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I have often suggested that Detroit may be the most negatively stereotyped city in the country. Two essays in the national press make me wonder is there is a change occurring. One describes Craig Lieckfelt and his Guns and Butter restaurant. The other focuses upon the lively arts scene in Motown. Is it possible that the image of Detroit will change in the future?
http://online.wsj.com/public/page/magazine-food.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/29/ar...yt-region&_r=0
Still seem to be patronizing. Once we get articles that do not have a 'in spite of', 'hardscrabble', 'bankrupt' or similar language, then we will know the mood has changed.
While there have been more positive articles about Detroit, I think Detroit still has a long way to go image wise. I am from Detroit, but I'm currently a college student in South Bend, IN and almost no one here has positive things to say about Detroit...but it's good to see more positive articles in the news about Detroit.
I think the media's stereotyped image of bad-ass Detroit will change over the course of time. As downtown grows and reinvigorates itself, more workers will be downtown, thus feeding a demand for decent housing close to downtown.
So, the suburbs will eventually re-grow and refurbish, but only after downtown does.
Beyond that, at present, there are areas of Detroit that simply don't deserve a rosy reputation.
Accurate and reliable media reporting is what's required, not lazy journalism or the repeating of oft-told and predictable cartoon-stereotypes about the city.
Question was: Is Detroit's Negative Image Changing? Nope!
Actually I think we are a best kept secret.
Just talked to a friend from Austin yesterday - he wanted to know if things were "really turning around in Detroit" as he'd been reading/hearing in the news. I think it's clear that the dominant narrative has shifted for the national media from "fall of Detroit" to "green shoots amidst the ruins." That's a marked improvement. Whether it precisely fits reality, and whether it translates into change in the views of the typical American about Detroit, are separate questions of course.
Is the negative portrayal changing?
Just ask anyone who visited Belle Isle this year & felt safe.....the challenge is deploying the same law enforcement [[safety) throughout the city. Hmmmm......reminds be of an acronym STRESS.
The problem with STRESS wasn't strict law enforcement, it was methods. While the STRESS unit was around, Detroit police had the highest kill rate of any police force. They had a shoot-first, ask later attitude that culminated in a gunfight between them and SHERIFFS they raided "by mistake."Quote:
Originally Posted by Smirnoff
Besides that, the police force at the time was lily white and racist. Blacks weren't recruited heavily until CAY became mayor.Quote:
Originally Posted by rb336
Is the negative portrayal changing?
That depends on your location.
your comment are racistQuote:
Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid
Maybe the best thing Detroit can look forward to is no reputation whatsoever. I have the feeling that no matter what happens, Detroit will be looked on in the same way Cleveland or Buffalo are. The "Mistake On The Lake" will always be so no matter how hard it tries not to be. Assuming that the city gets it's act together, what people outside the area think probably isn't worth worrying about.
A reputation is a hard thing to change. But the individuals, corporations or communities that succeed in doing it follow the path to improvement relentlessly and then when they find what they are doing right, in the present is all that really matters.... The reputation has improved considerably.
Just like the problems that led to the reputation, it took decades to create, and it will take decades to restore. With a lag.
Not always, had this friend in high school, she was fun, energetic great to be around at that age. 8 years later she had 2 beautiful children, a promising career and a good husband. Her rebound was fast, she always wanted to jump out ahead. Infectious personality, no internal war of any kind just kept bolting forward. Left us all in the dust. Down the road we are embarrassed by what we said about her reputation.Quote:
Originally Posted by mwilbert
It's the _ucking truth. I lived it and saw it. If that constitutes me as a racist, then so be it.Quote:
Originally Posted by GUSHI
No clue how your comment could be called racist. I lived it saw it too. Maybe Gushi is a white supremacist?Quote:
Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid
I don't think it can get any worse.
"With a name like Gushi, maybe he's something else".Quote:
Originally Posted by sumas