Clouds got in the way...

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

Lori,

No lashes from me. I certainly appreciate advocating, speaking up for the disenfranchised or voiceless, or seeing an opportunity to get better and making something happen. I don't raise as much hell as I used to, but I've learned to channel my passion for justice in a different way.

From the two times a year I come up to visit, this time was really different. Or so I thought.

Thanks for reminding me that the positive energy and change I experienced was all just due to hypnosis from the Summers camp. I've always been so out of tune with Lakewood, never understood the dynamics. Just barely scratched the surface. How in the world do they get the koolaid past the water filtration into our tap water? Three weeks of it and I'm brainwashed into liking my stay in Lakewood. If only I packed my tin foil hat!

God forbid I come on here to share a positive experience as an outsider back again in your fine city. I forgot the Deck isn't used for that anymore.

[Lori Allen _]

Whoa there cowboy! It was just a post intended to be humorous to contribute to this positive thread.

[Jim O'Bryan]

IMG_2554-Pano_obs.jpg

One from Monday evening.

I will have to say the city feels completely different. Take it from someone who's been away for a while living in the fastest growing city in the country. I couldn't last more than three days of visiting Lakewood without depression and anxiety, but I'd consider moving back in a heartbeat with all the improvements and positive energy. I can't believe I just typed that out.

Sometimes you just don't know what you have when it's right under your nose. Sometimes you gotta follow all the potholes and cracks to the solstice steps, take a deep breath and consider yourself lucky to have this view within walking distance.

As OB says, peace and love.

Ivor

Thank you for sharing yet another gorgeous photo. It is the photographers that have always carried this project.

From the earliest days some wanted it to be nothing but heavy discussion, others wanted a paper with no photos. I knew as you have always known, reflected by Alex Belisle, Gary Rice, Peter Grosetti and others. Photos will get us through the tough days.

Lakewood, is still in the middle of a civil war, yet again, for the same reason. People have chosen sides and dug in. This is why we need your input and others more than ever. As you know the Deck is not positive of negative, it is not pro Summers or Anti-Sumemrs, the only thing checked at the door is your name. So please, stop branding the DEck and start branding the posters, you do all of us a great dis-service lumping us into one faction.

I have no idea why Lori Allen brought her rant and nasty images into this thread of love and beauty. But do not give up on me, Peter, Alex, Gary for trying to highlight the best and most beautiful parts of Lakewood.

Thanks again, nice seeing you.

.

[Ivor Karabatkovic]

Jim,

I say this with love and as my curtain call- I hope this sparks a reply of action- not just words - where you finally hear the call to change your ways rather than sit behind a screen and fire away and continue to fuel this madness. Don't even give in to the need to type back, or call, or email.

Speaking from experience as someone who has needed to change, I moved away not because I was pursuing a dream career, but because I needed to break free from a few things that kept me from growing into the type of person I wanted to be. Moving away and being challenged forced me to grow up a bit. Instead of running away from issues, I've tried to meet them head on. Was it hard? Yeah. I've had to give up a lot of seemingly harmless habits in order to heal, be kinder to others, be more accountable for my words and actions, and so on. I wanted to get to a place where Ivor the person matched my actions- the way I worked, the way I treated others, what I cared about, what I spent my time, money and energy on.. it's a life-long process, really.

I've always believed and still do believe the Observer has enriched the community both inside and outside of Lakewood, Ohio. The years I spent shooting were a blast! We got to see history in the making, in the flesh, and I made some great friends along the way.

You've stated countless times that "we"- the posters, readers, writers, photographers, movers and shakers are what makes the Observer. It is, after all, volunteer; we choose to read, write, post, discuss, agree or disagree.

Here's the catch: If the posters who are pro or anti _____ overtake the Deck and become the louder majority, the Deck, by your own reasoning (not mine), becomes anti or pro _______. If the same "we" despise our mayor and the majority of us thinks everything's a conspiracy against us and we come to the Deck to voice that opinion, guess what the tone of conversation on the Deck becomes? Exactly what we make it. The Deck is what it is because of the mudslinging that is allowed. In many cases, it's encouraged and provoked purely by the intentionality of no moderation and the teaming up of individuals who bully their way around.

I'm just glad it hasn't trickled over to the paper.

