It was so refreshing to read Ken Osborne's column, "Portrayal of city inaccurate, Detroit more than boarded-up buildings" (SN 11/16), defending Detroit instead of ridiculing it like the majority of people do.
I was born and raised in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.: a suburb just outside of Detroit. Unlike many of my peers from Grosse Pointe, I have been fortunate enough to have spent a great deal of time in Detroit.
When I was in elementary school, my Girl Scouts troop raised money to purchase groceries for an underprivileged family in Detroit so they could enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner. But when it came time to deliver the food to the family, many parents would not allow their children to go, deeming it too dangerous (in broad daylight, might I add). My scouting friends would have loved to see the children's faces light up at the sight of the mounds of groceries we placed on their table. It was an unforgettable experience.
My mom always took me and my three siblings to cultural events downtown. We have seen many exhibits at The Detroit Institute of Arts. We have been to the Detroit Historical Museum on countless occasions.
We had season tickets to the "Young People's Concert" at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for many years, and the first musical I saw was "Phantom of the Opera" on the fabulous stage of the Masonic Temple Theatre when I was in first grade.
The Independence Day fireworks downtown surpass all other fireworks displays — you can actually feel the ground shaking beneath your feet. It is a tradition in my family to attend both the fireworks and the Thanksgiving Day Parade every year. During the 300th anniversary celebration for the city of Detroit, we waited six hours, huddled among the masses at Hart Plaza to see Stevie Wonder perform live!
What other city can match that?
I have also seen the run-down areas of Detroit. I have seen the remnants of beautiful and intricate architecture on dilapidated and graffitied buildings; signs of what Detroit used to be. I have seen Tyree Guyton's "Heidelberg Project," a cluster of houses on the street in which my grandmother lived while growing up, which Guyton is using to display junk and useless items such as dolls with their heads cut off. On the roof of one house is a cross with a stuffed animal of Big Bird on it. Guyton calls this art.
Although in the midst of ruin, Detroit is a great and historical cultural city with events too good to pass up. Downtown Detroit now has its own ice skating rink in an area called Campus Martius, where office workers can skate during their lunch hours. Last winter, the city held its first "Winterfest" with games, ice skating and refreshments. There is a new Hard Rock Cafe restaurant and a Borders right next door. Detroit is in the midst of a great renovation.
People say Detroit has become nothing more than a city filled with crime and poverty. But if they want this to change, they need to start supporting Detroit and the enriching events it offers.
The only way Detroit can become fully restored is if people embrace and assist the development of this diamond-in-the-rough city.
Elizabeth Swanson
journalism sophomore
