Grosse Pointe resident calls Detroit 'third-world country' after robbery

[poobert]

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...t_calls_d.html

A few observations:

I'd venture to say "Detroit is a third world country" is probably a pretty common phrase in the Pointes, right up there with "Jeeves, bring the Bentley around." A more striking headline would be "Grosse Pointe Resident Calls Detroit 'a pretty nice place'

However while said footpad likely does not reside on Lakeshore Drive [[aka Jefferson to the rest of the world), there is something a little ironic about getting robbed in Grosse Pointe by an unknown assailant and then blaming it on Detroit.

I travel a lot, and if I ever get pick-pocketed in another city I'll exclaim, "Detroit is such a shithole!"

Still goes to show you - you can run, but you can't hide. Say homeboy is in fact from Detroit. Detroit has been the defacto holding cell for poverty and crime in the Metro region for decades but what makes anyone think they can just ignore it and it will conveniently stay there?

I'm on the other side of Mack and while Morningside and parts of Cornerstone can be pretty rough [[Morningside especially) East English Village, Audobon, and the area around St. John is still pretty nice. I'm sorry they got robbed but being called a victim by Mitt Romney and now the resident of third world country by this guy in one week is kind of rough.

[Bham1982]

Grosse Pointe's fortunes, more than any other affluent metro-area suburb, are directly tied into Detroit's fortunes. This is why the Pointes have "underperformed" relative to other affluent suburbs, and why they're comparatively cheap.

The Pointes need to do everything in their power to get Detroit turned around. It's critical for their long-term success.

[downtown_racine]

It must be getting rough out there if 250 pound 25 year olds are strong arm robbing 11 and 14 year old girls.
What did the robber get ? A iPod and a pack of gum ?

[Honky Tonk]

A 230 pound male pushes a 12 year old girl, [[I averaged the ages), to the ground, steals her cell phone, @ 11:30 in the morning, and the outrage is "someone called Detroit a 3rd world City".

[p69rrh51]

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...t_calls_d.html

A few observations:

I'd venture to say "Detroit is a third world country" is probably a pretty common phrase in the Pointes, right up there with "Jeeves, bring the Bentley around." A more striking headline would be "Grosse Pointe Resident Calls Detroit 'a pretty nice place'

However while said footpad likely does not reside on Lakeshore Drive [[aka Jefferson to the rest of the world), there is something a little ironic about getting robbed in Grosse Pointe by an unknown assailant and then blaming it on Detroit.

I travel a lot, and if I ever get pick-pocketed in another city I'll exclaim, "Detroit is such a shithole!"

Still goes to show you - you can run, but you can't hide. Say homeboy is in fact from Detroit. Detroit has been the defacto holding cell for poverty and crime in the Metro region for decades but what makes anyone think they can just ignore it and it will conveniently stay there?

I'm on the other side of Mack and while Morningside and parts of Cornerstone can be pretty rough [[Morningside especially) East English Village, Audobon, and the area around St. John is still pretty nice. I'm sorry they got robbed but being called a victim by Mitt Romney and now the resident of third world country by this guy in one week is kind of rough.

Can you be more predictable! Talk about uninformed! You are the typical Detroiter who is clueless when it comes to the Pointes. I get a kick out of those who still think its the 1920's here. Also its Lakeshore to everyone but you the world included! And yes your homeboys regularly commit crimes here because they are to lazy to get a job as opposed to Grosse Pointers who work hard for their money! Before you jump all over this the days of trust funds are all but gone!! As for Poverty stricken Detroit what should we all do about it? You love to whine out it but never have ANY ideas or a possilbe solutions to the problem. Time to look at yourself before you whine about others.

[dmike76]

Can you be more predictable! Talk about uninformed! You are the typical Detroiter who is clueless when it comes to the Pointes. I get a kick out of those who still think its the 1920's here. Also its Lakeshore to everyone but you the world included! And yes your homeboys regularly commit crimes here because they are to lazy to get a job as opposed to Grosse Pointers who work hard for their money! Before you jump all over this the days of trust funds are all but gone!! As for Poverty stricken Detroit what should we all do about it? You love to whine out it but never have ANY ideas or a possilbe solutions to the problem. Time to look at yourself before you whine about others.

p69, aren't you whining about it in the other direction right now? It's funny how hypocritical you are being about stopping the sterotypes and accusations and coming up with ideas. Have you ever tried being part of the solution yourself? Have you ever at least gone into Detroit and volunteered to help? I can tell you that the entire city is not a war zone, and I'm not talking about Midtown, Downtown, etc. BTW, I'm from Livonia and I still call it Jefferson.

