We at DamnYouOhio.com are lifelong, committed Ohioans. While the negative angle may make you feel uncomfortable, that is somewhat the point. (We would be lying if we didn't admit that some of this stuff is just painfully funny.) The only way things will get better is to be completely clear and unafraid of our problems. This is what people are saying about our state; if we can't listen to them how can we make it better?
Previous Posts
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- David Brennan
Monday, July 25, 2005A Concerned DamnYouOhio.com ReaderI just had a very interesting Instant Message conversation with a friend of mine about DamnYouOhio. It gets to the point of this site pretty nicely. You might find it of interest...Anonymous IM Guy says: I think you need to be really careful about Damn You Ohio Sage says: why? Anonymous IM Guy says: It may just be my opinion, but for me, I kinda feel like I'm a liberal in the trenches trying to make it better for all people, especially liberals in ohio. Feels a little demoralizing, like there's no point. Anonymous IM Guy says: I know you and Joe, so I know the tone, but the first time I read it, I had to remind myself.... Anonymous IM Guy says: and believe me I feel the same way. Sage says: ah. does it feel like we are picking on something in particular? Anonymous IM Guy says: rereading it to make sure I remember how I felt the first time...... Sage says: ok Anonymous IM Guy says: Well reading about the population, made me feel more isolated. Reading about the poverty made me feel like cleveland was on its way to being another detroit. Anonymous IM Guy says: and this Anonymous IM Guy says: I would rather not spend the next Election Day the way I spent the last one: wondering just how much to hate Ohio. Anonymous IM Guy says: that was tough, I think mainly because I had to go into denial just to get through the election stuff, and being reminded of all the work I put into it for naught was hard Anonymous IM Guy says: Hope this is cool, kinda hard for me to say, but I wanted to tell you. My thoughts are you might want to distance sagerock from it, because some of these folks might want to consider you for web marketing Anonymous IM Guy says: If you did it, maybe do it as secret gurilla reporters.... Anonymous IM Guy says: Just my thoughts. Thanks for letting me tell you Sage says: I definitely appreciate the insight. The way you are feeling is pretty close to what we were looking for, I think. I want people to be crystal clear about all the problems Ohio has. Until we are totally realistic about who we are as a state, we can't possibly start fixing ourselves. Anonymous IM Guy says: Okay... I just hope it doesn't hurt your business. I can see where you're coming from, and yeah I think it does need to be said. I sometimes just read the tone as whiny lefty stuff, but it may be just my reaction. Sage says: I totally appreciate that perspective... about the business. But Republicans get to be proud of who they are. If me voicing a liberal agenda puts me under as a business man... so be it. Anonymous IM Guy says: That's cool. Man I'm so with you, except I want you to be big and powerful and start buying politicians for our side Sage says: Oh I will. Taking a stark stand sometimes helps the cause. Like my business, I'm trying to come at politics from a fresh, true perspective. Democrats suck at politics right now. Anonymous IM Guy says: That's very true. Maybe a little negative is the way to go, didn't think about it like that before. Sage says: or I could be totally off the mark. I'm just going to a new angle. Anonymous IM Guy says: Honestly maybe it was just the name....just seems like "damn you ohio" is a little intense....even "Damn Ohio" or "F'in Ohio" make it a little lighter....anyway. Cool, I'd like to hear more about your philosophy on this new angle that's for sure Sage says: I actually wanted to go with FuckedOhio.com (like fuckedbusiness.com) but Joe cooled me down a bit. Anonymous IM Guy says: Funny, now if I hear Joe say "Damn You Ohio" I totally get the tone, but when I hear myself say it...its way more intense, maybe because it hits so close to home. Anonymous IM Guy says: I actually like FuckedOhio.... Sage says: ah. I definitely appreciate the concern here. But believe it or not, I think your reaction is kind of what we are trying to get at. Sage says: If I removed your name, could I post our conversation up there? Anonymous IM Guy says: Wow, then more power to you. Anonymous IM Guy says: Sure Sage says: awesome. Thanks dude! (A Concerned DamnYouOhio.com Reader) |
15 Comments:
So what is the point of this website? Are you complaining about the election, or are you just pissed at Ohio in general? I guess if you are not happy with the results of the election, then might I suggest you suggest ways to overcome the same outcome. If you are complaining about Ohio in general, then why not do something to change that, or move to a democratic state. I personally believe Ohio isn't at fault for the election, yes I believe in the conspiricy theory that it was rigged, therefore if you take that into consideration, then the republican state that you are not happy with is really a democrat state. Just wondering what if anything this website is doing to change the situation rather than just complain away, which Democrats are notorious for doing.
These are fine comments. Be aware of how Democrats are being positioned by the Republicans:
"Just wondering what if anything this website is doing to change the situation rather than just complain away, which Democrats are notorious for doing."
My guess is, Democrats complain no more or less than Republicans. And there is certainly no way to scientifically prove that kind of statement. What can be proven is that "complaining liberals" is a brilliant tactic by the conservatives. They have now made it very difficult for Democrats to say pretty much anything. Brilliant! I'm so tempted to just become a Republican... I admire them so much. If they weren't such money-focused, self-centered, righteous isolationists.
