If You've Never Been To Detroit...Shut The Hell Up!!

So, most people that know me know that I was born and spent the first part of my life in Detroit and then moved to Ann Arbor. I never liked Ann Arbor (and tried diligently to get my mother to let me move back to Detroit and stay with my Auntie Gwen) so I never claim it and my heart and soul still belongs to the D. In all honesty the only thing I did in Ann Arbor was go to school, play sports and sleep. My Hair Stylist, clubs, some boyfriends, restaurants, family-all still in Detroit-I-94 and I were great friends :). But I digress, Anyway, I'm ride or die for the 313, that means I cheer for the Lions, Pistons (who need to move their butts back into the city like everyone else), Tigers, Red Wings and I used the cheer for the Shock (before they dipped on us) good or bad and I love the good and bad about the city. I was in Tallahassee @ FAMU trying to help talk up Kwame Kilpatrick to my still in Detroit family when he was running for Mayor (before he lost his D@#$ mind), I care about the fate of the Big 3 Auto dealers (a lot of my family has worked for one of them at some point), I care about the neighborhoods, the perception, if downtown gets some traffic (loved when we got the MLB All-Star Game, Stanley Cup, Final Four, Super Bowl and multiple conventions), when new businesses come into the city, when movies and TV shows are shot there (Yes I cheered when we got Four Brothers, Detroit 1-8-7, Transformers 3 and the like) and I especially cheered for this years Chrysler Superbowl Ad and it's "Imported From Detroit" moniker-Genius!!!

What I don't like is what brings me to the title of this post...There are so many jokes, comments and other unnecessary criticisms made about Detroit mostly from people who have never even stepped foot in Wayne County. Do we have our issues? Yes. Are we going through an extremely tough time economically, educationally, politically and environmentally? Yes. Have we been through majority of this stuff before and bounced back? YES. What makes us so much different from other major cities that have had or are having the same issues that we are having but don't have such a negative light being shone on them? Why must Detroit be the punch line of all jokes for problems of great large American cities? I went to a comedy show in LA this week at the Comedy Union and when the comedian was asking where people in the audience were from Detroit came up among other cities and he IMMEDIATELY went in on Detroit and only Detroit " Man, Detroit-ya'll ain't got $h*%, etc" Whoa..I held my tongue because to get into a philosophical debate with him about where HE was from would have killed his set. How is it when some cities go through a crisis they get empathy and compassion (i.e. New York, New Orleans, Joplin, etc) but when Detroit (and Michigan as a whole to be honest) hits a crisis of the fall of its major money maker-the Auto Industry (causing an obscene amount of unemployment and thus plummeting the economy of the whole state and others) and a corrupt mayor all at the same time we get scorn, ridicule and jokes?? Does no one care about the Michigan people who lost their homes or are now struggling to feed their families? What about those who fear that their only hope for survival is crime? How about the students who through no fault of their own don't have a school close to their home to go to anymore? Where is the help and compassion for all of those people?? Did anyone make a Humpty Dumpty joke about the Twin Towers? No. Did anyone make an Under The Sea Joke about New Orleans? No. Did anyone make a Wizard of Oz joke about Joplin? Nope.I'm sick of the B.S. so I tell you what, If you are not helping our situation in Detroit or Michigan-Shut The Hell Up!! If you don't drive an American made car-Shut The Hell Up!! If you don't have an idea that can help Detroit rise from the ashes-Shut The Hell Up!! Most importantly, IF YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN TO DETROIT, SHUT THE HELL UP!!

(Drops Mic..Steps off SoapBox)Follow me on Twitter @FromMySoapBox