I think the biggest problem, and this doesn't just apply to the people who purposely stay away from the city and want it to fail, it applies to everyone, including us. You need to approach this city with empathy. You have to understand the people who live here, what they've been through and why things have gotten to the way they are. The mistake we often make is that we want to come in and make things the way we think they should be, but rarely ask ourselves if that's actually good for the city. This is how a fiasco like the Robocop statue happen. You get people excited because, "Oh, hey, Robocop was filmed in Detroit so that would be so cool. I love Robocop." But don't stop and think about whether or not you would want that in your neighborhood, or if the people who live there, who have seen enough police brutality in their day, to have a monument to martial law in their backyard. "I hate to say this, but Detroit needs to herp before they're ever going to derp." Ask not what Detroit can do for you, ask what you can do for Detroit. Don't just attach the Detroit label to everything because it'll help you sell t-shirts, do it because your product is worthy of the title.
I would hope that no one I come across in this city would ever think I'm trying to cross them, but I know that most of the residents are distrusting of outsiders and new-comers. It's because of a string of bad experiences they have had in the past. If you approach the people here with empathy, and speak from the heart, you will find that the people of this city are warm and kind. They may try to hustle you, so you have to stay on your toes, but they show respect when respect is earned.
I hear all that, you know I do. But my shit got stolen. That's just something that I don't, and can't, have empathy for.
That's the kind of thing you have to confront, head-on, when you're talking to Detroit haters. They're gonna say "See? Your shit gets stolen off your front lawn", and they're right. We have to face up to that and not make excuses for it.
Empathy can go a long way towards understanding why your shit got stolen, and why the city has turned to anarchy in the first place. Mistrust of outsiders, mistrust of the police, mistrust of city government has led people to believe they all need to look out for #1. You should actively pursue these people, go ahead and setup cameras with motion detectors and all that, but at the end of the day, the problem won't go away until we confront the real issues.
Good news. Waste Management heard about our plight and reached out to contact us about crediting our account for the amount of the stolen bag.
Thank you, Waste Management! If you have a small cleanup project, we can highly recommend the Bagster; even on the basis of their customer service alone.
I really appreciated this post, and the idea of honestly covering the good with the bad. From my perspective, being a suburban Detroit "ex-pat" living in SF, I think honest coverage about the bad stuff does help keep it real. I've witnessed first-hand, some of that "see, Detroit IS bad" backlash by outsiders when a news story about crime or violence comes out in the national media. Overall these days, from the outside, it often feels like there are 2 streams of media coverage about the city. The bleak stereotypical, and sensationalist generalizations about crime, poverty, etc. that have plagued mainstream media coverage for 40 years, and conversely, the more hipster Pollyanna "Detroit is the new Portland/Austin/Brooklyn/the Mission" coverage that's happening in some blogs. In the end, the middle ground seems like the best tact to take. Highlight all the good, and shine a light on the bad and needs-to-be-fixed elements, so that anyone interested can approach the city realistically. It's REALLY ok to be upset about your shit being stolen, and take appropriate steps to prevent that, regardless of what city you live in. Let's face it, part of the reason these amazing opportunities exist in any neglected area of any city, is because there is greater risk there, at least in the beginning. No need to sugar coat that. I'm glad you're not.
We ARE community. We're in this together. We will win this battle by banding together in respect for each other. And love. Yes, it sounds like Hippie International, but this is the ONLY way to bring Detroit back. We must prove those who drag her down are not as strong as those of us pulling her back up into the light. WE will love this place and these people so forcefully that Detroit and her people can NOT fail!!! Together we will save each other!!! That's how it works.
Comments
I would hope that no one I come across in this city would ever think I'm trying to cross them, but I know that most of the residents are distrusting of outsiders and new-comers. It's because of a string of bad experiences they have had in the past. If you approach the people here with empathy, and speak from the heart, you will find that the people of this city are warm and kind. They may try to hustle you, so you have to stay on your toes, but they show respect when respect is earned.
That's the kind of thing you have to confront, head-on, when you're talking to Detroit haters. They're gonna say "See? Your shit gets stolen off your front lawn", and they're right. We have to face up to that and not make excuses for it.
Thank you, Waste Management! If you have a small cleanup project, we can highly recommend the Bagster; even on the basis of their customer service alone.