Democrats are terrible politicians. They continue to be played over and over again. I'm not even sure they can recover, really. They have been cornered, and out played over and over again. It must just be an amusing game for the Republicans at this point. "Let's see how we can screw with the Democrats now."
I don't want tell you the point of the site. I'm not 100% sure myself. It just feels right :)
S
I do think you're doing this website a disservice by having the election apology in the heading. You've basically alienated half of Ohio from reading the valuable information about the state's problems.
But I see a clear point to the site, personally. There is great value in making people aware of problems within this state and country, because no one is inspired to create change if they do not have their awareness raised about what needs changed. So the site IS doing something.
And since the site is valuable, that makes Ohiodamnyou's comment about "or move to a democratic state" seem a little chilish. Running from problems into the arms of the like minded is the least American ideal ever.
Unfortunately, the whole liberal and conservative bashing fest will continue forever. To digress, I am saddened when Non-partisan movements for change are attacked by left and right wing groups. I hate that some conservatives, for example, are accusing The League of Women Voters as being complaining liberals, simply because they see a need for election reform and want to hold the state accountable in court.
Anyway, I like the information on the site. I am sorry it's being presented in a partisan way.
I don't really think you are doing the state and its people a service at all with your website.
I understand where you are coming from with the need to accept our problems, but all you are doing is just posting a bunch of negative things about the state that have little connection to each other. You don't post your suggestions on how we should tackle this issues to help make Ohio better either.
I think it is increadibly one-sided to just post negative things. Ohio has a great deal of postive things about it. If we only talk about our problems, it will get signal to everyone that there is no hope for the state and that we shouldn't keep on fighting for it.
One of our big problems IMO is that Ohioans themselves don't think this is a nice state. People (esp. young ones) leave the state in droves each year.
People are going to warmer places in the Sunbelt in particular because they think warmer weather and the beach would be so much better than their current lives in "boring" Ohio. People in Ohio think it is the worst state in the country to live in, but a lot of this attitude comes from people who have never really seen what the rest of the country is like.
I am currently in my last year of college at USC in Columbia, South Carolina. I have been coming to vacation in the Carolinas since I was little, and thought it would be so much better to live here than in Ohio. Boy was I wrong! The Carolinas are not terrible, but Ohio has so much more to offer I think: A densley-populated state with many large and medium-sized cities, very eclectic and historic areas in all our major cities and small towns, a friendly population in general, one of the Great Lakes, beautiful hills in the southeastern part, great amusement parks, excellent zoos, one of the highest numbers of fortune 500 companies out of any state (showing how Ohioans have been creative and pratical in the past and still are), and the list goes on.
Ohio's education system of course drastically needs improvements. One of the big problems, however, is that the newly-educated just leave and don't stay and we don't see the economic benefits of that education.
Other areas of Ohio do need drastic improvements also, but we have a lot going for us. I don't think we are going down the tubes just yet!
I appologize for the incredibly-long post, but I just wanted to give another perspective from someone who left and wishes they were back now (despite the problems). I encourage you and everyone else to check out www.urbanohio.com (a great website I found about a year ago) to see some really great things about our state and to put your thoughts in a new light!
That's a beautiful post, Matt. Things aren't always what they seem. Would urbanohio.com have provoked you to write such a considerate overview of Ohio?
Look, we are all afraid today. Everything is frightening. This includes looking at things directly in their face. I blame this on our entire government. Everything is spin. Nothing bad is happening. Everything is fine. The only problem is, "bad" is happening all the time. But our government tells us not to look at it. "Look at what's positive."
As a country, we need to grow up, get a backbone and stare our problems in the face. Just look at them. Don't turn away. Once we do that, we'll realize that they aren't as insurmountable as we think.
I'm going to give you a quick lesson on the 3 "C's". When you have problems, when you have stress, apply the 3 "C's". Here is how you become "stress-hardy".
1. Commitment: When stress hits, stay involved and don't pull out.
2. Control: Take charge of a stressful situation. Control the situation, not the stress.
3. Challenge: Think of stress as normal. It's an opportunity to learn. Don't let yourself fall into self-pity.
DamnYouOhio.com is staying involved with all of Ohio's problems, it's controlling the situation by looking directly at it and it's not self-pitying - it's sometimes funny but always direct.
Problems aren't bad, Matt. They are all opportunities.
Thanks for posting and come on back to Ohio. We'd love to have you here in a state with one of the all time worst governors, the top 2 states with the most CO2 Emissions from Power Plants, and a leader in the nation in SO2 and NOx emissions.
See Matt. We're good at a lot of things :)
Well, Thanks again for the lesson. I didn't personally think Matt needed a lesson. It fits with the attitude of the site as a whole though that you obviously know better than everyone else. It seems to me like everyone is just trying to give this site some constructive criticism.
That being said...I think the facts presented, polutant emissions, brain drain, etc. are important. Its sad that the negative partisan nature turns me and so many others off to reading much of it.
I assure you, this site is not partisan. If anything, I have more disdane for Democrats than Republicans. Democrats are terrible politicians, can't motivate their party, can't unite under a single cause. I could go on and on. It just happens that Republicans are currently in office so it appears that I'm against them.
If there is partisanship here, it is against politicians as a whole.
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