4 easy ACTIONABLE steps to help Judge Tracie Hunter

Like many of you I continue to feel the bullets of injustice fired from the automatic weapon into the temple of the children in the Hamilton County juvenile court system. Some facts:

About 70% of detained juveniles in Hamilton County are black, though the county’s population is 25% black.

Judge Hunter ran her campaign on a platform of Rehabilitation, Education, Application, and Restoration

What’s that mean?  It means that she is a “tough but fair” judge that refuses to be part of the good ole’ boy network of the school to prison pipeline treating children as commodity.

Last week when I heard the news that Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter was indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury on eight felony counts, I cried for our children.

After the tears over this 21st century hightech lynching, came the action plan. I’m not just going to talk or write about it, I’m going to be about it and do something. 

If you feel the same way,  here are  - 4 easy steps that take less than 10 minutes each - to help Judge Hunter.  These actionable steps that I present aren’t necessarily new, nor will they work if you don’t use them. Use them and share them.

Define the problem

This is such a simple piece of advice that is so easy to do, so why then do some of us not get it right? Perhaps because the pain we feel prevents us from clearly defining and then articulating the problem.  Take a couple of minutes and define the problem.  Here is how I will define the problem. Judge Tracie Hunter is being singled out by the prosecutor’s office, the media and she is receiving lackadaisical support from the Democratic Party and getting her head bitten off by the Republican Party. Take a few more minutes to practice defining the problem.

Being able to clearly define and then articulate the problem enables you to contact people who you want to take action without giving a long speech, rambling and talking more from feeling than fact. Maybe you are great with speaking off the cuff, still consider having a prepared script. You don’t have to stick to it word by word but the better you are able to articulate yourself, the more likely you will see results.

Standing in support of Judge Tracie Hunter (and don’t ever stop referring to her as judge), does not speak to her guilt or innocence, although I believe she is 100% innocent. Instead it speaks to your support of stopping of the unfair treatment.

Make contact

Support Judge Hunter by making contact with people for various reasons regarding her situation.  For instance, you might contact the news outlets and ask for more balanced coverage regarding news stories that pertain to her. You might contact the head of the Democratic Party Tim Burke and request that he step up the party efforts to support Judge Hunter. Contact Burke at 513.421.0495.  Below, I list a couple of people off the top of my head that you might also contact regarding Judge Hunter.  Before reaching out to anyone be sure to clearly articulate why you are contacting them and how you feel they can help, or you can express to them what they are doing that is hurting our children and Cincinnatians.  As an example you might contact the Hamilton County Republican Party chairman and ask why,  under his leadership Hamilton County has wasted 2 million tax payer dollars.  You can reach  Alex Triantafilou at 513.381.5454.  You might contact Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters and express to him how his actions affect the community.  Contact Deters at 513. 946-3000

Triantafilou and Deters responses might be disheartening and downright rude, but that’s OK, remember your goal is to help Judge Hunter and expressing your concerns helps her and especially if enough people do it.

Here is a list of other possible sources to contact.

1.      Politicians

2.      National Media

3.      Both parties

4.      US Attorney General, Eric Holder  

http://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/complaint.html

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001

202-514-2000   Public comment line    202-353-1555

5.      Streetcar people

Recruit
When the big streetcar debate was taking place I was repeatedly contacted on social media by a number of people that I consider acquaintances that I know from attending various political events. Each time I got on Facebook, I had a request from someone working to save the Street car asking for my help. They asked me to attend meetings and to contact politicians, etc. in support of the streetcar. They expressed to me how important the streetcar was to Cincinnatians as it would bring jobs and would serve as the first leg of light rail. Much of what they told me I knew and wholeheartedly believed, but with my busy schedule I couldn’t put a big dog in the fight, but I eventually put a little one.  I posted my support of the streetcar on my social media sites and reached out to two politicians (David Mann and Kevin Flynn).  What I did didn’t take much time.  Lessons learned: Be persistent, ask different people/groups for help and convince them why the Judge Hunter issue should matter to them.

Here’s an idea invite them to the MLK March on January 20 as their will be thousands walking to support her.  Later, I’ll provide the contact information of Bishop Bobby Hilton of the National Action Network (the Cincinnati Chapter).

I encourage you to recruit people outside of your comfort zone and ask them to join the fight. We need all of our brothers and sisters on board - red and yellow black and brown, gay and straight, etc. In addition to recruiting people out of our comfort zone recruit family and friends who may not be  “activist” to lend a helping hand. 

I have a lot of young people in my family (under 20) that I’m going to educate on the Judge Hunter situation.  I going to ask them to give a donation $1 or $100.  Their investment will be the reason that I each time I see them to give them an update on the situation.  

Donate 

Donate and donate as often as you can and what you can.  There are 300,000 people in Cincinnati. Over 100,000 people voted for Judge Hunter. If each voter gave $1.00 we could raise the 100,000 for the defense fund. 

Judge Tracie Hunter Defense Fund

C/0 Jennifer Branch, Trustee

432 Walnut street    #400

Cincinnati, Ohio  45202

BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS ON THE ENVELOPE (PHONE # OPTIONAL)


CLICK HERE TO DONATE ON WEBSITE  OR SEE LINK BELOW

http://traciehunterlegaldefensefund.com/

 REMEMBER it takes less than10 minutes to reach out to someone. Whomever you decide to contact remember to be thoughtful, yet firm and convey a sense of urgency. Don’t just blow off steam, you can look up at the ceiling and do that.  Remember also, if you do nothing, nothing will happen, but if we stick together and do something – change can happen.

Please take a few minutes out of your busy day and take these actionable steps to support Judge Hunter and spread the word.  Consider signing your initials in the comment section below after you take some action.

Here is the number to contact Bishop Bobby Hilton

Greater Cincinnati Chapter National Action Network
P. O. Box 40142
Cincinnati, Ohio  45240
513.858.8131

Got more than 10 minutes?

Become a precinct executive.  Rob Richardson, Jr is organizing Precinct Execs, contact him at 513.372.6362

For information on running for Democratic Precinct Executive please email sally.krisel@hamilton-co.org or kathy.curran@hamilton-co.org 

Got just one minute?  Change you social media avatar.

Below, I have provided contact information for the local media. Perhaps changing the negative media narrative directed at Judge Hunter is a great place to start.

WLWT-TV      1700   Young Street                     Cinti, Ohio 45202     513.412.5010

Business Courier   101 W. Seventh Street      Cinti, Ohio 45202    513.621.6665

Cincinnati Enquirer  312 Elm St.                      Cinti, Oh 45202           513.721.2700      513.768.8000

Fox 19    (19 Broadcast Plaza)   635 W. 7^th Street   Cinti,  Oh 45205   513.421.1919

WCPO

WCPO TV            1720 Gilbert Avenue                             Cincinnati, Ohio  45202   513-852-4071