Dear friends,

In 2007, Dayton became one of the first cities in Ohio to pass a non-discrimination ordinance protecting gay and lesbian residents. As the mayor at that time, I was proud to support the proposal because it was the right thing to do. Some folks in Dayton didn't like my stand. Maybe they thought the time wasn't right.

My friends, the time is always right to do what is right.

And so as we consider the events of the past week -- and the past four years -- I urge my fellow Ohioans, Democrats and especially Republicans, to take the time to do what is right. We desperately need leaders who will stand up and speak the truth, no matter the cost to their political careers. The truth is that this president is a danger to our democracy and our national security, and he must be stopped.

As I stated earlier this week, for too long, Donald Trump has fanned the flames of hatred, chaos and racism, and for four years, Ohio Republicans have cheered him on or shrugged their shoulders and pretended to be "late for lunch."

The time for tepid statements and both-sides excuses is over. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have lost their lives to a pandemic that is raging out of control. Black Americans are being threatened by police violence on a daily basis. Meanwhile, Trump supporters, white supremacists and right-wing domestic terrorists have been allowed to storm the U.S. Capitol and threaten the lives of our elected leaders, simply because they did not like the outcome of the election.

Some will say, this is not who we are as America. Any reading of U.S. history shows that is simply not true. Political violence and racism have been a part of our country since its founding. But that is not all that we are as Americans. We can be better, and I believe we are on the road to being better. We just elected the daughter of Black and Indian immigrants as our first woman vice president. The voters of Georgia are sending the Black senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church and a Jewish millennial to the U.S. Senate. We should be celebrating those victories, not fearing what Trump will tweet next to his rabid followers.

On Wednesday I joined President-elect Joe Biden's call for the president to denounce the violence and urge calm.

Our senior U.S. Senator, Sherrod Brown, is calling for the cabinet to exercise their authority under the 25th Amendment and remove Trump from office.

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Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and members of the Congressional Black Caucus have done the same and are calling for impeachment proceedings.

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At least one Republican member of Congress has joined that call, and Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly is saying he would vote to invoke the 25th Amendment. I urge Sen. Rob Portman and all of our members of Congress to support this action. We cannot allow this dangerous man to imperil our country any longer.

Despite all of this chaos, the American people will move forward. On Jan. 20, we will swear in a new government, elected by and for us. At the same time, there are many families who are struggling and in mourning. The Presidential Inaugural Committee has invited all Americans to mark this solemn occasion with events on three days:

Monday, Jan. 18 -- National Day of Service

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the inaugural committee will host a National Day of Service, partnering with organizations across the country to host service events that focus on COVID-19 relief and address challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The Ohio Democratic Party invites local parties, progressive groups and individuals to participate in this effort. Click here to find out more and sign up.

Tuesday, Jan. 19 -- COVID-19 Memorial

On Tuesday, the inaugural committee will host a memorial to remember and honor the lives lost to COVID-19. A D.C. ceremony will feature a lighting around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, and the committee is inviting cities and towns around the country to join together in illuminating buildings and ringing church bells at 5:30 p.m. ET in a national moment of unity and remembrance. You can encourage your local officials to light up city buildings, ask your faith leaders to join in the memorial or simply light a candle in your window in remembrance of the pandemic's tragic toll. Click here to participate.

Wednesday, Jan. 20 -- Virtual Parade and Inauguration

On Wednesday, President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in, and they will lay out their vision and plans to beat the pandemic, build back our economy better and unify our country. After the swearing-in, there will be a virtual parade, featuring diverse, dynamic performances in communities across the country. In addition, the Ohio Democratic Party is planning a virtual inaugural celebration for Wednesday evening, and I hope to share details with you about that event in the coming days.

Over the next 12 days, I will continue to pray for our country and for our leaders to be bold, to be courageous and to do what is right, no matter the cost.

Thank you for your support,

Chairwoman Rhine McLin

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, Jan. 9 -- Greene County Democratic Party Women's Club Monthly Meeting [link removed]
Tuesday, Jan. 12 -- Communicating Our Democratic Message with Communicating Our Democratic Message [link removed]
Tuesday, Jan. 12 -- Licking County Dem Club Meeting [link removed]
Tuesday, Jan. 12 -- Roundtable on Marijuana, Police, and Race with Rep. Juanita Brent [link removed]
Wednesday, Jan. 13 -- Central Ohio Coalition January Meeting [link removed]
Thursday, Jan. 14 -- Delaware County Democratic Party Ohio Redistricting Forum with Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner [link removed]
Saturday, Jan. 16 -- Petition Signing in Support of Democratic Candidates with Hilliard Democrats [link removed]
Monday, Jan. 18 -- MLK Day of Service with the Champaign County Democratic Party [link removed]
Monday, Jan. 18 -- Letter Writing to Local Nursing Home Residents with the Athens County Democratic Party [link removed]
Wednesday, Jan. 20 -- Inauguration Watch Party with Delaware County Democratic Party [link removed]
Thursday, Feb. 4 -- Quin-T Democrat Club Meeting in Clermont County [link removed]----
Paid for by the Ohio Democratic Party and not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. [link removed]

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