Keys to Detroit

I'm sure most of you remember the video that was posted in December of 2011 called "Keys to Detroit", as it asked "Do you believe?" It got me really pumped up for our city. A very well done movie trailer. I remember seeing the trailer on at the Detroit Shoppe in Somerset as well. Unfortunately, we have not heard anything about it since then, the website has been taken down for maintenance, and the video has been set to private on YouTube. Does anyone know what is going on with this project? And is there another link to watch that video, to get around the privacy rule?

Maybe the movie had people without model releases in it and they had to take if offline?

But speaking of Keys to Detroit, it got me thinking about those people who have been given the keys to the city of Detroit, remembering that Saddam Hussein once did.

I found this tidbit in Wikipedia

Quote:

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Seven people have been awarded the key to the city of Detroit: Santa Claus [[given annually at the city's Thanksgiving Day Parade), actor James Earl Jones, Sesame Street character Elmo, neurosurgeon Benjamin Carson, football star Jerome Bettis, businessman and sports team owner Mike Ilitch, and — in 1980, in recognition of large donations to a church — former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein

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So is that why Mr. Duggan calls Mr. Ilitch his favorite person,because he has the keys to the city? Could come in handy.

Saddam out all of the people in this world,and not even a sister city.

	Chongqing	China	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._China.svg.png
Dubai	United Arab Emirates	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...irates.svg.png	2003[13]
Kitwe, Copperbelt Province	Zambia	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Zambia.svg.png
Minsk, Minsk Voblast	Belarus	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...elarus.svg.png
Nassau, New Providence	Bahamas	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ahamas.svg.png
Toyota, Aichi Prefecture	Japan	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Japan.svg.png	1960[13]
Turin, Piedmont	Italy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Richard

So is that why Mr. Duggan calls Mr. Ilitch his favorite person,because he has the keys to the city? Could come in handy.

Saddam out all of the people in this world,and not even a sister city.

	Chongqing	China	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._China.svg.png
Dubai	United Arab Emirates	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...irates.svg.png	2003[13]
Kitwe, Copperbelt Province	Zambia	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Zambia.svg.png
Minsk, Minsk Voblast	Belarus	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...elarus.svg.png
Nassau, New Providence	Bahamas	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ahamas.svg.png
Toyota, Aichi Prefecture	Japan	http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Japan.svg.png	1960[13]
Turin, Piedmont	Italy

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Actually there are a lot of city's in Iraq that resemble Detroit. Speaking of keys to the City, did we ever get those back?

The story about giving keys to the city of Detroit to Saddam Hussein is a long one. I thought that the Carter Adminstration want to send a message to Iraq
that we strongly supported them in their war against Iran. Somebody in the state department thought that Mayor Young might know someone in the Chaldean community who could bestow a gift to Saddam Hussein.
The mayor selected the priest who led the Sacred Heart Chaldean Catholic Church on Seven Mile. At this time, Chaldean in Iraq supported Hussein and he treated them well. That priest took the keys to the City of Detroit and gave them to Saddam Hussein. Impressed by this kind gesture, Saddam
Hussein gave the priest a check to pay off the mortgage for Sacred Heart
church on Seven Mile. I would appreciate corrections to this story,

Quote:

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Originally Posted by renf

The story about giving keys to the city of Detroit to Saddam Hussein is a long one. I thought that the Carter Adminstration want to send a message to Iraq
that we strongly supported them in their war against Iran. Somebody in the state department thought that Mayor Young might know someone in the Chaldean community who could bestow a gift to Saddam Hussein.
The mayor selected the priest who led the Sacred Heart Chaldean Catholic Church on Seven Mile. At this time, Chaldean in Iraq supported Hussein and he treated them well. That priest took the keys to the City of Detroit and gave them to Saddam Hussein. Impressed by this kind gesture, Saddam
Hussein gave the priest a check to pay off the mortgage for Sacred Heart
church on Seven Mile. I would appreciate corrections to this story,

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Great story! I hope the facts turn out correct.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by renf

The story about giving keys to the city of Detroit to Saddam Hussein is a long one. I thought that the Carter Adminstration want to send a message to Iraq
that we strongly supported them in their war against Iran. Somebody in the state department thought that Mayor Young might know someone in the Chaldean community who could bestow a gift to Saddam Hussein.
The mayor selected the priest who led the Sacred Heart Chaldean Catholic Church on Seven Mile. At this time, Chaldean in Iraq supported Hussein and he treated them well. That priest took the keys to the City of Detroit and gave them to Saddam Hussein. Impressed by this kind gesture, Saddam
Hussein gave the priest a check to pay off the mortgage for Sacred Heart
church on Seven Mile. I would appreciate corrections to this story,

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Yes it is true, by the way, the initials S.H. on the lower church face block in front stands for Saddam Hussein, not Sacred Heart.

also look at the Chaldean Center of America which is next to the church on seven mile, at each end of the top front, one S and one H Saddam was very much flattered by the gesture.

Thank you very much for the information. I had not realized that S H was
engraved on the front of that church and on the Chaldean Center to honor
the benefactor. It is an interesting story.

I'm not sure what this adds to the story but lots and lots of people have had ceremonial keys to the city bestowed on them. I have one circa 1982 presented to me and several other people by Mayor Young at an event in recognition of civic contributions. It's not that big a deal.

A 2003 article about the Saddam key

Saddam hated Chaldean's for their Christian beliefs. He was part of the party take over that hastened the exit of the Chaldean's. The money was all political BS with our government as he was a puppet to the US at that time. There was never any love lost between the Chaldean's and Saddam other then for show. The S H is for Sacred Heart.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wheels

Saddam hated Chaldean's for their Christian beliefs. He was part of the party take over that hastened the exit of the Chaldean's. The money was all political BS with our government as he was a puppet to the US at that time. There was never any love lost between the Chaldean's and Saddam other then for show. The S H is for Sacred Heart.

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Saddam was actually a moderating influence over the more extreme Shia element. When Saddam's favoriteand most trusted body guard [[Chaldean) was murdered by his own son Ouday, Saddam had Ouday tortured for weeks on end. Yes Saddam was no saint, but he lived by the rules in the region. Tariq Aziz was forced to accept a demotion to deputy prime minister by the Shia undercurrent, even though Saddam wanted to keep Aziz as prime minister. In fact the Iran/Iraq war began over by Iranian Shia agents throwing a grenade at Tariq Aziz and Saddam standing up for his friend. Yet the final sign of what Saddam Hussein was/felt might be his last hideout and what were on the walls..... Very little of that remains on the web today...
"Beyond the kitchen in a small bedroom hung a calendar showing pictures of Noah's Ark. Christian images of the Last Supper and the Virgin Mary hung from the walls."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...e-justice.html