Is Detroit really that messed up?

In My Humble Opinion
61

[QUOTE=Susanann]
Its just different, it just has different “demographics”, as it should, from other cities.

Detroit is not full of French-americans, so Detroit is not like Paris,
it doesnt have any cowboys so it doesn’t look like Jackson Hole Wyoming.
it doesnt have any farmers, so it doesnt look like Fargo North Dakota,
It is not Nashville so you wont find any country bars nor hoedowns in Detroit,
it is not Las Vegas so you wont find any nightclubs nor big name entertainers,
it doesnt have any Irish, Germans, Polish, Swiss, English, Scottish, or Ukranians either.

Detroit is mostly, almost entirely, an African-American and Arab-American city.

If you dont like African-American/Arab-American cities, then just dont visit it, but I dont see anything intrinsically “wrong” with Detroit.
[/QUOTE]
You don’t see anything broken about a city that’s lost half its population, most of its jobs, and by the way, most of its ethnicities? Detroit used to be full-to-bursting with Poles, Germans, Jews, Slavs and Balts of every flavor, Anglo-Scots-Irish from Appalachia, and some groups you might not think of, such as Armenians and Filipinos. In the eighties, I went to school in the northern suburbs with people named Manoogian, Blanco, Nagy, Afif, Catallo, Knudsen, Piotrowski, Waisanen, Rabinowitz, Van Dam, Kambouris, Breitmeyer, Filipovic, Shorter, Koltys, Weaver, and Murphy - all of them at least second-generation and sometimes longer in greater Detroit. Go back to 1940 or 1950 and you’d likely have found those names in the phone book in Detroit proper. It was one of those cities—Bridgeport was another one—where the ideal of the “melting pot” actually seemed to have some relevance.

62

In most peoples’ minds, “diversity” does not include white people. A city that’s 50% black and 50% Hispanic? Diversity central. A city that’s Irish, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Ukrainian, Jewish, Greek, Italian, Hungarian and Armenian? Whiteytown.

63

Hi, neighbor!

64

Wow, this is really one of the most ignorant statements I have read in a while. You must have a very poor opinion of African Americans if you think that run-down, ghetto homes, a huge crime rate, mayors too stupid to refrain from texting staff memebers with their corruption, and a general lack of business interests makes a town African American.

There is a whack-ton of stuff “wrong” with Detroit, nit the least of which is that apparently, a lot of people who live there don’t think there is anything wrong.

65

Has Detroit ever floated the idea to the Federal Government that it’s too big to fail? I mean, that line of reasoning worked for the financial institutions of this country.

The idea just came to me and I’m actually kinda serious. I have no idea what the reaction would be.

Heck, if history is any indication, the Mayor and City Council could admit defeat like this this without even stepping down!

66

Monica Conyers, the now deposed, disgraced, and generally stupidest person on the city council, was quoted saying something about wanting some of the TARP money to come to Detroit, you know, since the government was just handing it all out, etc. I think she expected Obama to write her a personal check.

Beyond that, nobody on the council would stand for another government entity coming in and tellign them how to run THEIR city, especially because it would dry up so much of the corrupt money going around. And there is a LOT of corrupt money.

67

Oh, I lived in the GTA for a year before the bubble burst in Michigan. Specifically, in Mississauga, with work in Oakville. Yeah, compared to the Michigan and the “regular” Ontario prices I know (Sarnia and Windsor mostly), homes in the GTA is stupidly, ridiculously expensive. Every, single new development I ever ran across weren’t even single family homes (I don’t remember what they called “duplexes” then – semi-detached?), and started at about $300,000 (Canadian). Yeah, for shared property. The US dollar was still pretty strong then, but it was still a fortune for some crappy almost-tenament. (That reminds me, I thought all of the high-rises were government housing for poor people, until some Canadian friends corrected me.)

Wow, you either don’t know Detroit, or don’t know anything outside of Detroit!

There are many well-to-do white Americans living in Detroit, too, but many is a very relative word. When counted against the massive, ginormous numbers of poor, ignorant people, there aren’t enough well-to-do anyone to elect effective mayors or effective city councilpersons.

There are more Mexicans in Detroit than Arabs. Mexicantown is a nice relief from the nasties of Detroit, and it’s very, very close to Dearborn, which isn’t Detroit, and is where the significant number of Middle Easterners are situated. Between Mexicantown and Dearborn there is some Arab spillage, but you’re only talking about a narrow corridor in an otherwise huge city area. Detroit is certainly not an “Arab-American city.”

68

I suppose I should give my Saturday night tickets back, or at least find out who I paid for them to go here. Also, I’d like to know who has my money for my membership hereand here.

Oh, and don’t look hereto live, because that also doesn’t exist in Detroit. Architecture? Oh no. Not there.

69

Wow, you have made the most ignorant statement on Straight Dope ever.

No…ghetto homes, a huge crime rate, stupid mayors, etc do NOT!!! make a town African American.

What actually makes a town African American, is its population demographics, the census numbers showing that a town is majority AfricanAmerican.

Detroit is a black city, because the overwelming majority of its people are black!!!

It has NOTHING to do with crime, ghetos, or any other stupid remarks you make.

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*As of the 2000 Census… the racial makeup of Detroit was 81.6% Black…12.3% Arab/White…1.0% Asian, and 5.0 percent Hispanic.
*

c

70

Wow, you don’t know Detroit, and you don’t know anything outside of Detroit!

There are NOT!!! many well-to-do white Americans living in Detroit, since the total arab/white population, rich and poor combined, of Detroit is only 12.3%.

Exactly how many of that 12.3 is arab is anybody’s guess, how many arabs are in Detroit is anybody’s guess, since the official statistics do not break down how many whites are arab. We do know that the Detroit and the Detroit Metro area has the second largest arab population in the world second only to the Middle East.