[p69rrh51]

p69, aren't you whining about it in the other direction right now? It's funny how hypocritical you are being about stopping the sterotypes and accusations and coming up with ideas. Have you ever tried being part of the solution yourself? Have you ever at least gone into Detroit and volunteered to help? I can tell you that the entire city is not a war zone, and I'm not talking about Midtown, Downtown, etc. BTW, I'm from Livonia and I still call it Jefferson.

Being from lilly white Livonia you do not hear the automatic weapons fire every evening! Yes its a war zone just a couple blocks from my home. So no I not whining just stating the facts. Although I am glad you can actually find Lakeshore! Last YES i do volunteer along with my wife on various Detroit Charities as well as give money to worthy causes. I also try to support to the best I can all of the needy Catholic Churches in the city. In fact I have not been a mass at my own parish church in 5 years instead I attend mass all over the city! What do you do?

[dmike76]

I go down to Motor City Blight Busters all the time and volunteer rebuilding some of that area. I also attend charity events for Detroit. As for lilly white Livonia, my mother was stabbed to death in her home so don't play the safe suburb card with me.

[antongast]

And yes your homeboys regularly commit crimes here because they are to lazy to get a job as opposed to Grosse Pointers who work hard for their money!

You don't think robbing people for a living is hard work? I'm almost certain that my job is significantly easier, safer, and less stressful than planning and executing enough successful robberies to consistently earn a comparable income, especially in a place as heavily patrolled as Grosse Pointe. I'm a pretty lazy guy, and there's no way in hell I'd give up my job to steal stuff from people full time, even if I lacked or rationalized away any moral inhibitions.

[Motor City Sam]

You don't think robbing people for a living is hard work? I'm almost certain that my job is significantly easier, safer, and less stressful than planning and executing enough successful robberies to consistently earn a comparable income, especially in a place as heavily patrolled as Grosse Pointe. I'm a pretty lazy guy, and there's no way in hell I'd give up my job to steal stuff from people full time, even if I lacked or rationalized away any moral inhibitions.

I've also heard that pimpin' ain't easy...

[Danny]

So those those folks in Richville called Detroit a third world country. You all living next door to us so deal with it! If there was a shooting coming from the West of Alter Rd. or west of Mack Ave. don't call the Detroit Police because its not their jurisdiction to investigate a bullet coming through your window while you're sleeping or relaxing. Don't even call the Grosse Pointe Police. They are not going to investigate your woes in Detroit because they got no jurisdiction. So too bad! At least your neighborhood is not filled with low income black people.

[p69rrh51]

You don't think robbing people for a living is hard work? I'm almost certain that my job is significantly easier, safer, and less stressful than planning and executing enough successful robberies to consistently earn a comparable income, especially in a place as heavily patrolled as Grosse Pointe. I'm a pretty lazy guy, and there's no way in hell I'd give up my job to steal stuff from people full time, even if I lacked or rationalized away any moral inhibitions.

Sitting around watching people come and go is not hard, and I bet they can time to GP police to the minute. There is no planning just observation. Although I think everyone would love a job like that. And yes they are to LAZY to do something productive and that insight is from almost every hard working black customer of mine!

[antongast]

Sitting around watching people come and go is not hard, and I bet they can time to GP police to the minute. There is no planning just observation. Although I think everyone would love a job like that. And yes they are to LAZY to do something productive and that insight is from almost every hard working black customer of mine!

Productivity and hard work aren't the same thing, and I don't lend additional credibility to people just because they "work hard." I don't give a shit if you work hard or not. I think people should work as hard as they deem necessary to live the kind of life they want to live, and no harder. As our economy becomes more productive through various forms of innovation, we should be able to work less hard for comparable benefits [[this is why folks in actual third-world countries commonly engage in subsistence farming, which is just about the hardest work imaginable, while that line of work has all but disappeared in more productive industrialized economies like ours). Hard work is a necessary evil, not a moral virtue.

[rex]

Its a little thirdworldy.

