As Co-Chair of the Wood County Green Party, I have to say this has not been an easy election. When you go to the polls in Ohio, you will see a notice that votes for our candidate, Jill Stein, will not be counted. The reasons are complicated and technical, but that's not what I'm writing about. As a Green who believes in our Key Values of Ecological Wisdom and Non-Violence, I can't bring myself to vote for Kamala Harris because of her positions on Gaza and nuclear power, but that's not what I'm writing about.

I'm writing to urge you NOT to vote for Donald Trump. Another Green Value is Grassroots Democracy, and there has never been a clearer threat to Democracy in the U.S. than Trump. Those of you who dismiss Trump's attempted coup as "fake news" are failing your responsibilities as citzens of our proud Nation. The congressional hearings into January 6th laid out in painful detail the deliberate plot to overturn our system of government. I have worked in Attica prison with the very worst criminals who have committed the most violent and horrific crimes, but if you ask them, somehow they are all innocent, victims of circumstance. Similarly, if you accept Trump's version of what happened that day, because he tells you to, you are being conned.

The promises Trump has made: this will be the last time you need to vote; he'll be a dictator on day 1; and all the horrible policies laid out in Project 2025 clearly demonstrate his desire to be a dictator. For those of you who scoff at this, remember many of the world's worst dictators today such as: Erdowan in Turkey; Orban in Hungary; and of course Putin in Russia were all elected. Then they used their authority to dismantle the Democracies that put them into power, seizing control of the media and the judiciary and installing themselves as absolute authorities, just as Trump promises to do if re-elected.

Just because we Greens have had our ballot status stripped away and our candidate erased from the ballot doesn't mean we are sitting out this election. In fact, here in Wood County we have created a Voters' Guide anyone is welcome to download and read from our website www.woodcountyohgreenparty.org .

Trust me when I tell you we are not urging you to stay away from Trump because of our love for the Democratic Party. Around the country and even here in Wood County we are frequently attacked by Dems who see us as a threat. No, we are saying don't vote for Trump because he poses a threat to Democracy itself.