Thread by @GovMikeDeWine

In my inaugural address as your Governor, I laid out the values that would guide this administration -- the values and principles that are a part of who I am and that serve as the foundation for all of our policy decisions.

I said that “everyone -- no matter where they were born or who their parents are -- deserves the chance to succeed, to get a good-paying job, to raise a family comfortably, and to be secure in their future.” I meant that.

Within five minutes of taking my oath of office as Governor, I signed an Executive Order implementing policies against anti-discrimination in state Government.

Our Government exists to protect people so they can live flourishing lives and achieve their dreams, with its fundamental purpose -- as our own Ohio Constitution of 1803 states -- “to establish justice, promote the welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty” for all.

The essential function of government is to protect the most vulnerable among us -- those to paraphrase the late United States Senator Hubert Humphrey -- who are in the dawn of life, in the twilight of life, and in the shadows of life.

Despite many good efforts over the years:

Too many Ohioans are living in the shadows of opportunity.

Too many Ohioans are living at the margins.

There is racism in Ohio.

There is inequity in Ohio.

There are both economic and health disparities in Ohio.

I am the Governor for ALL the people of Ohio. And it is my job is to serve ALL the people of Ohio.

It is my job to defend the defenseless, to bring people together, to seek out many opinions and ideas, and to find solutions to the problems that are holding this state -- and too many of our citizens -- back.

I am seeking dialogue to solve these problems.
I am seeking strategizes for the implementation of reforms.
And, I am seeking real answers to the real problems of the structural impediments to equality in the State of Ohio.

Whether it is in the urban core or the hills of Appalachia, we have Ohioans who are not living up to their God-given potential because they simply do not have the same opportunities as other Ohioans do. That is wrong, and we have a moral obligation to do something about it.

Benjamin Franklin once said that “Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are." We should all be outraged that in the year 2020 in Ohio and across our Nation, there is still inequality of opportunity and racism.

#COVID19 has laid bare all of our vulnerabilities. Our fears. Our outrage. Our uncertainty. Our disparities. And, our injustices. We must come together to solve these historic injustices. I intend to bring people together to create hope and opportunity for ALL Ohioans.

Yes, this is about race. But it is also about ethnic disparities. It’s about poverty in Appalachia. It’s about educational inequity between the suburbs and the inner cities and rural Ohio. It’s about the underserved.

It’s also about the marginalized -- whether that is people of color or the elderly or at times young people or people with disabilities.

Race is indisputably a factor in all kinds of health, education, and economic disparities. The divisions of race have plagued this country since it's inception. While there are no simple solutions, we must be a positive voice in advancing change for all who are marginalized.

The legislature and I have, in a bipartisan way, have laid down a foundation. Is it enough? No. But this Legislature and I have worked to do things that will make a difference. Still, we must go further and I will be reaching out to the General Assembly to work on these issues

We are going to continue to work together on the problem of lead paint that is poisoning our children. We are going to continue to work to reduce infant mortality and maternal mortality, especially in the African American community.

We are going to continue to focus on home visiting programs for at-risk, first-time moms. We are going to continue to fight the drug epidemic in Ohio.

We are going to continue to prioritize the availability of mental health services for everyone who needs them and wellness efforts for all children in Ohio schools.

We are going to continue to make sure that our law enforcement officers have the proper training on implicit bias. We’re going to do more on de-escalation training for police officers. And, we’re going to do more to create best practices for police departments on the use of force

We must:
➡Improve law enforcement access to quality training;
➡Enhance transparency between police and the public;
➡Recruit more minorities to serve as officers; and
➡Add more oversight to Ohio’s law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability

I believe that we all want the same things here. Our goal should always be to recognize that each of us has intrinsic dignity. Each of us has intrinsic worth -- not for what we do, but simply for who we are.

Congressman William McCulloch talked about how life is not changed by laws alone, but by how people live with those laws. Here is what he said:

“How do you tear hatred and suspicion out of the heart of a man? No statutory law can completely end discrimination. Intelligent work and vigilance by members of all races will be required for many years before discrimination completely disappears.”

It is dangerous when words become weapons. This is our moment to let our actions speak louder than our words. Words are important, the protesters need to be heard. But those of us in government who have the ability to change things directly, we have to take this opportunity.

This is our moment to do the hard work -- the “intelligent work and vigilance” -- that is required to ensure that all Ohioans have the same opportunities to lead healthy, fulfilling, productive, and meaningful lives.

This is our moment in history. It is our time to act.