TROY — Republican candidate for governor of Ohio Joe Blystone held a meet and greet event on Tuesday at Dunaway’s Beef & Ale in downtown Troy.
Blystone, of Canal Winchester, owns and operates Blystone Farm, which includes a market/butcher shop, steakhouse, bakery, and event venue.
“I’m a farmer, a business guy, and I’m not a politician,” Blystone said Tuesday. “I never thought about jumping into politics, ever. I despise politicians and the political environment because it’s never worked for us.”
Blystone spoke for an hour, meeting with and speaking one-on-one with visitors before and after. Topics of his speech included the public school system, critical race theory, gun legislation, the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, abortion, and more.
On the subject of schooling, Blystone said the public school systems have become “indoctrination tanks.” He said most schools are teaching critical race theory (CRT) under the label of “equity” or “inclusion.” Critical race theory is an academic movement that began in the 1970s, which seeks to link racism, race, and power. The core idea of CRT is that race is a social construct, and that racism is not just a result of individual prejudice, but is also embedded in legal systems and policies.
“It is in (schools), and it’s not just a class, it’s taught through other classes and it needs to stop, folks,” he said. “It’s teaching little kids to be racist. They want to draw a line right down the center of society, and they want us fighting each other.”
Blystone mentioned his support of the “Backpack Bill,” which was introduced in the Ohio House earlier this year. This bill aims to tie state resources to the student, and would ensure each child in Ohio would be eligible for a scholarship to attend the K-12 school of their choice, whether public or private.
“That now makes the public school system a business. If they keep indoctrinating your children and they lose all their business, the school system will die as it should,” he said.
Blystone said he recently attended a protest in Miamisburg to show his support of healthcare workers who are against proposed vaccine mandates for hospital staff. He also expressed his stance regarding vaccination record cards being required for customers to frequent businesses.
“Nobody is going to tell me I have to show any card to get in anywhere,” he said. “The fact that some of these businesses are coming out and telling people, ‘You must get an experimental drug shot into your body or you lose your job,’ is nonsense, and we have to fight against that.”
Blystone also spoke out against other vaccinations typically received by children as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) immunization schedules.
“You do not have to give all these vaccines to your children to be healthy,” he said. “Do your research, do not listen to the CDC or the government; they could care less about your children.”
Blystone talked about the importance of a healthy diet for children, noting that food provided by schools is often full of unnecessary, unhealthy ingredients.
“I care about your children; I care about their health. I teach this stuff on my farm,” he said.
In 2020, Blystone said he created the non-profit Blystone Agricultural Community where visitors can come and learn about farming firsthand.
“It’s very simple to eat healthy, but you have to cook, but that’s alright. Sit your children down, cook a dinner like the olden days; it’s a good thing,” he said. “Then, just listen to your children. If they come home from school, they want to talk to you. Just be quiet and let your children talk.”
Blystone said he is not running for governor because he wants to, nor is he “looking for a political career,” but said he is running “out of necessity.”
“I put my reputation on the line to jump into this race. We’re going up against big tech, big pharma, and we’re going up against the establishment,” Blystone said. “They do not want somebody like me in this governor’s seat, I guarantee you, because we’re going to break the mold of politics. I’m not going to Columbus to make friends, I’m going to Columbus to fix a mess, and it’s been a mess for decades.”
To learn more about Blystone and his campaign, visit www.blystoneforgovernor.com.
