Remembering some of the legends of REALNEO to date...

Realneo brought some of Northeast Ohio's most engaged and amazingly brilliant activists together and incited more than enough community activism over the last couple years to keep the feds busy for the endurance. I have been blessed to know, interact, and learn from so many of these people including Lily Miller, Norm Roulet, Debra Shephard and many more... Heck, without REALNEO, I probably never would have heard of ROLDO...but reading his work has been truly stimulating.

Attending public meetings with countless REALNEO members that are actively engaged in the little issues of their various neighborhoods has brought enlightment on countless levels through this forum....Issues that I had once never had a clue about became a focus and over time-changed the way I think about the City overall, particularly the leadership.

Enjoying both arbitrary and humorous exchangees that also empowered us to agree to disagree at times without a fist fight has been an extraordinary experience. Finding people who cared passionately about the world around them was also something I have prized about being a blogger on REALNEO.

Over the past couple years of participating in the forum, we have shared, cared, and endured countless changes. We have smiled, laughed, cried, and conquered some truly amazing scenarios. We have joined forces, united, and worked tireless to battle abusive practices. We have won and few and lost a few of our battles.

Ultimately, the REALNEO FAMILY is full of bright, intellectually stimulating, and extraordinary individuals with depthful thoughts which they share with the world around them. They have a combined skill set that is priceless in our everchanging world; but most significant is a love for their community despite the challenges of corruption that have fueled their fighting sides.

I admire so many of the posters, bloggers, and worldly travelers who visit and share with our people. I hope that each person who has shared something of value via the REALNEO network will inspire others to engage our readers with their own blogs.

While some may come and go and others may endure; REALNEO has been a historical community resource that has definitely changed the reality of corruption. For that alone; I find it a very huge asset to the community at large. For generations our government worked tirelessly to divide and conquer a United America.... yet in the next generation of computer literate citizens; we are going to find a new sense of "reality" changing the face of America and revitalizing the good old fashioned values that America was founded on.

As we see some bloggers deleting their archived blogs and posts; the reality of people's livelihoods being threatened over "public participation" has become all too real. This medium has brought East & West, Black & White, and countless other social organizations together in a way never known to our disenfranchised population.

There will be another round of posters, bloggers, and participants who start off with some form of passon and leave with some sense of bitterness in their mouth. Yet, there will be plenty more who visit and gain insight that will empower them to make decisions that actually protect the public at large from further abusive actions that violate their lives. For this alone; REALNEO is a very authentic place. Some will post happy stories, some will gripe, and some will complain; but some will actuallly learn and react to the situations which hurt Americans will their postions of power.

Americans have rights that need protected. If posters have to resolve to outlining criminal activity online in a forum like REALNEO to get direct attention to change the negative things....then so be it. Until our world is safe enough for real citizens to feel comfortable fighting corruption without being retaliated upon; REALNEO should be here for them too.

As for the concepts of Economics etc within the confines of the REALNEO acronym; the reality remains that too many cynical citizens have been stepped on by poor public policies. Empower our citizens to speak up, participate, and feel safe in their own backyards before you expect them to dedicate their energies into development and community building. Until then; know that you are either part of the problem or part of the solution.

All my regards to the love, dedication, and endurance of the countless REALNEO members to date. I salute your sacrifices, your hard work, and your goals to make a better place in NEO. May you never lose your passion, vigor, or your sense of right and wrong; as it has been the fertilizer that made REALNEO the amazing place it is today! All the best!