JUSTUS with Jack & Gonzo Jack D’Aurora and John Gonzales

There’s a little-known truth: public health saved your life today and you probably don't even know it. Public health makes our lives safer and helps us live longer, but its many successes largely go unrecognized. No small wonder it’s called “the invisibleshield” in a PBS documentary that aired last month. Former Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Amy Acton, M.D., discusses the important role Public Health plays in our lives. But underfunding and lack of public awareness are constant challenges. With Dr. Acton’s foresight, Ohio got through the Covid-19 pandemic, while politicians wanted to deny what science called for, which heightened the dangers brought by the disease. The question is, will we be ready for the next challenge?

Should the minimum wage pay enough so that workers can be self-sufficient? If not, why not? Large employers, like Walmart and Kroger, pay wages that exceed Ohio’s minimum wage but yet barely keep a person above the federal poverty level. Isn’t there a conflict between capitalism and society’s obligation to protect the most vulnerable workers? Listen to our conversation with Bill LaFayette, owner of local consulting firm, Regionomics.  

The terms “evangelical” and “Christian” have been co-opted by conservatives to push their political agenda. For this group, Christianity is less a means for spiritual enrichment and more a means to steer an ideology, as evidenced by the  Seven Mountain Mandate, which urges Christians to take control of seven components of society. Instead of promoting social justice, respecting the dignity of every human being and seeing Christ in all people, the evangelicals use Christianity—and what they espouse as Christianity is far afield from the New Testament—in a coercive way to get what they want. Listen to our conversation with Rev. Vicki Zust, rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Upper Arlington, Ohio.

Why is it we see a wave of people demanding that certain books to be banned? Are these folks voicing their own personal objections based on their own reading, or are they voicing a philosophical bent based on what they’re heard about books? And how is that parents who object to a certain book for their children want the book to be banned for all children? Since when do parents get to decide what’s best for someone else’s children?
Donna M. Zuiderweg, chief community engagement officer for the Columbus Metropolitan Library, explains the process libraries use to select books and decide where to shelve them and how challenges can be made. She reminds us just how valuable a resource our library system is and how important it is to maintain it.

When your options are limited, selling drugs is the answer. Our guest, Buddy, grew up in a low income, high crime Cincinnati neighborhood, with four siblings and a single mom who earned a modest wage. Selling drugs was the answer to getting what he needed—clothes, cash, security. Buddy started out by counting cash for established dealers and by 16 was running his own enterprise.
And then at age 21, it came to an end. A competing drug seller told the police what was needed to send Buddy to prison for 30 years. After thinking about life for the first 20 years, Buddy obtained a GED, studied technical courses, and aligned himself with Kindway, a prison ministry that helps inmates transition to life outside the walls. Released in 2023, Buddy says with joy, “I paid for my sins” and is gainfully employed. Buddy may earn less than he did back in the day, but he’s at peace.   

Why is it that elected officials can’t draw fair legislative election maps? Despite state constitutional amendments for redistricting reform approved by Ohio voters in 2015 and 2018, Ohio remains heavily gerrymandered because politicians disregarded the mandate they were given. Former Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Maureen O’Connor struck down as unconstitutional multiple proposed maps. Now as part of Citizens Not Politicians, O’Connor is leading the effort to place a constitutional amendment on this year’s ballot. If the amendment is approved, a commission of 15 citizens—not politicians or anyone politically connected—will be created to handle the matter of drawing legislative districts.
O’Connor explains why the 2024 proposed amendment will be the most important issue on the ballot for Ohioans, perhaps even more than who becomes president.