"Frank Rizzo"

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

You coined Frank Rizzo? That is not a name one would pull out of their butt!
Admit it you used the name with no idea who he was. He was mayor of the most comparable city in America to Detroit. He was Philly's Coleman Young.

That particular Frank Rizzo may loom large for you, and I understand that. But having been exposed to the Jerky Boys for so long, I associate it more with that Frank Rizzo.

Why? It's because of the overwhelming anger I feel from suburban Rizzos. Especially during a speech I like to call, "Look what they did to Detroit!" Imagine the speech read in the voice of the Jerky Boys' Frank Rizzo: Know-it-all tough guy barking out a mythologized history that leaves his actions out of it. That anger is important because ... well, because rage is often shame disguised with anger.

And also, Italians, in my experience, have a bit of a chip on their shoulder when it comes to race. I'm half-Italian. Italians weren't even considered white until, like, 1968. And when it comes to racism in America, the last one to get on the ladder to whiteness is supposed to kick the hardest at those who'd climb too. Not saying that's OK, but too often that's how it is.

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by canuck

Frank Rizzo is a pal of mine, doan make no fun of him awrighd, likewise, the other Frank Rizzo acrorss duh street ferm him is also a standup guy so lay orff will ya!?

How come I doan hear ya make fun a chinese people for one thing huh? They's just like your suburban Rizzo type, they're all Charlie Chans or something to that effect.

How about your black inner city guys, there's a whole busload of Jeffersons and Washingtons in there, it's easy enough to get them confused... lol.

Hey, tough guy. Nobody's talking about minorities, OK, sizzle-chest? I'm worried about my F*CKIN' HOME VALUES!

JVB · November-26-12, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Italians, in my experience, have a bit of a chip on their shoulder when it comes to race. I'm half-Italian.

That explains everything.

**Danny** · November-26-12, 12:24 PM

Originally Posted by aj3647

Yes, a lot of these mid-20's white college grads who move downtown are isolating themselves from Detroit's ills. How many of them live in multi-story condo buildings downtown, with security guards at the entrance and gated or underground parking protected by cameras and floodlights? I don't see how anyone can claim living in a little fortress such as that is the typical living situation for your average Detroiter who has to deal with the bad stuff on a daily basis.

It's the urban equivalent of living in a gated suburb community. And hey, there's nothing inherently wrong with living in those places and wanting to be safe, but these young urban professionals shouldn't delude themselves into thinking that they are living the same "Detroit experience" as everyone else. You're living in the Green Zone, whereas the vast majority of Detroiters live in the Red Zone.

So we have a tale of 2 Detroit's. Its Downtown with hip cool skinny jean young professionals who are living in the security controlled supercondos and megalofts. The outskirts that is ghetto hoods filled with poor, miserable black people who don't get any help from any city services. This is new social structure and real renaissance for Detroit's future.

Poor miserable black Detroiters. You're going have to give in to the social networking change. White folks are coming back. The suburbs are getting too boring for them. Regionalization is growing in Downtown Detroit. Do you all see Dan Gilbert's pop-up retail stores and restaurants. Do you all see Peter Karmanos' OCP Comparware rising above where Kern's Crowleys and Hudson's used to be? The best you all can do is go back to school, stop playing house and cooperate with outside help. The Coleman Young to Kwame Kilpatrick's plantation politics of kleptocracy is over. Either you all take part of fixing Detroit or hit 8 Mile Rd. and do your thing.

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by JVB

That explains everything.

No it doesn't.

Hey, whatever happened to your thoughtful, measured response to my explanation? Oh, well. That's what I get for feeding the trolls.

**Hermod** · November-26-12, 12:36 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Italians weren't even considered white until, like, 1968.

Italian = a Puerto Rican with a job.

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Italian = a Puerto Rican with a job.

Hahaha. That's awful, Hermod.

My favorite dig at my heritage came courtesy of Don Rickles: "Laugh at bigotry, people. We need the Germans, we need the French, we need the Italians. Wait, why do we need the Italians? Oh, yeah, are my shoes ready? Take the nails out of your mouth, you'll talk better."

JVB · November-26-12, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Hey, whatever happened to your thoughtful, measured response to my explanation?

I thought I gave it. Giving a catchy name to a racial stereotype is ignorant and doesn't change its meaning. You say its not racial, but it only applies to whites, which means by definition - its racial. Now you can say "but not all whites", but its no different than someone referring to young black males in Detroit under some decidedly black name to couch their obvious racial preconceptions. They can justify it and say it doesn't apply to all black males, or that they're not really racist, but it doesn't change the underlying meaning does it?

It's really simple - judge people by their actions, not their skin color or place of residence or any other grouping mechanism. Let each person stand on their own actions and watch the divisiveness begin to melt away.

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by JVB

It's really simple - judge people by their actions, not their skin color or place of residence or any other grouping mechanism. Let each person stand on their own actions and watch the divisiveness begin to melt away.

You must have terrible reading comprehension skills, because we are judging Frank Rizzo on his actions, not his race.

You're a real comedian, you know that? Why don't you melt away?

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 12:54 PM

This is my favorite Frank Rizzo call. NSFW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXWo6jXmRO8

JVB · November-26-12, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

You must have terrible reading comprehension skills, because we are judging Frank Rizzo on his actions, not his race.

But there is no Frank Rizzo. He is not a person, but rather your grouping of all white people in the suburbs that feel a certain way about Detroit into one person to make him easier for you to judge. A group of people do not have an action, so you should not judge everyone in a group for the actions of some of its members. Doing so is the root of all discrimination, is it not?

