"Frank Rizzo"

[Detroitnerd]

Calved off from another thread. Carry on...

B-b-b-b-but, young people don't want to move downtown! There's all that crime! And all those black people! Maybe a few crazy young folks don't mind moving down into the ghetto, but most young people want what their parents want: Ever larger houses, more driving every day, getting out of the cubicle at 5 p.m. and hitting Applebee's or TGIF, maybe doing some shopping out on glorious Hall Road, or perhaps just taking some pizza home to the cul de sac. Why would young people wanna go down there with all those blacks and crime? You guys are really desperate when you resort to telling lies like this. Young people will always want to live in the suburbs, and that is the way it always will be. Wishing for it and lying about it won't make it happen.

Sincerely,

Frank Rizzo

[Zacha341]

Ummm, the black folks part is fine. I am black. But I don't want to be around alot of crime, whomever it is. Period!

B-b-b-b-but, young people don't want to move downtown! There's all that crime! And all those black people! Maybe a few crazy young folks don't mind moving down into the ghetto, but most young people want what their parents want: Ever larger houses, more driving every day, getting out of the cubicle at 5 p.m. and hitting Applebee's or TGIF, maybe doing some shopping out on glorious Hall Road, or perhaps just taking some pizza home to the cul de sac.

[Detroitnerd]

Ummm, the black folks part is fine. I am black. But I don't want to be around alot of crime, whomever it is. Period!

That's cool. Except Frank Rizzo will never ever delink the two concepts in his mind. When he says "crime" it means black residents. And when he says "bad schools" he means schools with lots of black students. So it's important to bear that in mind when you hear the law-and-order, fix-the-schools ravings of our suburban Rizzos. When Rizzo and those like him say, "I'll support Detroit when they solve their CRIME and SCHOOLS problems," he means he'll support Detroit when it's majority white, as it was when he was a child.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, he can dream on... it's never going to be like that again.

When Rizzo and those like him say, "I'll support Detroit when they solve their CRIME and SCHOOLS problems," he means he'll support Detroit when it's majority white, as it was when he was a child.

[Detroitnerd]

Yeah, he can dream on... it's never going to be like that again.

Of course. But that's the whole point. The Frank Rizzos intend to NEVER support Detroit. So by saddling the poorest people with a job he knows they'll never, in his eyes, solve, he's made the most disingenuous conditions for his support.

The remarkable thing is that inner-city residents who don't understand his code-speak support him in principle.

[corktownyuppie]

Forget code speak, I don't need Detroit to be majority white. But I do think it's reasonable to expect Detroit to have crime under control and schools that are respectable.

[JVB]

That's cool. Except Frank Rizzo will never ever delink the two concepts in his mind. When he says "crime" it means black residents. And when he says "bad schools" he means schools with lots of black students. So it's important to bear that in mind when you hear the law-and-order, fix-the-schools ravings of our suburban Rizzos. When Rizzo and those like him say, "I'll support Detroit when they solve their CRIME and SCHOOLS problems," he means he'll support Detroit when it's majority white, as it was when he was a child.

Is Frank Rizzo an actual person or is he just someone you made up to represent your view of how all white suburbanites think? Just curious.

[313WX]

Of course. But that's the whole point. The Frank Rizzos intend to NEVER support Detroit. So by saddling the poorest people with a job he knows they'll never, in his eyes, solve, he's made the most disingenuous conditions for his support.

The remarkable thing is that inner-city residents who don't understand his code-speak support him in principle.

True and straight to the point.

[Detroitnerd]

Is Frank Rizzo an actual person or is he just someone you made up to represent your view of how all white suburbanites think? Just curious.

As we’ve defined it before on this board, Frank Rizzos are very angry, economically insecure white suburbanites who've had to work hard for their modest house and small lawn, and look upon the "other" with suspicion. Of course, you can't be an out-and-out racist, so the Frank Rizzos of the world code their racism in terms of "property values" and "crime" and "schools" and "families," which has become standard-issue, white, working-class horseshit. I guarantee you, knocking on suburban doors, you'll meet your fair share of Frank Rizzos.