Also, according to the census, hispanics are only 5%.

Clearly, blacks are the overwelming majority of Detroit City today.

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As of the 2000 Census… the racial makeup of Detroit was 81.6% Black…12.3% Arab/White…1.0% Asian, and 5.0 percent Hispanic.

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http://www.aljadid.com/features/Detroit-ArabCapitalofNorthAmerica.html

Detroit – Arab Capital of North America

by Habeeb Salloum

“Imagine! When I first came to Detroit, I thought that I was still in the Arab world.” Muhammad, once a Lebanese, but now an American, remarked when I asked him if he felt a longing for his homeland. He went on, “In fact, this city is much better than southern Lebanon where we were continually dodging bombs and waiting for the next Israeli incursion. Here, I live in an almost Arab city. There are more Arab things to do in this town than in my country.”

71

I dont know what your point is?

As far as a city becoming less overpopulated, I think that is a fine thing, and there is nothing wrong with being NOT crowded.

As far as Poles, Germans, Jews, Slavs and Balts of every flavor, Anglo-Scots-Irish from Appalachia, etc, being replaced with mostly blacks, with a few arabs and a few mexicans… so what?

Times have changed.

Whites are also now a minority in the entire state of California.

According to current population and immigration trends, “whites”(including latinos) will be a minority in the entire county by 2040. Non-latino whites will be a minority a lot sooner than 2040.

America being a white country is soon ending. Get over it.

72

Originally Posted by Susanann View Post
Toronto is an artsy, fartsy, metropolitan, multi-cultural, cosmopolitan city, it should have condos that cost more than $200,000.00. Toronto has theater/plays, dance companies, opera, and the complete variety of different culture bars, restaurants, neighborhoods, etc.Detroit doesnt have anything like that, and it is not a multi-cultural cosmopolitan city.Nobody moves to Detroit for the cultural arts, or for the multi-cultural environment, because it doesnt have any.Toronto is about as opposite from Detroit, in every way, as any town can be.

If you think Detroit has arts, or that it compares with Toronto, or any other “cultured” city, then you obviously have never been to Toronto, Paris, London, etc.

Even 30 or 40 years ago, Detroit’s only “culture” for the masses, was bowling, and bowling alleys, but nearly all of the bowling alleys have closed up.

Go to downtown Detroit on a Saturday or Sunday morning or afternoon, and it will be completely desolate - like a science fiction movie, and directly opposite of what Windsor is like on weekends accross the river.

Go to any Detroit neighborhood at night, alone and on foot, and you will experience first hand Detroit’s lack of culture.

73

LOL… you’re the bimbo that indicated that Detroit was an Arab town! So much for your data! And your credibility!

Tell me, in solid numbers, how many well-to-do blacks live in Detroit, and how many well-to-do whites live in Detroit. Then tell me what percentage of the Detroit population they consist of. Hint: they’re both insignificant. Detroit is poor and despite the few nice areas which are insignificant percentage-wise, Detroit is poor. And uneducated. That’s why Detroit – in general – is such a shit hole.

Ask yourself where are the nice parts of Detroit? The parts that have money and investment. You don’t get that from the majority of the local population. Five rich black dudes and two rich white dudes don’t make up for each of the 10,000 poor black dudes that correspond with them.

You can try to be a proud ebony Detroiter, but pride doesn’t fix anything. It takes education, investment, money, and a detached sense of realism. Unfortunately too many losers in Detroit lack all of these characteristics, and any time someone who possesses these characteristics comes about, ignorant people that have nothing except for pride shoot them down. So, I hope we steal your mismanaged water system, take over your corrupt convention center, and move the Lions, Red Wings, and Tigers back out of your stinking city (hope for the Red Wings; the others have existing commitments that are still too new).

“Community” isn’t about baseless pride; it’s about common sense, and attitudes like your have destroyed the city and prevent any progress. You’re not a city councilwoman are you by any chance? You have the same ignorant attitude.

74

Is it really true that a 1000-square-foot house in Detroit should not sell for more than $10k? That means the average cost per square foot would be $10… Wow. Can I build a house in Detroit for $10 per square foot and truck it over to where I live? Honestly, I can’t see how this can be true unless you’re using cardboard and child labor to build houses in Detroit.

(I can see why a totally gutted house that needs to be destroyed to rebuild, with back taxes owed, would sell for $10k or less, but you seem to be saying that a perfectly decent house in Detroit shouldn’t cost more than $10k.)

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http://www.trulia.com/MI/Detroit,3865,Palmer_Park/ Palmer Park ,Detroit homes. Some Frank LLooyd Wright design are not available for 10 k.

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http://www.trulia.com/MI/Detroit,3840,Indian_Village/ Make an offer of 10 K and watch the owners reaction.

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Check out the pictures of those houses. For under 200 k you can live in a mansion.

78

Wow, you have made the most ignorant statement on Straight Dope ever.

No…ghetto homes, a huge crime rate, stupid mayors, etc do NOT!!! make a town African American.

What actually makes a town African American, is its population demographics, the census numbers showing that a town is majority AfricanAmerican.

Detroit is a black city, because the overwelming majority of its people are black!!!

It has NOTHING to do with crime, ghetos, or any other stupid remarks you make.
[/QUOTE]

Wow! That was…interesting.

Thought about trying for a job at Fox News?

79

What the ever loving hell are you talking about? Seems like you’re making a dig at me for being racist, when I am trying to counter the racist bullshit spewed by Susanann.

80

I’m pretty sure Kneepants was criticizing Suzanne’s response, not yours. You know, because she said something ignorant, and then took your response and made it look like you were the one saying the ignorant thing. Just like Fox News!

Double whoosh! Nested whoosh?