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by JVB

But there is no Frank Rizzo. He is not a person, but rather your grouping of all white people in the suburbs that feel a certain way about Detroit into one person to make him easier for you to judge. A group of people do not have an action, so you should not judge everyone in a group for the actions of some of its members. Doing so is the root of all discrimination, is it not?

Oh, yes, I quite agree. Similarly, you can't judge the Ku Klux Klan because they're a group of white people and you'd be generalizing. And that would be hurtful and racist! :P

**jt1** · November-26-12, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by JVB

But there is no Frank Rizzo. He is not a person, but rather your grouping of all white people in the suburbs that feel a certain way about Detroit into one person to make him easier for you to judge. A group of people do not have an action, so you should not judge everyone in a group for the actions of some of its members. Doing so is the root of all discrimination, is it not?

I'll be anxiously waiting for your comments in other threads that make veiled comments like 'I see Detroiters in the grocery store by me all the time" or "those people destroyed Detroit" and others along the same lines.

They occur frequently on this board so you should have ample opportunity to preach your same belief when comments like the above are used.

I'll tune out and keep watch for all of your noble corrections to other generalizations.

**Islandman** · November-26-12, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Italian = a Puerto Rican with a job.

Hey now! This Puerto Rican is working quite lazily from under my desk today.

**gazhekwe** · November-26-12, 01:25 PM

Some people feel that describing actions and ascribing them to a group of people known to act that way is stereotyping. These Indians are lazy and drunk. These black people have extremely short fuses and are on dope. These white people use code which implies something other than race to justify selling short and running to the 'burbs 'cause they are scared of black people.

See how it works? That doesn't mean there are not drunk and lazy people who might be Indian, white or black or...? There are people on dope with short fuses, too, of any race. Lots of people say they are afraid of living in the city because of the crime, the poor schools, the gangs and dope, not just white people. So how do we talk about these things, especially since it was white flight that took so much money out of the city so quickly.

**bailey** · November-26-12, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

That's what I get for feeding the trolls.

There is something sort of meta here when someone who starts a troll bait thread complains about trolls.

JVB · November-26-12, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Oh, yes, I quite agree. Similarly, you can't judge the Ku Klux Klan because they're a group of white people and you'd be generalizing. And that would be hurtful and racist! :P

But it's less productive to judge a faceless Ku Klux Klan when you can judge the actions of the individuals that are in the Ku Klux Klan or any group for that matter. A group is nothing without members, and by blaming a group we shift responsibility away from its members. People need to be held accountable for their actions, why should we give them groups to shift their blame to?

For some reason we've gotten to this point where we eliminate the individual and group them as black, white, young, old, rich, poor, democrat, republican, crips, bloods, klan, black panthers etc as if all of these people are the same. It makes it easier for people to justify their groupthink and that is poisonous to society.

There is tons of research on the subject of groupthink and how people behave when parts of large groups vs how they behave when they are individually accountable. Here is a hint - it's not good.

**Jimaz** · November-26-12, 01:34 PM

Lou Gordon interviews Mayor Frank Rizzo, 1976

In short, he denies charges of racism then cuts the interview short.

I miss Lou Gordon.

**Strong** · November-26-12, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Poor miserable black Detroiters. You're going have to give in to the social networking change. White folks are coming back. The Coleman Young to Kwame Kilpatrick's plantation politics of kleptocracy is over. Either you all take part of fixing Detroit or hit 8 Mile Rd. and do your thing.

This sounds racist.
I'm a black Detroiter, not that poor and just miserable when I read comments like this.
And, I ain't going no where a matter of fact I'm moving downtown soon so there's goes the neighborhood. Fried chicken for everybody just bring something to drink.

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by JVB

But it's less productive to judge a faceless Ku Klux Klan when you can judge the actions of the individuals that are in the Ku Klux Klan or any group for that matter. A group is nothing without members, and by blaming a group we shift responsibility away from its members. People need to be held accountable for their actions, why should we give them groups to shift their blame to?

Ah, yes. It would be a senseless act of racism to judge the Ku Klux Klan and say that it is bad. We might overlook the GOOD done by the KKK. Perhaps we should look upon the individuals of the Ku Klux Klan and judge them not by their skin color, but by the content of their character! Why malign a whole group of people when you can see the good in the individuals?

Oh, right ... :/

**p69rrh51** · November-26-12, 01:39 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

You must have terrible reading comprehension skills, because we are judging Frank Rizzo on his actions, not his race.

You're a real comedian, you know that? Why don't you melt away?

1-This forum is for polite, thoughtful discussion and inquiries only.

JVB · November-26-12, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Ah, yes. It would be a senseless act of racism to judge the Ku Klux Klan and say that it is bad. We might overlook the GOOD done by the KKK. Perhaps we should look upon the individuals of the Ku Klux Klan and judge them not by their skin color, but by the content of their character! Why malign a whole group of people when you can see the good in the individuals?

Oh, right ... :/

Oh - you're trolling me? Shit this whole time I thought I was engaged in an actual discussion with someone. Well done, you got me good.

**Detroitnerd** · November-26-12, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Lou Gordon interviews Mayor Frank Rizzo, 1976

In short, he denies charges of racism then cuts the interview short.

I miss Lou Gordon.

Oh, that's awesome, Jimaz. The first thing a real racist does when confronted with his own racism is point out the very poor manners of the accuser. Draws himself up in umbrage when he figures out it's a real interrogation and not just some softball questions.

Haha. Sounds all too familiar on this thread.