Bill Cunningham to great Americans. Coming up later today will be the Reds and
Astronomicals alive from Houston. And many had said Tony Fenders seven repeatedly, this
is a preview of the World Series in October and maybe November between the Reds
and the Astros. That's a different story, John, and you and I
now is the representative State Rep. Cindey Abrams of the West side of Hambleton
County. She's chair of the Criminal Justice Committee. More and she had something
press release issued a couple of days ago, and what she wants to declare
July first to be Taylor Swift Day and so much more. And Representative Cindey
Abrams, welcome again to the Bill Cunningham Show and Sydney, since this is
more or less Father's Day week. And do you have some stories, some
vignette about your dad. Understand from from media types that he may have died
at a rather younger age, but nonetheless, what is stories that you recall
about your own dad? Well, thank you for having me on the show
today. Of course you know my dad he did die young. He died
when he was fifty two. But I'll tell you he taught me so much.
We had a lot of fun together. We shot handguns in competition all
around the tri State when I was starting at what seventeen years old, and
he was a proud Union pipe fitter, and again, you know, taught
me to save my money and don't spend more than your make and all that
good stuff that uh. You know, I am who I am today truly
because of my father and mother. But Father's Day weekend, you know,
definitely shout out to all of our dads who play such an important role in
the kids' lives and Cindy Abrahams. It is not common, may I say,
for a father to take his teenage daughter to shoot guns. I think
that's wonderful because there's his seriousness to that activity that otherwise would not be present.
So when you relate a story about shooting guns with your father and the
strength that he give you, any political philosophies, liberal conservatism, about faith
and family, what else did he place inside you? Well, of course
all of that. I mean he you know, he was a devout Catholic,
very strict. I have a funny story. When I came home.
I was working as a police officer down here for the city of Cincinnati,
came home to visit one weekend and he literally said, hope you brought your
church clothes because we're going to nine o'clock Mass. Okay, Dad, Yes,
sure I did. And how old were you at that point? I
was twenty five twenty five? And he said, Sydney, hopefully you brought
your church clothes. We're going to Mass. And you said, and you
said, yes, daddy, that's what we'll do. Yes, there we
are nine o'clock, nine o'clock Mass. And now, after being a cop
and a state representative, you chair the Criminal Justice Committee. And we had
this terrible incident yesterday in Claremont County in which seemingly a father a news conference
has been held. It has to be a mental case of one type or
another literally kills in his freight yard at three to five and seven year old.
And you know, to me, this is a demonstration of monstrous evil.
It had to be a mental case of one type or another. No
one reasonably can do such things. And as chair of the Criminal Justice Committee,
there's a movement of foot which is ongoing to disregard the death penalty.
I think his bond is something like fifty million dollars cash only or sixty million
cash only. Unlike Hamilton County, He's not getting out anytime soon. Does
this provide justification for the death penalty or not? Well, you know,
first of all, what a heartbreaking story, so devastated for the family.
And yes, I mean it does sound like something terrible happened, you know,
in this country, I think we need to continue to focus on and
know the State of Ohio heavily focuses on and funds, you know, mental
health at all ages. Quite frankly, it's important to talk about it.
If you're struggling with something, if you're having, of course suicidal or homicidal
thoughts, you need to talk about it and tell somebody and get the help
that you actually need. But going to this case, you know, look,
I have UM as a Catholic myself. Of course I last General Assembly
there was a bill in the House to abolish the death penalty, and you
know I did a lot of UM, a lot of interested party meetings,
a lot of discussion. I mean I even talked to the you know,
some nuns here locally in Hamilton County. And I will say that everything I've
experienced as a police officer, the things that I've seen, you know,
I truly believe the death penalty has a place in Ohio. Um as you
know, it is not used um Willie milly so to speak. It is
used for the most serious, um you know, hainous crimes. That again,
this example of shooting your innocent children ridiculous. So again I believe there's
a place for it, you know, in Ohio. And as far as
lowering the voting at age, one of the presidential candidates sh Mswami once the
increase the voting age to twenty five, that may be somewhat controversial. Boys
and men generally don't become adults, so the age of twenty five to thirty
mentally, as far as your idea, many have had it to lower the
ability to become a police officer, and you were one for a long time
with Cincinnati from twenty one to eighteen years old. I think what's driving that
is the fact that recruit classes are way down. That I saw hit on
Sergeant Dan Hills about a week ago when they would announce there was a recruit
class for CPD. In one case there was six thousand possible recruits showed up.
Six thousand of the Duke Energy center to begin the process to take the
test for fifty positions. Six thousands show up. And now it's not that
they're advocating advertising. Now it's completely different. So some will intended persons say,
well, let's lower the age from twenty one to eighteen. Where does
Cindy him stand on that? You know, Dan Hills is right. When
I took the test back in nineteen ninety six, I will say that there
were, yes, he's right, six thousand people there, and you know
they hired anywhere from fifty to eighty and you know he's right. They're struggling.
