The title of this post comes from a scene in an old movie which shows a prisoner about to be beaten, tortured, executed, but a fate much more brutal is awarded – a trip to Detroit.
Other than having a wonderful colleague who lives in the state of Michigan and at one time lived in the area around Detroit before heading to the magical city of Grand Rapids, I didn’t really understand much about Detroit.
I knew the Tigers aren’t that good, Barry Sanders would have rather retired and not set every major rushing record in the NFL than play for the Lions and the Red Wing fans throw squid on the ice. After being attacked by my son as he pretends to be a Great White Shark and he calls me squid before “getting” me, I know that’s not a good thing.
Then there’s the whole Auto industry – the big 3…er…2. Perhaps 1 and half now.
Anyway, here are two great articles that shed some light on the city’s history and possible future. After reading both I know: it’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to be pretty. But, if it works, it will be a blueprint for getting this country back to having its petal to the metal.
Time Magazine is a doing a year long feature on the city. The first installment looks at it’s past and an optimistic view of the city.
Both are really great reads and are highly recommended.
A good friend commented on my Facebook page that Detroit has been making the rounds in the press:
“Detroit’s making the rounds in the national news. Newsweek had a great article as well from a reporter at the Free Press on why the city needs to focus on shrinking, not growing. Seems the antithesis of a wholly American sentiment, but could be promising. Detroit as a microcosm of controlled shrinkage. Hope it works.”
Ubiqui-T 