Can we change this dilemma or can we only move forward?

[corktownyuppie]

I'm personally not from Michigan and I was wondering are suburban Detroiters scared of Detroit out of almost pure speculation? I really don't want to spark a city vs. suburb debate, really. But it seems that people in most suburbs in different cities let the crime kind of just roll off the top. I've talked to ALOT of people from the suburbs about Detroit rebirth[[not comeback, but rebirth), and the conversation goes straight south. Everything from[[mostly) racial speculation to past failures of a comeback. It seems that Detroit now realizes that it has to change not reincarnate the past, no matter how economically impossible it is, is there any way of changing peoples opinion or just change the younger, more important, people to the city. So I guess my questions are most people in other cities like this or is this kind of a Detroit thing? And what do you thank the future will hold? To be honest I haven't talked to a single educated young person who doesn't like Detroit. Like I said I honestly don't want to spark a heated debate over the issue but honestly this fear of the city is embarassing on both sides of 8 mile. I'm sorry if I offend anybody.FYI I'm white and just fine and happy.

It's complicated, and the first thing you have to accept is that everyone is correct, even when they are in conflict with each other.

My experience of Detroit is vastly, vastly different from people who live even 2 miles north of me. And it's extremely different from someone who grew up here in the 80s and left. And even more different from the people who grew up in the 50s and left.

In my opinion, it's far more useful to simply give up on trying to change anyone's opinion about what will happen in the future. That's a waste of time...it's like asking a Red Sox fan a Yankees fan to debate over which team will have a better run over the next decade and expecting them to find a consensus conclusion.

Focus your efforts on building the change you want to see. 5 years ago, people thought I was crazy for moving into Corktown. Those same people are now asking for my realtor's phone number. 5 years from now, they may be living here and regret it. Or they may be living here and convincing their friends to do the same.

We don't know, and we can't know.

Bham is right. To ignore the reality and the risks of the city is foolish and a recipe for a cruel experience and a jaded association with the city. Of course, on the flipside you have many people who think that what happened yesterday is the same as what will happen tomorrow...they are not the visionaries who see a burnt out block and have the wherewithal to transform it into vibrant healthy community.

The one thing I know is that we're seeing the intersection of many people's ideological realities coming to their breaking points. We see unions that have essentially accepted pension cuts and are now just debating how much of them to concede. We have lifetime Detroiters who are giving up on the city because of bad it's gotten. We have lifetime Detroiters who are saying they've seen more police protecting their neighborhood in the last 6 months than in the last 20 years. We have the Michigan State Police running plates and arresting on outstanding warrants or towing for expired plates.

No one knows how this is all going to work out, but I think it's fair to agree that it's not as simple as looking at the past and extrapolating forward. It's also not as simple as pretending that the past didn't exist.

I'm going to do my part to try to make my corner of the city better. But I'm also going to hedge my bet and have an exit strategy if necessary.

When I was 23, I took a job my mother begged me to turn down. When I was 33, she admitted that she was wrong and should have believed in me all along. I said, "Telling me you were wrong to doubt me after I've slayed the dragon isn't the same as you believing in me when I'm starting the battle." She said, "Well, of course, but I can't do that. It's too scary. You weren't fighting a mouse, you were fighting a dragon."

That's the same with Detroit.

Work hard, be persistent, stay aware, and then let your conscience guide you. Forget about trying to convince the world. It's just energy wasted.

That's my advice.