Posted by: Tristan | May 1, 2007

Not The Image We Want

Many months ago I stumbled across a YouTube video about Warren and I must admit it is not flattering.

I shared it with Robert Holmes III, 4th Ward City Councilman and with Mike Keys of Community Development. Mike passed it on to the Mayor and City Administration but it would be nicer if someone with the technical knowledge could come along and post a more POSITIVE look at what is truly a GOOD Place to Live.

Recently Steve Oravecz, Political Editor of the Tribune-Chronicle, mentioned the YouTube posting in his editorial. Since then the number of hits on this video has increased, so I thought I would share it with you on Dare To Dream, for it is an image we do not want nor deserve.

Posted in City of Warren, Politics

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Responses

Wow! What a depressing video. Like this site and your observations. I’ll be back

By: Pat on May 1, 2007
at 4:59 am

This video makes me think that here’s a good place to make a movie of a depressed mid-west, rust belt town. Nothing will happen until there is a STRONG, INTELLIGENT leader in city hall, and all the council people and department heads are working together toward the same shared goal.

By: Bill on May 2, 2007
at 9:10 pm

Hi. My name’s Rayne, aka Karen Hall. I made the video titled “Dirty Old Town” at discussion here. It’s received a lot of negative comments, many along the lines of “we don’t want this image, there are far more positive things to see in Warren.” Unfortunately my message has been mostly misunderstood, except perhaps by people like Bill - who gets it. That was the point. Hyping up the downtown ‘reclamation’ and dubbing Warren “Festival City” is grand, but that doesn’t simply ‘erase’ the factual reality of much of the city, and much of the area. The reason I felt compelled to make the video wasn’t simply to make fun of Warren, but from a painful heartfelt desire to focus, even zoom in on, the tragedy of … well, Bill had the right term - the ‘rust belt.’ This video isn’t just a slam on Warren, Ohio, and those who take it so personally are missing the point. It’s a poignant look at the *reality* of Warren, Ohio - and many other cities just like Warren. While things may be grand for the elite of the city, there are many for whom things look as bleak as this video, day in and day out. Some people don’t like to see this, but guess what - I didn’t doctor a thing (other than some minor cropping of photos). I’m a relatively amateur photographer who took these photos and then made a video out of them, pretty much as is. These things are REAL, they exist just as you see them. Preferring to look at Warren through rose-colored glasses doesn’t make them disappear for the rest of the citizens who have to live every day with the loss of jobs, loss of even the ability to get a job that will pay the bills, sometimes the loss of pensions and future security. Warren doesn’t “deserve” this image? But these images ARE a part of Warren, Ohio - like it or not. How can you not deserve something that is a factual reality?
Respectfully, Rayne

By: Rayne on August 22, 2007
at 8:03 pm

Looks like Warren to me. Maybe they should have included more images of the Courthouse?!?!?

By: Shawn on April 4, 2008
at 10:41 pm

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