[Shollin]

As a former Harper Woods resident, it's getting real bad around Grosse Pointe. Harper Woods has pretty much been swallowed by Detroit. Not sure what I'm suppose to do when people are breaking into my car and burglarizing my home.

[Danny]

As a former Harper Woods resident, it's getting real bad around Grosse Pointe. Harper Woods has pretty much been swallowed by Detroit. Not sure what I'm suppose to do when people are breaking into my car and burglarizing my home.

Yes, I can see it now on the 11:00pm. news. A 45 year old Harper Woods woman has been raped by 3 men while walking along Mack Ave. and Vernier Rd. in Grosse Pointe Woods. The police are in the scene investigating. The woman was taking to Beaumont Hospital. She is on critical condition! The police are looking for the men.


After Harper Woods is turning into a hybrid ghettohood of Highland Park and Detroit East Side by the year 2030, most home are vacant home are either torn down or turn into drug houses or squatters' inn. I can't wait to see what happens. That's when I tell my folks.

[Shollin]

Yes, I can see it now on the 11:00pm. news. A 45 year old Harper Woods woman has been raped by 3 men while walking along Mack Ave. and Vernier Rd. in Grosse Pointe Woods. The police are in the scene investigating. The woman was taking to Beaumont Hospital. She is on critical condition! The police are looking for the men.


After Harper Woods is turning into a hybrid ghettohood of Highland Park and Detroit East Side by the year 2030, most home are vacant home are either torn down or turn into drug houses or squatters' inn. I can't wait to see what happens. That's when I tell my folks.

That's nothing. When i lived there a woman was carjacked by a 12 year old and two rival gangs had a shootout inside Eastland Mall. I heard someone broke into someones house by using a sledge hammer to gain access.

[Danny]

Harper Woods is definately 50% black and 45% white. When I was a kid in 1990 where my family tip toe through Harper Rd I-94 FWY. and Vernier Rd. Harper Woods was 90% white I didn't see a single black family pass Beaconsfield St. Even some parts of East Side Detroit from Gratiot Ave to Kelly, Morang and Morross was 85% white. My family would be fine to move over there after my cousin moved to E. Outer Drive near Chandler Park Rd. Now the area is getting a little bit ghetto-ized! even Harper Woods and parts of Richville [[Grosse Pointe) is experiencing the sudden white flight.

[p69rrh51]

Harper Woods is definately 50% black and 45% white. When I was a kid in 1990 where my family tip toe through Harper Rd I-94 FWY. and Vernier Rd. Harper Woods was 90% white I didn't see a single black family pass Beaconsfield St. Even some parts of East Side Detroit from Gratiot Ave to Kelly, Morang and Morross was 85% white. My family would be fine to move over there after my cousin moved to E. Outer Drive near Chandler Park Rd. Now the area is getting a little bit ghetto-ized! even Harper Woods and parts of Richville [[Grosse Pointe) is experiencing the sudden white flight.

Yes the Pointes have been experiencing white flight, but whats very interesting is that those who are moving in are assimilating. Except for the expected problems in the schools not much has changed here. Also right now there are so few homes for sale the realtors I know are crying about the lack of homes to sell so the white flight theory is on the back burner for now.

[Shollin]

Harper Woods is definately 50% black and 45% white. When I was a kid in 1990 where my family tip toe through Harper Rd I-94 FWY. and Vernier Rd. Harper Woods was 90% white I didn't see a single black family pass Beaconsfield St. Even some parts of East Side Detroit from Gratiot Ave to Kelly, Morang and Morross was 85% white. My family would be fine to move over there after my cousin moved to E. Outer Drive near Chandler Park Rd. Now the area is getting a little bit ghetto-ized! even Harper Woods and parts of Richville [[Grosse Pointe) is experiencing the sudden white flight.

I lived in the late 80's before I moved to Harper Woods, at 8 Mile and Scheonherr and even all the way down to Schoenherr was about 60% white at the time even down there.

[bailey]

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...t_calls_d.html

A few observations:

I'd venture to say "Detroit is a third world country" is probably a pretty common phrase in the Pointes, right up there with "Jeeves, bring the Bentley around." A more striking headline would be "Grosse Pointe Resident Calls Detroit 'a pretty nice place'
.....

I'm on the other side of Mack and while Morningside and parts of Cornerstone can be pretty rough [[Morningside especially) East English Village, Audobon, and the area around St. John is still pretty nice. I'm sorry they got robbed but being called a victim by Mitt Romney and now the resident of third world country by this guy in one week is kind of rough.

