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| Bikers taking Flip the Bird Pictures at The Little Caesar's Arena |
"Kid Rock and the Little Caesar's Sports Arena.... Who Cares!... I Don't!"
This sad display in front of the newly built Little Caesar’s Sports Arena in downtown Detroit isn't really so much disturbing to me as it is sad! In fact, in all actuality, it is kind of pitiful! Mainly because it is only a throwback, and a continuation of just how things have always been here in Michigan... under the skin!
Nothing's really changed racially, or other wise here. Especially in Southeastern Michigan! From that racially inspired dividing wall on 8 mile road, to the sharp tax and insurance redlining of black citizens, to the negative and exclusionary treatment of Detroit's Public Educational System, and its children! Which I'll touch more on that later!
This whole Kid Rock thing though, com’on now be honest about it! No one should be surprised at this whole fiasco! Its all Publicity! So tell me, “Why are You all Surprised?”
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| White mob chasing black man with sticks and clubs in the 1943 Detroit Riot |
From the white supremacist generated race riot that white auto workers started in 1943, that no one in the press, or in our local television media outlets in Detroit ever talks about. To the dangerous bullying/head-whippin' racist, Big Four police squads of the 1960's (A band of hooligans cops, that as a child, I myself witnessed in action going after black men and boys like slave chasers)!
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| Big Four Squad Car |
The Big Four (they were called) Were notorious for violence against people of color! Big Four and other rouge cops were the ones who incited, and pretty much exploded the city of Detroit into a full scale riot and/or uprising by rousting people within a longtime Speakeasy. Pushing folks way too close to the edge! In fact, well over the edge that hot night back in 1967!
Well it’s 2017, and in essence, not a lot has changed (especially in Detroit)! Not as far as some people evolving past their core brained neanderthal behaviors and treatment of people of color in Michigan. To be really honest about it. In that respects; absolutely nothings changed but technology! We all just communicate a whole lot better is all!
I guess my shake on all this is that I am not really excited about the building of a brand new sports arena in downtown Detroit! As a matter of fact! As far as I’m concerned, they can gang up a whole new slew of arenas and stadiums, and soccer complexes all along Woodward avenue like big ole’ bowling pins. I could care less!
And what would the people all gain from this? Nothing but mad sport home-team pride (if any of our teams ever start to win games), and great places to eat Hot Wings!... Oooo, yay!
Those enterprises would be just like all the other Rich Guy enterprises springing up in these gentrified invaded areas of Detroit. They’ll be the crowning glory and the achievements of a family owned pizza business of a passed on Billionaire Pizza Mogul, and a Quicken Loans Billionaire Land Grabber! And I say again.... What about the people? We'd eventually end up being stuck with some sort of higher tax rate in something, somewhere down the pike!
Its all about Big Business folks! So if the likes of a less than talented, overgrown confederate flag waving fame hound on stage finds victory in claiming this new arena as some sort of victory or trophy; or some kind of fort captured. I say Great! Its all yours Mr. Rock!
Believe me, I have no real interest or inkling to ever set foot in that arena! I don’t care that much for Hockey! And I’m figuring that I’m not going to go see a basketball game anytime soon (I don’t think). And my Big Hair, Rockin’ in the USA Arena Concert going days just may be far behind me! So for me, Fort Illitch is nothing to fight over! And it has nothing to do with Kid Rock!
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| Kid Rock Biker support on Woodward in Front of the Little Caesar's Arena |
Nor does it have anything to do with a slew of the mad angry bikers or all the confederate flag waving Trump Zombies in the world! Its just that "I Don’t Care Anymore!"
Detroit is only showing itself to be what it has been since blacks made their way up here in the 1930's, 40's and 50's and 1960's to work in the auto plants! Detroit and southeastern Michigan has been one big giant caldron of churning hate and discrimination ever since blacks came north in search of work!
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| Black Auto Worker 1963 |
Hate and discrimination has only budged mere inches from where it once was decades ago. Living in the 1950’s was hard for my parents! Racially narrow minded people, made life a completely unbearable situation for people like my father, and many other black men like him who suffered horrible treatment and racism working in those auto plants in the 1950’s!
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| Black Foundry Worker |
They did awful things to thousands of black men whose only aim was to earn an honest living, and feed their families, and live a peaceful life! White foremen would put only black auto workers in the hot foundry areas of the plant in order to punish them! I remember the stories those older men would tell of how hot it was by that furnace!
On a more serious tip; you won't ever see this brother going out to march in the streets, waving protest signs and the like over something like Kid Rock Opening a Sports Arena that was no designed with people of color in mind! Ask yourself. What in the hell did any of that marching ever get anyone protesting for either their right to hate, or their right to freedom?... Not much at all!
I feel that in order to show just how you really feel about an injustice done on to you, you have to do more than burn a hole in your shoes walking the streets! It has to be more personal than just marching and waving slogans signs! In order to make an impression you have to, (How do you say?) “Affect the Money!”
Spend your money where you are treated good and fair! I don’t trade with people who look down on me! If I feel that they are disrespecting me. I take my money elsewhere!
I'm no millionaire! But I'm one of many regular people out here with just chump change, actually!... But its my chump change!
