I Live Here

[Ravine]

I have lived in Detroit for 36 years. [[A lot longer than that if, like some other folks, I was willing to award myself "Detroit Cred" for living anywhere in the tri-county area.)

Somehow, maybe in spite of its generally depressing vibe and the tiresomely pugnacious demeanor of so many of its citizens, I still kinda like it. But, what the hell; it's Home, and Home is where the car aims.
However, I have some complaints. Of course. One cannot live in Detroit and have no complaints, unless one's previous home was a tree-house in the Amazonian jungle wherein one lived with a family of smelly psychopaths.

So, just in case I become terribly peeved about one thing, or another, and decide to hop into DetroitYes! to vent my spleen and air my socially-toxic grievances, I now wish to launch a preemptive strike by announcing that I do, in fact, Live Here and when I am dissatisfied with, annoyed by, or good 'n' goddam angry about some aspect of Detroit [[or even Michigan, for that matter,) I do not give a damn how things are in Windsor, Toronto, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Los Angeles, New York City, any other place in the U.S., and certainly I really couldn't care less how the hell things are in any part of Europe.

I would like for things to be better here. The fact that somewhere else is worse off does not lend, to me, any measure of contentment or sense of relief, just as hearing all about how some other city has its act completely together does not confound me into embracing the absolutely ridiculous, idiotic conclusion that if they can do it, we can do it, too.

This isn't a fuckin' Monopoly game, and we didn't all start out with $1500. Like any other city, Detroit has its own unique traits, essential aspects, and some innate characteristics. It was built in a particular sort of way, for a distinct set of reasons, and it expanded in similar fashion, all the while drawing its own cross-section of races & ethnicities.

Whoever else they may be and wherever else they are, We're not Them, and you can't get There from Here.

[Detroitrobert]

Tl;dr.....

[Crumbled_pavement]

Ravine, tell us how you really feel.

[detroitjim]

Tl;dr.....

Was you tryin to spell trowl?

[Kathleen]

Was you tryin to spell trowl?

Web definition: too long; didn’t read.

[Gannon]

Thanks Kathleen. I hate neo-abbreviations.


Heya DetroitRobert, you're a bit bold to critique so harshly...so early in your tenure on this board.

Your impatience reveals an impetuousness that can be cured with maturity.


I wish you well with that.


As for the thread...I like it, Ravine resonates with some deep feelings I've had but never quite verbalized. Detroit is Detroit...it isn't anything else, and nothing can be us. We need to forge our solutions to these vexing problems.


Although after doing the math, I'm amazed that I've lived IN the city less than a third of my life now. Granted, those last three years in the city WERE some of the best ones, but things really have turned ugly downtown since I moved out. I am not speaking causation, rather merely good timing.

Let's hope it comes around again soon.


Cheers,
John

[iheartthed]

Thank you for your opinion.

[GOAT]

Great post Ravine! I feel the same way where I live [[why the hate-on for Windsor? Kidding of course).

It is like when people say you're lucky you're not born in a third world nation. While true, I wasn't, so I could give a rat's ass about that predicament. I care where I am now.

I think that what you brought up is a good point. Who gives two shits about other cities when issues, concerns affect you where you live. People need to quit wasting time on comparisons and come up solutions to making their lives better.

Preach on! We need more of this and not so much the snarky remarks from the peanut gallery above.

[iheartthed]

I think that what you brought up is a good point. Who gives two shits about other cities when issues, concerns affect you where you live.

Imagine if we all chose to solve our problems this way.

"Hey, they figured out a way to drive down the breast cancer mortality rates in New York."

"Gee, that's great for New York but Detroit breast cancer is a far different thing than New York breast cancer!"

[313WX]

Well, I guess that's what the 1st amendment is for.

[Gannon]

IhearttheD,


Your assumption is that causation is always universal.

It is not.

Nor can the solutions be.


Cheers.

[gameguy56]

the city less than a third of my life now. Granted, those last three years in the city WERE some of the best ones, but things really have turned ugly downtown since I moved out.

What do you mean by 'ugly' ?

[iheartthed]

IhearttheD,


Your assumption is that causation is always universal.

It is not.

Nor can the solutions be.


Cheers.

No, I don't recall ever saying that. In fact, as an engineer, I would never say something like that.

However, I do make relevant comparisons when necessary. And I hopefully articulate clearly why I made such a comparison when I do so. And if you disagree with my comparison then I would hope that you clearly articulate what you think is the flaw of the comparison. If I agree then I will acknowledge. If not then I won't.

