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Let’s be frank here. What people like you are saying is that you have no interest or need for Detroit to turn around. Does anyone remember their history about post WWII Europe and how devastated it was? There was a Marshall Plan to rebuilt Europe and it happened. More importantly, Europe was rebuilt because the US believed in the people in Europe, had a vested interest in the strength and stability of Europe and profited from the rebirth of Europe. Hence, there was a will and hence they found a way to make it happen.
The thing is this. Why try to make the city of Detroit what one would like it to be when one can simply move to a city that already has what it is looking for? People who are looking for a certain type of urban lifestyle can move to Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, Portland, and Minneapolis. In all those cities you can find urban white folks residing in these cities, shopping in these cities and helping to invigorate these cities. So when one can move to what they desire there is no need to create it or recreate it in Detroit.
In reading your post I see a lot of things that don’t add up. For example, you say that crime is underreported. I ask you how you could KNOW this if it’s not being reported. You don’t actually live there to know. Of course, absolutely NO city reports all crimes in the media. I challenge you to find me any major city that the media has time to report every single crime that manifest in its city. You cannot. If you are saying that violent crime is underreported by the police department, again, how do YOU KNOW? Are you keeping your own independent database on Detroit’s crime? Furthermore, how do you know that such is unique or endemic to Detroit and not all major cities?
Also, you mean to tell me that a successful white woman would not be welcome in the city of Detroit? Well, at least stereotypes are changing because in the past the perception was that black men salivated over white women. So now I guess the “new ignorance” is that a white woman is not wanted in a city made predominately black by whites demonstrating that they did not want to live around blacks and a city run by blacks. That’s what kills me. Whites move away from blacks, creating a nearly 90% black city as a result of white exodus……and now whites are saying that its blacks that don’t want them in the city? Look at how Southfield went from majority white to majority black and look at how the public schools in Southfield are nearly all black. I guess high murder and violent crime rate of blacks in Southfield drove whites away from that city too.
The truth is that black folks are not the problem here. Detroit does not have a “different” type of black folks. They are no different than blacks in Chicago, Philadelphia, New York or any other vibrant major city in America that whites live, work and play in much higher percentages than in Detroit. The problem in Detroit is the attitudes of whites in the Detroit area and Michigan in general.
Sheesh. I don't even really know where to begin responding to all of this. I guess I touched a nerve, didn't I?
First of all, it is silly to say that it is all the fault of one particular race for the relations being as they are today between the city and suburbs. Both blacks and whites played a role in that. The history of Detroit does make it different that Chicago, Philadelphia, or New York by the very nature of the riots of 1967 and the mass exodus of whites collectively to the suburbs. While racism absolutely exists in these other cities, it will never be as severe as it is in Detroit. Reference this racial demographic map based on U.S. Census data and compare the different cities. Notice how, while still being segregated, the other cities are not anywhere near being as divided across racial lines as Detroit/Detroit Metro is:
As to the question of how I know the crime in Detroit is grossly underreported- one of my good friends worked as a judge for the 3rd Circuit Court downtown for many years. Another is a retired Detroit police officer. When I talk with these individuals they tell me about cases being thrown out left and right to keep the numbers down, because if anyone knew how bad things really were they wouldn't go down to Detroit at all. Even with the fudged statistics they managed to gain the nickname of the 'Murder Capital'. So while other cities may have downplayed their crime issues as well, they don't carry that special distinction in the way Detroit does.
I've yet to understand the comparison between modern day Detroit and post WWII Europe. Those are two entirely different sets of circumstances. People were united after the war, they didn't have the kind of history we are speaking of, it was entire nations as opposed to one part of a state. For the most part, they got things right the first time by all working together. Well, people have tried over and over again in Detroit to 'reinvigorate things' as you are alluding to, only to fail time and time again. What's the definition of insanity again? Oh yeah, it's doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
I don't owe anything to the city of Detroit. Why would I invest in a place that isn't going to give much of anything back to me? It's a losing situation on my end. And to be quite frank, the times I have been in Detroit men have made sexually degrading remarks to me that made me highly uncomfortable. That is my right to express my discomfort with that. I'm not saying every guy down there is deplorable. I'm just stating what I've encountered and the way that it makes me feel.
In the end, we can sit here all day and point fingers about who the more-guilty party is for Detroit's woes. The truth is that the problems are so severe there is no practical solution for the immediate future. The only answer is to do exactly what is happening right now- consolidating and concentrating the population into a smaller area to save on city services and cut down crime, bring in the Feds to start cleaning up a culture of illegality and corruption. This will help, but isn't going to be some magical cure that fixes the city's problems in a year, a decade, or a lifetime for that matter.
Sheesh. I don't even really know where to begin responding to all of this. I guess I touched a nerve, didn't I?
First of all, it is silly to say that it is all the fault of one particular race for the relations being as they are today between the city and suburbs. Both blacks and whites played a role in that. The history of Detroit does make it different that Chicago, Philadelphia, or New York by the very nature of the riots of 1967 and the mass exodus of whites collectively to the suburbs. While racism absolutely exists in these other cities, it will never be as severe as it is in Detroit. Reference this racial demographic map based on U.S. Census data and compare the different cities. Notice how, while still being segregated, the other cities are not anywhere near being as divided across racial lines as Detroit/Detroit Metro is:
As to the question of how I know the crime in Detroit is grossly underreported- one of my good friends worked as a judge for the 3rd Circuit Court downtown for many years. Another is a retired Detroit police officer. When I talk with these individuals they tell me about cases being thrown out left and right to keep the numbers down, because if anyone knew how bad things really were they wouldn't go down to Detroit at all. Even with the fudged statistics they managed to gain the nickname of the 'Murder Capital'. So while other cities may have downplayed their crime issues as well, they don't carry that special distinction in the way Detroit does.