[JVB]

As we’ve defined it before on this board, Frank Rizzos are very angry, economically insecure white suburbanites who've had to work hard for their modest house and small lawn, and look upon the "other" with suspicion. Of course, you can't be an out-and-out racist, so the Frank Rizzos of the world code their racism in terms of "property values" and "crime" and "schools" and "families," which has become standard-issue, white, working-class horseshit. I guarantee you, knocking on suburban doors, you'll meet your fair share of Frank Rizzos.

Ah OK. I'm new to the board so I wasn't aware that those types of racial generalizations were accepted.

Out of curiosity - I would never move back to Detroit until the schools and crime improved either, should I worry about people calling me a "Frank Rizzo" behind my back? I grew up in Detroit, but now that I have kids I think it's only reasonable to want to raise them in a safe environment with good schools - is that weird or racist of me?

Again, forgive me for not knowing your racial code words on this board, but like I said - I'm new here.

[Honky Tonk]

Ah OK. I'm new to the board so I wasn't aware that those types of racial generalizations were accepted.

Out of curiosity - I would never move back to Detroit until the schools and crime improved either, should I worry about people calling me a "Frank Rizzo" behind my back? I grew up in Detroit, but now that I have kids I think it's only reasonable to want to raise them in a safe environment with good schools - is that weird or racist of me?

Again, forgive me for not knowing your racial code words on this board, but like I said - I'm new here.

Meds are off, let it go.

[DetroitPlanner]

Is Frank Rizzo an actual person or is he just someone you made up to represent your view of how all white suburbanites think? Just curious.

Frank Rizzo was the Mayor of Philadelphia at the time of civil unrest in the 1970's.

He is vilified much the same way that Mayor Young was.

[Detroitnerd]

Ah OK. I'm new to the board so I wasn't aware that those types of racial generalizations were accepted.

I'm afraid you misunderstand the term. It is a subset of white Detroit suburbanite, not a blanket term for all white suburbanites. If you feel you are a sincere white suburbanite, free of racism, only wishing what's best for Detroit and your children, you may not be a Frank Rizzo at all.

What marks a person as a non-Rizzo, in my eyes, is a willingness to contribute actual money, time and effort, whether in the form of taxes, volunteerism or voting, for policies that reinvest in our inner city.

The real Frank Rizzo would say, as he did famously before on this board, that he would pay more in taxes just to ensure Detroit never got a penny of his tax money.

[Jimaz]

As we’ve defined it before on this board, Frank Rizzos are very angry, economically insecure white suburbanites who've....

Here I thought it was a NSFW Jerky Boys character. LOL!

Who the hell's Frank Rizzo?

[Detroitnerd]

Here I thought it was a NSFW Jerky Boys character. LOL!

Jimaz: Bing! Though the Philly mayor thing plays into it, I always pictured Frank Rizzo sounding much the Jerky Boys character.

[JVB]

I'm afraid you misunderstand the term. It is a subset of white Detroit suburbanite, not a blanket term for all white suburbanites. If you feel you are a sincere white suburbanite, free of racism, only wishing what's best for Detroit and your children, you may not be a Frank Rizzo at all.

What marks a person as a non-Rizzo, in my eyes, is a willingness to contribute actual money, time and effort, whether in the form of taxes, volunteerism or voting, for policies that reinvest in our inner city.

Gotcha. It's just that I've heard similar blanket statements with qualifiers to describe "certain" types of blacks and I always found it disrespectful and borderline racist. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't question the same thing when applied to other races.

[Detroitnerd]

Gotcha. It's just that I've heard similar blanket statements with qualifiers to describe "certain" types of blacks and I always found it disrespectful and borderline racist. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't question the same thing when applied to other races.

