Detroit: Let Everyone Get Involved

Fox 2 Viewer Commentary - My Grandparents house on Burt Road was a mansion, at least I thought it was, during my childhood. Today, I realize that it was a tiny house, about 1,000 square feet, but it loomed large because it was proudly kept up. A pristine house in a beautiful neighborhood. Grandpa was a sign painter for Ford's and raised three kids in that little house.

When I was a teenager I remember my parents making them leave Detroit. They fought hard, but knew that they had to give up their place in what was once a safe city. When I Google mapped the house today, I was shocked, and when my mother saw it, she cried. The once proud house was a boarded up, forlorned little shack. I was raised in the la-la suburb, Royal Oak, nice and safe. Now I live in Warren, a few houses off 8 mile. I choose to live here. I love my block, I love my city, I love my melting pot.

What was great about Detroit?

Detroit is where my family came from. Actually, grandpa came from Ontario, but lived his adult life in Detroit. Raised his family, spent his career, and fought to keep his place there.

What is great about Detroit?

Nothing is great about the neighborhoods in Detroit. I had a little dream, that I wanted to buy that forsaken house of my grandparents and restore it to its glory, but when I took a drive by it I was scared away.

What is your idea to make Detroit great?

If people like me, with a fondness for our memories, would adopt a parcel and renovate it, what a difference we could make. Unfortunately, the citizens of Detroit look at me as an outsider, a threat, and (an Irish little red-haired) fair game. I would love to enter the city, but they won't let me. People have actually come up to my car and bang on the window and say lewd things to scare me. Why ??? That doesn't happen in my neighborhood.

So, my answer to what would make Detroit great is to step up the police force, clean up the streets of loitering and bullying, and let modern day white folks back in. We are not the enemy !!!