This tone is why I choose to post only once in a while. It's simply not enjoyable, and sadly, not even remotely informative. I don't know anything about the hospital or city hall because I've been 500 miles away and I still haven't found any information on here that isn't biased. God-honest truth; I've tried to read the articles and posts just to get informed and make my own decision, but it's impossible here. What good is that?

I do have tangible evidence of what I experienced in the past three weeks in Lakewood. I mean, I was sober and fully aware the entire time, so it must've been real. I think. Lakewood has changed and in many ways reminds me of Lakewood from my early childhood that was charming, energetic, open, clean, and great. What I see portrayed here on the Deck is drastically different. The 20 and 30 year old young professionals view the city way differently. We're buying homes and choosing to raise our families here, cracked pavement and all.

This project is a caricature of what it used to be before this hospital mess. It used to be a place where neighbors came together to find solutions, create reform, to celebrate victories, and to help one another. Can you honestly, objectively look at this forum and say that still happens today?

You always have a right to move on and enjoy life, my friend. It's a warning I heard and responded to four years ago. I didn't see myself living past 26. At 27, I can say I made it. Haha.

Make changes, forgive a few people, humble yourself, or you'll drive everything into the ground and make enemies out of some damn good friends. Turn away before this consumes all of you and chases everything you love away.

Again, the Observer will always be near and dear to my heart. I'm glad to have been a part of its journey, and glad you've been a part of mine. My motivation is simply to see you well and to see this project revitalized and a force of positive change in the community again. A place where walls and fences come down and everyone has a seat at the table.

-Ivor

PS: I know a thing or two about civil war, and this ain't nothing like it. I get the clever parallel you're trying to make here, but lets just squash that analogy before any of your followers believe it. Lakewood's not in a civil war- you just allowed the NYE Monkey to escape and have his way.

[Gary Rice]

To my mind, Ivor has just posted one of the most honest, compassionate, and heart-felt "call-to-reason" posts that I have ever read here on the 'Deck.

It is certainly not a criticism of the good work that Jim O'Bryan and company have done to provide a community forum, but at the same time, we were taught in school that free speech is necessarily limited by responsible behavior.

One cannot support, condone, or become co-dependent concerning inappropriate agenda-driven adult behaviors or postings, however "well-intentioned" they might otherwise claim to be.

Remember that old proverb about "good intentions" paving the road to that hot place?

While online chat-room controversies can often attract readers, I would suspect that the downside could also affect everything from our property values, to community interactions, personal relationships, and just as importantly, how those outside our borders perceive Lakewood.

I, for one, agree with Ivor. Lakewood is a wonderful place to live.

(And...I would also encourage Ivor to keep posting and adding his wisdom from time to time, no matter where he happens to be living! )

I, for one, also believe that this old 'Deck could likely use some kind of a sheriff, and the sooner the better.

Peace-makng banjo sing-a-longs can only get you so far...

Back to the banjo...

[Corey Rossen]

Okay, okay. I'll volunteer my sheriff services.

[Michael Deneen]

It's hard to give any credence to Ivor's lecture because he himself admits "I don't know anything about the hospital or city hall". That means he has no idea what is going on around here.
It's pretty much like asking Donald Trump about "Brexit".

[Patrick Wadden]

Great post Ivor.

[Corey Rossen]

It's hard to give any credence to Ivor's lecture because he himself admits "I don't know anything about the hospital or city hall". That means he has no idea what is going on around here.
It's pretty much like asking Donald Trump about "Brexit".

He said that he has read all the posts here about the hospital and can't make heads or tails of it because they are all bias posts.

[Michael Deneen]

He said that he has read all the posts here about the hospital and can't make heads or tails of it because they are all bias posts.

If by "bias", he means "contain facts", then he would be correct.
Team Summers thinks that the posts here are biased.
Coal and oil companies think Global Warming scientists are biased.
Tobacco executives said that the Surgeon General was biased.
Bush and Cheney said the French were biased when they said there were no WMDs. (Their surrogates actually used the term "cheese eating surrender monkeys".)

Is it any wonder that Team Summers hates the Observer so much?

[Corey Rossen]

He said that he has read all the posts here about the hospital and can't make heads or tails of it because they are all bias posts.