Having lived in two "third world"/developing countries for extended periods of time.. i would say Detroit is virtually indistinguishable from a third world city. Every third world city has it's nicer parts where the ruling class, expats doing a 'hardship' tour for some multinational, Embassy, or NGO, and the local government apparatchiks live... the rest is a semi lawless wasteland. To paraphrase Sam Riddle, the only difference between Detroit and a third world city is the lack of livestock roaming the streets. [[see thread about 32 murders in 15 days)

Be offended about it all you want, it doesn't change the fact Detroit is failed city and the effect of that failure on the communities that border it is they are continually exposed to predatory crimes such as these.

[EastsideAl]

Having lived in two "third world"/developing countries for extended periods of time.. i would say Detroit is virtually indistinguishable from a third world city.

Although the biggest difference between Detroit and most 3rd World cities is that the 3rd World cities are usually over-crowded, with more people flooding in every day. In the 3rd World, the cities represent a chance, however, remote, at employment and a better, more modern, life. Much of Detroit's population though consists of people who've been left behind, while the economy and the population has flowed away from them.

This why I, and I think many other Detroiters, cringe and react badly when people start in with the "3rd world city" talk. Because, although Detroit does have some superficial resemblance to cities in the developing world, what it mostly sounds like is a none-too-subtle code for "city full of uncivilized black people".

Of course, the biggest difference between Detroit and an actual 3rd world city, is that Detroit is part of one of the wealthiest countries on earth. A country that mostly pretends we don't exist, that we have no history and should get no opportunities, except when they want to have a rhetorical whipping boy.

[iheartthed]

This why I, and I think many other Detroiters, cringe and react badly when people start in with the "3rd world city" talk. Because, although Detroit does have some superficial resemblance to cities in the developing world, what it mostly sounds like is a none-too-subtle code for "city full of uncivilized black people".

Several things make me cringe about referring to Detroit as "Third World". The first being that anyone who is referring to Detroit as "Third World" doesn't really understand what the term means, nor do they understand the irony of calling Detroit "Third World". Second, few places we refer to as "Third World" were ever industrialized. Third, obviously there is the color issue...

[Jimaz]

...This why I, and I think many other Detroiters, cringe and react badly when people start in with the "3rd world city" talk....

I wanted to refresh my memory of the meaning of "third world" so I went to that "third world" of encyclopedias, Wikipedia, to find this:

The term Third World arose during the Cold War to define countries that remained non-aligned with either capitalism and NATO [[which along with its allies represented the First World), or communism and the Soviet Union [[which along with its allies represented the Second World). This definition provided a way of broadly categorizing the nations of the earth into three groups based on social, political, and economic divisions. Due to many of the Third World countries being extremely poor, it became a stereotype such that people commonly refer to undeveloped countries as "third world countries," often used in a pejorative way. Over the last few decades, the term 'Third World' has been used interchangeably with the Global South and Developing Countries to describe poorer countries that have struggled to attain steady economic development.

Third World countries includes most of Africa, Latin America, and Asia. However some exceptions exist to this rule. Some European countries were part of the non-aligned movement and a few were and are very prosperous, including Switzerland and Austria. In the so-called dependency theory of thinkers like Raul Prebisch, Theotonio dos Santos, and Andre Gunder Frank, the Third World has also been connected to the world economic division as "periphery" countries in the world system that is dominated by the "core" countries. Due to the complex history of evolving meanings and contexts, there is no clear or agreed upon definition of the Third World and the term is now less popular than it was during the 1970s and 1980s.

I thought the bolded part of the definition was pretty ironic in the case of Detroit.

Also note the final sentence. The phrase just doesn't mean that much anymore.

Edit: I didn't read iheartthed's irony comment until after posting the above.

[iheartthed]

I wanted to refresh my memory of the meaning of "third world" so I went to that "third world" of encyclopedias, Wikipedia, to find this:

I thought the bolded part of the definition was pretty ironic in the case of Detroit.

Also note the final sentence. The phrase just doesn't mean that much anymore.

Yup, "Third World" countries didn't fit into the strategic vision of the Super Powers so they were ignored and denied participation in the two major global economic systems. In that respect, "Third World" does sound a lot like Detroit, but that's not the way that most of the people using the term are thinking.