Since the spirit of this thread is to freely voice one's opinion... then in my opinion, to say that all other comparisons to Detroit are irrelevant... Well, with all due respect, that's just fucking stupid.

[Det_ard]

Way to go Ravine, you got Gannon and iheartthed on your thread in a full-out stupidfest.

[Islandman]

Great Ravine, you live here. Big whoop. Thanks for letting us know you are not interested in how the rest of the world does things.

This place is so screwed up, we need all the help we can get. Having a well rounded perspective [[it's a big world out there) is part of that. What is enlightening, however, is that you emote the exact kind of behavior that got this place to where it is. Kudos for that.

Oh, and since these are apparently annoying:

You're better off going back to being the DetroitYes fashion police.

[Gannon]

What do you mean by 'ugly' ?

For starters, at the top and bottom of the spectrum the crooks have gotten bolder and seemingly more desperate. While statistics are down, for many reasons, the issues are increasing.

So what does our police force DO? Tow innocent pre-victim's vehicles so they don't get broken into on the street by the Park Bar?! LOL...sheer idiocy. [[post edit: And now Jeff Wattrick shares even MORE silliness in his excellent reporting, http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...brown_sug.html )


Maybe I've lost my city-edge...maybe I'm more aware of my environment and protective of my partner...or maybe I am correct and the trends continue more and more negative. Or it could be all of that combined. Who knows?


Sincerely,
John

[Gannon]

Way to go Ravine, you got Gannon and iheartthed on your thread in a full-out stupidfest.

Welcome to the party, then. You seem to fit right in!


Cheers

[bartock]

For starters, at the top and bottom of the spectrum the crooks have gotten bolder and seemingly more desperate. While statistics are down, for many reasons, the issues are increasing.

So what does our police force DO? Tow innocent pre-victim's vehicles so they don't get broken into on the street by the Park Bar?! LOL...sheer idiocy.


Maybe I've lost my city-edge...maybe I'm more aware of my environment and protective of my partner...or maybe I am correct and the trends continue more and more negative. Or it could be all of that combined. Who knows?


Sincerely,
John

Thought you had mentioned that you lived in GPP?

[Gannon]

Thought you had mentioned that you lived in GPP?

Thanks for keeping up. I do.

Granted, those last three years in the city WERE some of the best ones, but things really have turned ugly downtown since I moved out. I am not speaking causation, rather merely good timing.

Emphasis hopefully helps comprehension.


Cheers!
John

[detroitsgwenivere]

munch...munch....

[bartock]

[

QUOTE=Gannon;299234]Thanks for keeping up. I do.

I obviously enjoy reading yours and others' postings around here. You've mentioned this several times, so, yeah I recall it.

Emphasis hopefully helps comprehension.

It still looks the same to me, but your first response made sense of things.

[ResurgetCineribus]

I agree with the OP that there is much needless comparison of Detroit to other cities. It is very easy to pout about what Detroit has or doesn't have when comparing it to other cities. I've myself sometimes fallen into the downward spiral of pessimism as well. Really though, it is an incomparable thing. I could care less about another city's transit system when my friends, family, and general livelihood are in Detroit. There are those that leave and there are those that stay, I stayed because it was more about who I'm with than where I am. As far as finding solutions to our problems, obviously it would be a good idea to look at examples of other cities.

I'm not so sure about the "pugnacious demeanor" though... last time I checked the demeanor gauge it was falling between "irksome" and "non-plussed"

[Detroitrobert]

Thanks Kathleen. I hate neo-abbreviations.


Heya DetroitRobert, you're a bit bold to critique so harshly...so early in your tenure on this board.

Your impatience reveals an impetuousness that can be cured with maturity.


I wish you well with that.


As for the thread...I like it, Ravine resonates with some deep feelings I've had but never quite verbalized. Detroit is Detroit...it isn't anything else, and nothing can be us. We need to forge our solutions to these vexing problems.


Although after doing the math, I'm amazed that I've lived IN the city less than a third of my life now. Granted, those last three years in the city WERE some of the best ones, but things really have turned ugly downtown since I moved out. I am not speaking causation, rather merely good timing.

Let's hope it comes around again soon.


Cheers,
John

tl;dr.....

[Gannon]

It still looks the same to me, but your first response made sense of things.

LOL...damn. If I'm making sense, I guess the Apocalypse cannot be far behind.


Cheers

[Gannon]

tl;dr.....

touché!







LOL...