I have been attending and photographing events at each end of the NEO citizen spectrum. What I mean is that I have attended Cuyahoga County Commissioner's meetings - which I would propose is one of many events at the top of what I'll define as the "civic pyramid", and I’ve gone to classes with individual citizens at the Shaker Lakes Regional Nature Center (the raccoon rabies bait story is centered around the Nature Center woods) -which I propose to define as one of many citizen events at the base, the foundation, of the "civic pyramid". Another example of an event at the top of the "civic pyramid" would be the Cuyahoga County Wind Energy Task Force meeting which was held at the Key Center September 13 and which I will post about shortly. And another example of an event at the foundation of the pyramid is instructor Donald Isom’s (on left in "Rehab is for Quiters" shirt) weekly Krump at the Heights Youth Club pictured above.
I often come away from meetings I’ve attended at the top of the pyramid cynical and discouraged about our ability to get ahead here in NEO. Often the agendas of those at the top of the civic pyramid are not equitably or sincerely focused on the constituents in the pyramid. On the other hand, when I engage people at the base of the pyramid - It is so easy to find sincerity, fairness, energy and unique knowledge and skills.
So in my mind the objective is to instill the entire civic pyramid with the same robust earnestness and energy that I find in every neighborhood.
I believe that in order to reach that objective, the crucial first step is equity [1].