopelessness, suicide, addiction, and poverty that has plagued his family and Appalachian communities for decades.
Like JD Vance, I’m also from Ohio. I grew up in the city of Columbus, but my family hails from rural communities across Ohio and West Virginia. My father’s side of the family is from Northeastern Ohio while my mom’s side comes from southern Ohio and West Virginia. These are my roots, my family, and my history. From childhood through adulthood, I’ve made countless visits to my grandparent’s and great-grandparents’ homes and have seen these communities up close. I’ve listened to stories from family, friends, and neighbors. I’ve seen firsthand how poverty, domestic violence, crime, addiction, and police brutality have impacted my family and their communities. It is an epidemic and little, if…