This is not going to solve the problem of recruiting and retention of our
law enforcement. You know what will supporting them, supporting them funding things like
they're training, funding things like you know, equipment, different things like that.
Cadet programs. You want to get eighteen year old eighteen or twenty year
olds in the door and you know, really teach them how to be police
officers and keep them long term, have a cadet program. I'm all for
that, But let me tell you something. What I heard in committee is
this, Well, we let our eighteen year olds go into war and serve
in our military. Okay, you're right, we do. And my husband
served in the Army, the first Infantry, and a lot of his friends
also did. And I talked to a lot of our former and current military
members. It's that are currently police officers. Listen, it's not the same
in the military. You're under constant supervision. Guess what. Once you go
through the police academy, and I'm speaking here in Cincinnati, of course,
are very lengthy thorough police academy, then you're out with your field training officer,
you're FTO, you know, on two different shifts, and then you're
released on your own. Guess what. You're by yourself. There's no sergeant
showing up to every run, or lieutenant or captain or chief showing up and
saying, okay, this is what you need to do now. No,
you're making life or death decisions in the blink of an eye by yourself.
You're learning to de escalate and everything else by yourself. And you're right.
I mean, look, twenty one, I think is the proper age.
If you want to get police officers in the door and train them and keep
them in all of that long term, it's a cadet program. I'd be
happy to help. You know, look at funding that. But I'm a
hard no, I'm lowering the age here in Ohio. And Representative Sydney Abrams
your chair of the Criminal Criminal Law Injustice Committee in the House of Representative.
So if you say no, it's not going to happen, well, it's
not in my committee. It's a Homeland Security committee. I am just one
vote on that committee. So so at this point it may go through because
of the need to get more people. I can't imagine a nineteen year old
running on a dark alley at four o'clock in the morning, especially a mail
making a life and death decision. What happens all the time. If you
put me in charge, I make twenty one the magical age for everything.
You can't do a damn thing to your twenty or twenty one years old.
And then there's no confusion about carrying a military style rifle and some battlefield in
a rock when you're nineteen or twenty. I think that's different than being a
police officer. So we'll see what happens there. And lastly, let's talk
about the reason I brought you on. You want July first to be a
special day for Taylor Swift, can you explain you're thinking in that guard?
Well, you know, I'll tell you some folks have said, you know,
don't they have anything better to do in Columbus than this? What a
bunch of nonsense. And what I have to say to that is this,
you know what, we discuss and deliberate and vote on various very serious things.
And you know what, our budget is an example of that. Um
it affects every Ohio and and you know what, every once in a while
allowed to have a little fun. So this Taylor Swift day. Of course,
she's coming to our great city here in Cincinnati. And let's face it,
this is going to be a tremendous impact on our city here and our
state. I mean, it's it's reported that she brings five billion dollars in
economic impact. A two day, two day concert and music unites people.
This is bipartisan, it's fun and so that's why we got Isaacson and myself
are doing this. Are you a swifty goes? I know Tony Benner.
Tony Benner's an older white male, he tells me he's a swifty There's all
kinds of swifties out there, I'm telling you, And yes, I mean
young old in between, and yes, I will say. The inquirer asked
me, okay, what's your favorite song, and I would say it's blank
space. So there you go. It's hard to narrow it down to just
one, but you know everyone's going to be talking about their favorite song and
whatnot, and so we shall see life first Taylor Swift day here in Ohio.
All right, Representative Sindy Abrons, thank you very much. And for
those of us that don't have fathers around, he'll be locked inside your heart
for eternity and the attributes and the skills and the qualities of life that he
gave you. Cindy Abrons, once again, thank you for coming on the
Bill Cunningham Show with your permission. Will do it again. Thank you,
Representative, thank you, thank you for having me. All right, let's
continue. Tony Fenders as swifty as you can now hear. It's going nuts
just thinking about her coming to town. He spent like ten thousand dollars for
two front row seats or one of my old girlfriends, Taylor Swift at the
music, Tony, No, you can't make him stay, but this song
was about me. I understand. It's either me or John Mayer one of
the other hit it oo oo oo oo oo oo. I'm a player,
the haters and the players read Spaceball Tonight, Dwayne Allen Root coming up later
and more. That's Room of the Reds and Father's Day celebrations on news Radio
seven hundred. That will you other shake shake shake it man, shake it,
Hi, Hun Father's Day, And I'm a neglected holiday. Father's Day,
My days coming around, and you don't hear a word about it.
I hear your brother Thanks Flag Day, you know, weeks ahead of Mother's
Day. All you hear is buy mom this, Get mom that? What
are you here for? Father's Day? Jack squat Man? That's right,
Employee Appreciation Day on Father's Day. And I may be neglected holiday, but
at least I'm not Arbor Day. Hey, I'm sitting right here. Father's
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