If by "bias", he means "contain facts", then he would be correct.
Team Summers thinks that the posts here are biased.
Coal and oil companies think Global Warming scientists are biased.
Tobacco executives said that the Surgeon General was biased.
Bush and Cheney said the French were biased when they said there were no WMDs. (Their surrogates actually used the term "cheese eating surrender monkeys".)

Is it any wonder that Team Summers hates the Observer so much?

I am impressed at your abilities to read and interpret Ivor's mind. Impressive. Or, maybe, just maybe, there is a difference of opinion involved. By that I mean, he differs from your opinion and remains open minded. But I don't have your ability to read minds.

[Michael Deneen]

Or, maybe, just maybe, there is a difference of opinion involved. By that I mean, he differs from your opinion and remains open minded. But I don't have your ability to read minds.

Much like the other examples I cited, the Hospital issue is not about opinion.
That is the game that Team Summers wants to play....like the oil companies, they want to turn a factual discussion into an "opinion discussion".
When folks argue opinions, noone is wrong.
For example, some like the DH, others like to watch pitchers bat. There is no factual answer to that issue.

However, topics like smoking, Iraq, Global Warming, and Lakewood Hospital involve facts.
Facts are not open to interpretation or spin.
In fact based discussion, there is only truth and lies.

[Corey Rossen]

Or, maybe, just maybe, there is a difference of opinion involved. By that I mean, he differs from your opinion and remains open minded. But I don't have your ability to read minds.

Much like the other examples I cited, the Hospital issue is not about opinion.
That is the game that Team Summers wants to play....like the oil companies, they want to turn a factual discussion into an "opinion discussion".
When folks argue opinions, noone is wrong.
For example, some like the DH, others like to watch pitchers bat. There is no factual answer to that issue.

However, topics like smoking, Iraq, Global Warming, and Lakewood Hospital involve facts.
Facts are not open to interpretation or spin.
In fact based discussion, there is only truth and lies.

I agree with you that it is about facts. My interpretation of what Ivor is saying is that he cannot determine the facts amongt all of the bias (from both sides).

[Gary Rice]

I really have to chuckle when I recall what Tommy Smothers, (of the Smothers Brothers singing and comedy duo) reportedly said regarding Truth, when he received a commemorative Emmy...

"There’s one word that exists in every language on the face of the earth and every society from the time man began to speak and the word is Truth. It exists in every language and it means exactly the same thing. I’d like to remind us what it is….truth. Truth is what you get other people to believe."

See: http://www.smothersbrothers.com/press_room/emmy.htm

Look, if even a smidgen of what has been alleged here regarding the hospital issue, or supposed government incompetence, etc...were really PROVEN to be true, I suspect that some of our City Hall leadership could likely have been jailed by now, or at very least, have been charged with something. Granted that MIGHT happen someday, or not, but until then, all you have are allegations, and puzzle pieces of an as-yet incomplete story.

Basic Civics reminder needed here? I'm certainly no lawyer, but don't we all remember from our school days that people in our country are INNOCENT, until PROVEN guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, in a court of law? (AND THIS 'DECK IS NOT A COURT OF LAW)

Look, what we DO have here are opinions, perceptions, and very strong feelings, all of which are better than NOT having any of the above. I like Arlo Guthrie's opinion that people who DO care, even while disagreeing, often have much more in common with each other than people who do NOT care.

Let's please try to respect our differences of opinion while we go forward.

Back to the banjo...

[Alex Belisle]

Ivor, I'm glad I met you through our mutual friend Gary. I knew we were brothers from another mother during our 1st conversation. And after reading what you wrote, your comments struck heartstrings as fellow photographers. God speed to you brother in your endeavors back in Bosnia. It's a shame that both of us had to get caught up in all the negativity here on the Deck. Thank goodness I started up my photoblog "Faces of Lakewood" to seek after all that is good and positive in Lakewood. I'm evolving here in Lakewood as you have done. The cultural paradigm shift is huge for me coming from NYC and being an active participant of its culture. Social media has been a godsend for me, allowing me to make real friends from the virtual ones all over the globe.

I'm walking away from all this toxic stuff and let the "Light in Lakewood" shine brightly through the lens of my cameras, just like you have. Be strong, young man. We both know in whom our strength and hope lies.