Well, how convenient. You've found a tool you can use to disregard an idea. Sort of like a blinder. Very well, then. I hope it serves you well and helps you to feel somehow superior.

You know what? Frank Rizzos are extremely unwilling to look at their own viewpoints and examine them. You might just be a Rizzo after all.

[JVB]

Well, how convenient. You've found a tool you can use to disregard an idea. Sort of like a blinder. Very well, then. I hope it serves you well and helps you to feel somehow superior.

I just think generalizations are generally a bad idea, and racial generalizations are particularly counterproductive. I don't mean to discount your opinion of those types of people, but I've just always found it better to judge people individually rather than using their skin color or where they live to make assumptions about them.

You know what? Frank Rizzos are extremely unwilling to look at their own viewpoints and examine them. You might just be a Rizzo after all.

On the contrary, I would love to hear an argument that challenges my viewpoint. I think people should be judged individually, not according to their skin color or where they live [[or don't want to live, for that matter). If you have a persuasive argument as to why I shouldn't do that, I'd love to hear it. I'm always willing to learn!

[corktownyuppie]

Mods, any way to move the racism threadjack on to another thread?

[stromberg2]

Frank Rizzo is a legendary blowhard created by our own Detroitnerd. I swear, I am crying laughing everytime Frank makes an appearance. Thanks, Nerd, you made my day! Stromberg2

[Detroitnerd]

I just think generalizations are generally a bad idea, and racial generalizations are particularly counterproductive. I don't mean to discount your opinion of those types of people, but I've just always found it better to judge people individually rather than using their skin color or where they live to make assumptions about them.

Please don't blame me for thinking that this is all fancy footwork in an effort to avoid dealing with something real.

The first thing you should understand is that this whole idea of a Frank Rizzo is not a blanket racist statement. It is, in fact, a blanket term for a certain kind of white suburban racist.

If it is offensive to you to have a label for a type of suburban white racist -- in the name of not labeling people by the color of their skin -- then worry about this no further. You see, it is the content of Frank Rizzo's character we are concerned with. He happens to be white, much in the same way the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan happens to be white.

Now, another thing about Frank Rizzos: They don't live in the city. They live in the suburbs, usually choosing a suburb that is majority white. Of course, Frank wouldn't put it quite that way. He'd discuss the "good schools" and "property values" and "low crime" and "families" in his neighborhood. But Frank has a problem with Detroit. All Frank Rizzos, to one extent or another, hate Detroit -- and blame Detroit for the condition it is in. They also all refuse to help Detroit in any way.

That's the profile, really, in a nutshell.

We don't judge Frank on being white. He happens to be white.

We don't judge Frank on living in the suburbs. Lots of decent people live in the suburbs.

We judge Frank on his narrow-minded racist views, the coded racist language he uses, and his refusal to examine the ugliness his convictions.

[Detroitnerd]

Frank Rizzo is a legendary blowhard created by our own Detroitnerd. I swear, I am crying laughing everytime Frank makes an appearance. Thanks, Nerd, you made my day! Stromberg2

Thank you, Stromberg!

Far from attempting to threadjack, corktownyuppie, I think I'm kindly and indulgently explaining something to somebody.

[DetroitPlanner]

Frank Rizzo never lived in the suburbs. I don't think he saw himself as white either.

[Detroitnerd]

Frank Rizzo never lived in the suburbs. I don't think he saw himself as white either.

The "Frank Rizzo" moniker, as we use it here, does not refer to the mayor of Philadelphia. I should know. I coined it.

[corktownyuppie]

Thank you, Stromberg!

Far from attempting to threadjack, corktownyuppie, I think I'm kindly and indulgently explaining something to somebody.

Your kindness is acknowledged...the basis of my request is not a reflection of your intentions but rather its relevance to the original question. Certainly, I have my preference on moving this portion of the conversation but I will leave it to the moderators to decide. The fact that the last 10+ posts no longer refer to young people or moving downtown is at the heart of my position on this.