I've yet to understand the comparison between modern day Detroit and post WWII Europe. Those are two entirely different sets of circumstances. People were united after the war, they didn't have the kind of history we are speaking of, it was entire nations as opposed to one part of a state. For the most part, they got things right the first time by all working together. Well, people have tried over and over again in Detroit to 'reinvigorate things' as you are alluding to, only to fail time and time again. What's the definition of insanity again? Oh yeah, it's doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result.
I don't owe anything to the city of Detroit. Why would I invest in a place that isn't going to give much of anything back to me? It's a losing situation on my end. And to be quite frank, the times I have been in Detroit men have made sexually degrading remarks to me that made me highly uncomfortable. That is my right to express my discomfort with that. I'm not saying every guy down there is deplorable. I'm just stating what I've encountered and the way that it makes me feel.
In the end, we can sit here all day and point fingers about who the more-guilty party is for Detroit's woes. The truth is that the problems are so severe there is no practical solution for the immediate future. The only answer is to do exactly what is happening right now- consolidating and concentrating the population into a smaller area to save on city services and cut down crime, bring in the Feds to start cleaning up a culture of illegality and corruption. This will help, but isn't going to be some magical cure that fixes the city's problems in a year, a decade, or a lifetime for that matter.
Truth is often sillier than fiction. Black people do not have a long, long history of oppressing whites, denigrating whites, written laws to keep whites down or moving out of communities when whites move in (unless the property values are driven up to such a degree that they can no longer afford to live there). The most important thing to remember that everything EVOLVED into what it is now. What were black people ever guilty of other than fighting for the rights and standing up against being treated like animals and second class citizens? I guess when one just sits back and accept the abuse, with no negative reaction and with complacency; one is celebrated and exalted as the “model Negro”. For those sick and tired of being treated as second class…and who rebelled against the “System”, they are equal blame. Well…it’s the people who rebelled who are the ones who actually brought and forced change…not the people who sat on their arses and or lowered their heads in defeat.
Detroit had race riots in 43 and 67. Blacks rebelled against mistreatment. Who and what were mistreating blacks and why, that would result in such a reaction? All actions manifest reactions. It is the fault of whites that they don’t have a city, in Detroit, that offers them man made amenities that exists for whites in other major cities. As an African American, Detroit offers me nearly everything than any other city has to offer African Americans, if not more. Why? The reason is due to the fact that there are a lot of African Americans in the city. So why does not the city of Detroit offer the same for white folks? It’s simple….there are hardly any white folks, percentage wise, living in the city of Detroit. Now whose fault is that other than the white folks who decided they did not want to live in the City? White folks in other major cities stuck around enough to make those cities attractive to white folks. White folks in Detroit did not. The riots in Detroit were in a small area of the city, around 12th street. Mostly blacks were killed and mostly black’s homes were lost.
Martin Luther King Marched in Cicero Illinois and left there lamenting that he had never in his life seen the type of racism that he experienced there. I have not seen any study to suggest that racism in the Detroit area tops the nation. The most racially segregate areas of the country are in the Great Lakes region. Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Flint, Cleveland….etc. The difference in Detroit is that whites drew their line in the sand within those cities, separating blacks from whites. That preserved a large white presence on those cities. In Detroit, whites drew the line in the sand between the cities and suburbs. The end result was that they cut off their noses to spite their faces. Allowing the principle city to collapse ruined the reputation for the whole region and hurt recruitment of talent and investment in the area…which impacted the suburbs too.
I am not going to address your “hear say” in regards to unreported crime. I mean….what kind of integrity does a judge have if he has witnessed this and did not report it to the FBI? Was he complicit? Just because someone says something does not make it true. Some people might simply have a beef with the city or they may simply be using hyperbole for some reason. In regards to men making degrading remarks to you, again, that is your story. The idea that Detroit is the only place where men make lewd and vulgar remarks to women is not going to gain traction. Certainly that would never happen in Chicago, New York or Philly. In those cities men have a reputation for being “gentlemen”…lol.
You're right, Detroit is better off without me. It's more like I'm better off without Detroit. Talk about putting a halo on an entire group of people. Both sides have their blame to share, if you can't see that you are part of the problem as well.
I totally agree that Detroit is beyond hope. I used to think there was some chance, but the underlying problems are so profound that in reality it doesn't seem likely. To give an example, I found a loft downtown that was absolutely gorgeous, hardwood floors, granite countertops, new stainless steel appliances, huge, airy... an authentic industrial-style loft with a rooftop overlooking breaktaking views of the Ambassador Bridge. All for 100K. And I still wouldn't buy it at that price. Why? Because I, as a successful white female would not be welcomed down there. The crime is underreported and completely out of control. The politicians and council are corrupt. And there's no grocery store. It's a pretty sad state of affairs when you have a property like that, walking distance to all the major venues... absolutely beautiful, spacious, everything in it high-end... and still people don't want it. The same type of property would go for 5 million in NYC, but because of where it's located it sits abandoned even though it's priced for a song.
As a successful white male who lives in the city, I totally disagree with you. Detroit is certainly not beyond hope, it already has hope. There is more hope now than there has ever been. Again, I'm not sure what you mean by feeling "unwelcome." I've never felt like that in Detroit. If anything, people are SUPER welcoming. Detroit is just a city. It has a mix of people, races, cultures, etc. People interact and get along. I have a blast whenever I go out to all-black establishments. It's fun to mingle, the conversation is great, and I always make new acquaintances. Nobody gives me any problems, and I never have a problem. The race war is over. It's been over. And just so everyone's clear, the Berlin Wall also came down too.
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