The Ohio Renaissance Festival Protest

I started this protest just prior to the 2008 season of the Ohio Renaissance Festival because I felt there were many serious concerns affecting not only participants but also the general public.  It is now a year or so later.

The 2009 season is over and the 2010 dates don’t seem to be set.  I have little doubt there will be a 2010 season, indicating to me that Peter Carroll’s wild claim that this protest cost him $250,000.00 is bogus.  The Ohio Renaissance Festival might be a large corporation but loosing over a quarter of a million dollars in just over a year and with no end in sight is not something I’d expect it to be able to withstand in this economy.  So what have we learned this season?  I speculate that the following represents differences since the close of last season:

Google and Search Engines Love Us – Last year we weren’t nearly as high ranked.  Next year we think we can do even better.  Google now blesses this website with the number two position for a search term of ‘Ohio Renaissance Festival’. Second only to the official web site.  Although it might seem pompous to say, the place has come so far that I think we have a shot at the number 1 position next year.  This means the many wrongs Peter J. Carroll and the Ohio Renaissance Festival is presumed responsible for is being seen by people considering attending the event more and more.

The Ohio Renaissance Festival is Hurting – Documents filed with the Warren County Court, sworn by ORF Inc. president Peter J. Carroll, indicate that the Ohio Renaissance Festival has lost serious amounts of money since this protest started.

Costly Investigations - Documents filed with the Warren County Court, sworn by ORF Inc. president Peter J. Carroll, indicate that very costly investigations have been ongoing.  Peter J. Carroll and the Ohio Renaissance Festival have now admitted to the courts that chemicals were dumped into the creek and photographs of the open burning of trash by ORF Inc. employees have become available.

Peter J. Carroll is Sacred – Last season he seemed to mostly ignore this protest.  Oh sure, management threatened people it thought might fuel the protest but for the most part we were ignored.  This year Peter J. Carroll seems to be spending a great deal of money to fight our dissemination of true reporting of critical commentary.  Currently he has a quarter million dollar lawsuit filed against me, which in part asks the court to ban the protest from the Internet or some such thing.  Evidently, they haven’t heard about the First Amendment.

Peter J. Carroll is Confused – I think Peter J. Carroll and the Ohio Renaissance Festival use torts / lawsuits to intimidate and terrorize people into forfeiting their First Amendment and other rights.  When he sued a minister for his attempted fun raiser, I don’t think Carroll was prepared to prove the damages had occurred.  I think he was simply attempting to scare clergy into giving up and walking away.  I imagine Carroll was very confused by my response.  It seems I am the first participant to stand up to he man, thus showing him he isn’t as big or powerful as he thinks.

In Conclusion

When Peter J. Carroll treated my family and I so poorly, I had no idea there were so many other complaints against the man or the incorporation.  After he unjustly took my building and threw my family out of the event without cause or explanation, I started commiserating with others.  When Marietta Marcin spread her lies about my character, I offered resolve and continued to remain civil and polite.

At every turn, I afforded Peter J. Carroll and the Ohio Renaissance Festival Inc. a path towards resolution.  At every turn, I offered him quarter.  In the beginning, before I knew of the many other grievances, this meant little more than an apology for the way Carroll treated my family.  For whatever reason, he refused and thus set all this into motion.

Think about that for just a moment.  He claims I cost him over a quarter of a million dollars in damages but with a simple apology I would have never started this protest.  I conclude the man is not just an asshole, he is a DUMB ASSHOLE.

See you next season!