Therefore, I've made it up in my mind that I will henceforth refuse to willingly, and knowingly support anything to do with any enterprise that has stolen well over $300,000,000 from the Detroit Public School's educational fund in order to build this big giant, eyesore of an arena that sits on the edge of Woodward avenue, in downtown Detroit!
Now that may not seem much to you, but if more people stuck to their guns, and quit supporting people, places and things that exploit them. You’d be surprised at how things will start to change somewhere down the road! As I said. it may not be much. But its all I have to offer!
This is why I will not support this place! How many lies were told to all of us over the years that the Detroit Public School system was flat broke? "Detroit is Broke People! Oh, we have to file bankruptcy, and everything looks bleak for Detroit! We need an Emergency Manager to hash things out financially for Detroit, and for the Detroit Public School System!" They scared everybody to death, making folks think that Detroit was going to get swallowed by a great big Sinkhole!
Eventually, Washington actually did get the monies sent to Michigan with the aim of rebuilding DPS, in order to give Detroit kids a better education and shot at life. Maybe even making our schools look and feel, and possibly even match up to at least some of those Big Beautiful college campus-style Schools in Oakland, Bloomfield and many other suburban counties here in lower Michigan! And then quietly, under everybody's noses, suddenly all the money was gone!
Like a late night burglary! Over $300,000,000, just Gone! And as bad as these children in Detroit (those who are left) needed a new jolt! An Educational-Rejuvenation. It was all gone! And it was all hush-hush!$300,000,000 would have been a pretty good start for those kids! A start that never even got out of the starting gate!
To many, this further shows just how those who are suppose to help Detroit, really felt about the people who've lived here in the city for so long! Those who paid taxes, and who’ve struggled, and waited out the promised resurgence of the city, and help, for so long! And now this!
So yes! Therefore, I will not partake in anything involving any product made or produced by the Illitch Companies! Money is everything to some people, and the numbers don't lie! I don't know about any of you, but I don't ever have to purchase any food products from the Illitch Co. I don't care for their Little Caesar’s Pizza anyway!
And as far as The Fox Theater is concerned! I was going to the Fox well before Mike Illitch ever dreamed of renovating that old place! Howard C. Crane's (the Fox Theater's architect and designer) signature is all over that place from its core to its rooftop, to the Lions on the inside and outside of the place! All Illitch did was clean the joint up a bit!
So, there it is! If these five nights of a loosely copy-cat version of a musical charged Trump Rally/Concert is the Christening of this New Detroit Sport's Arena. Then so be it!
In the annuls of history, such a thing would prove to be kind of a sad commentary! And in saying that, I forgot that there are those among us who have no shame in what it is they do to others.
And when they re-write history (as they often do to glorify themselves), the story will come out shiny clean. Making folk heroes of those who stole, and committed great crimes and injustices against the people!
And how truly sad because, despite all the achievements and legendary things Detroiters had done. Been apart of, and become over the last 75 to 100 years. Racism eventually had to almost always took a backseat to hate!
Detroit was once a city that was on the move! I felt it! I grew up during this time, and I saw this! And the good that got accomplished in Detroit had nothing to do with hate, or with just one group of people!
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Detroit back in the day, after the 1943 riot. Everyone enjoyed Downtown Detroit. Black or White
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Everyone had a hand in Detroit’s great legacy, from its automotive integrity, and its ground breaking broadcasting history! To its music and entertainment and manufacturing roots! Marks that are iconic, and have left an impression on the world! And all despite racism!
But like anything negative, hate and greed begins to creep in, and drags weak minded people down to a lowly place! Believe me, as far as an overall city is concerned. Detroit will never be what it once was on a retail level!
People everywhere are all about One Stop Shopping! Retail in Warehouse shopping and Internet purchasing Online by folks who sit at home and order things from the Internet, instead of getting out to buy them has made sure of that!
Back in the day, All of Detroit was utilized! There were shops everywhere! people don’t shop like that anymore! if it ain’t at Sam’s, Costco’s or Meijer. It may not get purchased!
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| People shopped back in the day! They got out and shopped!Black and White! |
Especially with Detroit’s present mindset of exclusion and hate! You have to do business with everybody! Not just a chosen few! You’ll go broke eventually! So no matter how many stadiums and arenas and coffee shops, and Q-Lines, and Wayne State parking lots they build! Detroit will never be the place it once was! It will never be as good!
No matter how many nice new shiny things that are built and erected!
Detroit has always been its best when everyone had a hand in its growth and progress, and includes its home-team revelry! Its the people... It was always Everyone who made the difference in Detroit!
It has always been Red, Yellow, Black, White and Brown people who made Detroit as great as it ever was! Not a building, nor a business! It was always the people!
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| Detroiters doing it together |
No city can survive without a Melting Pot! Cities are truly Metropolises! Cities should be wonderful Cultural Habitations reflecting a fine exhibition of various views, lifestyles and peoples, and businesses from places near and far! This is what makes up a city!
From each other, we've all learned how to work, how to play and how to cook and live life together, as best we could considering the crummy circumstances sometimes!
A Melting Pot like Detroit was and is makes up the sum total of what comes out to be, Humanity in Action!
No city should ever be some Stuffy Upper Crust, exclusionary population of just white people, or just black people! Why that would only be the stuffy ole’ Suburbs all over again.... only this time with Skyscrapers!
Glenn Peppers
