The Observation Deck

Funny thing about an elephant in the room - everyone knows it's there.

Yeah, the elephant in the room.

My first reaction to the plan to close the hospital was…I don’t want any of the Clinic's ugly architecture in Lakewood. Then I remembered all the rumors, and, yes, what I thought were paranoid conspiracies, about the hospital. They weren’t paranoid conspiracies. The mayor was lying, and has been lying all along. And then a lot of nonsense rhetoric started to grow. Build Lakewood appeared with a claim that the proposed plan was a “hospital”. Then much hysteria about the city being left with empty buildings and simultaneously, vacant land. Not to mention all the nonsense about "seismic changes in health care" throwing in-patient care out the window. Many iterations later I now hear that there were problems with Metro offers (whose existence was previously denied) and the lease with CCF was full of holes because CCF essentially wrote it. And then I hear Councilperson Marx is willing on social media to offline clue someone in as to the why and what fore to the decision making process but can’t seem to air that in public.

Yeah, the elephant in the room is almost all of Lakewood’s government is seriously suspect, and as a 36 year resident of Lakewood, it makes me very sad and angry.

"Elephant in the room" or '' Elephant in the living room ' is an English metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is going unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss.

Whatever the opposite of "elephant in the room" is better describes the issues of Lakewood's government and Lakewood Hospital on this board. They most certainly have not gone unaddressed here. If anything, some have complained that those issues are almost the only ones people discuss here any more.

It's easy enough to see the reply count on different topics...

Jeff Dreger wrote:"Elephant in the room" or '' Elephant in the living room ' is an English metaphorical idiom for an obvious truth that is going unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem or risk no one wants to discuss.

Whatever the opposite of "elephant in the room" is better describes the issues of Lakewood's government and Lakewood Hospital on this board. They most certainly have not gone unaddressed here. If anything, some have complained that those issues are almost the only ones people discuss here any more.

It's easy enough to see the reply count on different topics...

Perhaps that means that majority of astute Deckers want to be informed about the most important issue in Lakewood current events and that posts like this that lack substance are of little interest. Then again maybe the high reply and click count is a function of trolls trying to distract from those subjects and/or attorneys with an agenda to quell free speech who are data mining for fodder for frivolous lawsuits.

Then again, maybe there is no elephant in the room---if there was then the trolls or legitimate posters would have some factual substance to present that there was indeed and elephant in the room?

Elephant in the room...
YES ok...I have a pitbull in my rescue. Geez. But if you look up the ordinance I am legally allowed to have them in my rescue. Besides.....I saved his life and spent 8 grand doing so. (and I still have more to do with him to get him healthy)
Or is the elephant in the room the large vet bill that is hanging over my house (i am sure you can see it as the rescue is going under)?
I know I know...it is the awesome jeep i drive with no doors or top on that is lifted and everyone wants a ride....

(sorry just trying to lighten the mood and share some humor.... but the above things are true!!)