My Report Back: Obama in Detroit

Well, even though I was in the mood to call it a day yesterday, I stuck it out and went to see Obama at Joe Louis in downtown Detroit. I'm glad I did. It wasn't anything earth shattering, but it was nice to see the excitement that this candidate can bring. 20,000 people is nothing to sneeze at. Most candidates are lucky to get crowds a quarter of that size. (And if you want to see what I saw, you can take a look at the Freep's 360 degree panorama of the event.)

In the end, I was reassured why I have supported Obama for months and why I believe he will make a great president--inspiration. I know it's not concrete plans or facts (though he had some of those as well). But getting people, especially jaded young people, excited about something other than materialistic needs is a feat of strength to be sure. I stood in line for 2 hours--but so did 20,000 other people--all excited, from all different walks of life, all different ages, all different colors. And for all the bad that could have come out of that, we were all too excited to get pissed about the heat or the slow check in at security or whatehaveyou. For once, I felt united into a group of Americans that was more diverse than ever in support of a movement--a movement not of one man, but a movement that inspires people to get out and volunteer, to donate $10 or $20 when they can, and to move beyond racial barriers when possible to tackle the big issues. The fact is that we have more issues in common than we'd like to admit, and the good part of that is I think Obama is the first candidate in a long time to really point that out.

Is he the savior? No. Is he the cure to our national pandemic of apathy? Probably not. But for one night, it sure felt good to have hope that, as a group, we can truly make a difference.

Call me naive, but it's this inspiration that made me interested in politics to begin with.

On another note, Al Gore was great to hear again. Take it from him, "elections matter." I don't know if this is selective memory or if it's the truth, but ever since he's left politics, he's been an even more amazing public speaker. He can entrance a crowd of Israelites and Palestinians into friendship with his wit, candor and sincerity. Though I know his endorsement wasn't a surprise or even that important at this point, it was great to hear him speak again. It's such a shame that the 2000 election was stolen--a fact that though he did not harp on it, was definitely the undertone of his address. He pointed out two important things: (1) that these past eight years have been a red mark on the history of this nation both internationally and domestically; and (2) that the experience argument against Obama (listen up CVD) is nothing but an excuse to stay with the stodgy old ways of Washington insiders and let the chance for true change pass you by.

Probably the funniest moment of the night came when Obama brought up Hillary Clinton and praised her for making him a better candidate. Some douchebag from in our section somewhere started booing very loudly. Obama pointed at him and called him out (something that CNN did not miss) on it.

All in all, though it was a long night and I'm exhausted today, it was worth it. And hopefully in November I can say that I saw him before he was president.

You Want To Know Why Hockeytown's Slipping Away?

An article on Freep.com today talks about the struggles of the Red Wings to put asses in the seats at Joe Louis Arena. In the past few years ticket sales have sunk so low that even the playoffs had available seats.

I've been thinking about this issue for a long time. I heard Nick Lindstrom on the radio a month or so ago talking about a program to get kids in the metro area back into hockey. The program neglected the main factor why the sport is failing here--division. The racial divide, the class divide and the gender divide all play pivotal roles in the decline of the sport in local history.

As a young working-class girl it was impossible for me to get into hockey even though I wanted to desperately. My struggling parents couldn't pay the associated costs (equipment that kids grow out of monthly, jerseys, team fees, ice fees, etc.). On top of it, I was a girl--and as we all know, girls don't play hockey, do they? So although part of my heart will always be true to the Wings, part of it is disenchanted with a system that didn't want my involvement anyhow.

As a new generation comes up in Hockeytown they aren't as devoted to the Red Wings as previous generations once were. The gender divide plays into this somewhat, but it's more the class and racial divide. Let's be honest--hockey is not an inner-city sport, yet the team is located downtown. For good or bad, that's going to play into it when you're talking about the most segregated city in America. Furthermore, in these tough economic times when it comes to buying your kid clothes or buying a hockey ticket, the more practical matter always comes first.

In order for Hockeytown to truly bloom again, these factors need to be addressed. The Red Wings organization should start programs to bring minorities and girls into the game at a young age. They should sponsor programs to pay for ice time, equipment, etc. And for crying out loud, lower your GD ticket prices or offer a greater value--people can't afford that even if they want to come down.

The fact of the matter is that the sport will die if it is to remain an upper-middle class, white, male sport. And that's a sad thing to lose such a brilliant history in this town. But it will continue to dwindle if we just assume that the value of a ticket is the only problem. It's the value of the experience that needs to be addressed--and fast. Otherwise, Hockeytown will rise no more.

HELL TO THE YES

The Lodge is OPENING!!!!


I am thrilled.

Sad Song, Same Scene

Two Detroit teams met two Cleveland teams this weekend. One team racked up a couple of wins. The other, sadly, signaled the end of an era.

For those of you that don't know your Honor, team sports in Detroit are a big deal. They can revitalize a city, reinvigorate an ailing public and generally cause euphoria. But on days like Saturday, sometimes the sound of a defeat signals much more.

I won't bore you with my uninformed thoughts, but I'll leave you with this piece from Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press regarding the end of the Piston's era.

And LeBron, if you're reading (which I seriously doubt you are), remember this: You had to go through Detroit to get there and they were a team, not just a superstar and his victory. Success tastes sweeter when there's more than one flavor.

And they now walk the streets

This article from freep.com details how the Detroit bus drivers have walked off the job because of a lack of security on the busses, which lead one driver to be assaulted just last night. Apparently the City Council is fighting mad.

"I think it's irresponsible," said Councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins, who voted in favor of the contract the first time it failed to pass. "I voted for the sheriffs to do it, but I will not be intimidated. I think it is illegal and wrong. There is a way to lobby."

She would probably be right had the bus drivers not been already lobbying forever on this issue. And guess who came out as the voice of reason? One Martha Reeves (yes, that Martha Reeves of "and the Vandellas" fame).

Councilwoman Martha Reeves was the only member pushing for a vote today, saying that the safety of the drivers, residents and schoolchildren is at stake.

No crap. Maybe it's time to do something? The vote should take place today for the sake of the city, the bus drivers, the bus riders and the economic well-being of the area in general. People need the busses to get to school and work.

The best quote of the article though, comes from this guy, 19 year old Darius Milton:

"Awww, man. For real?" he queried. "I'm just out here trying to get a job and now I have no way to get downtown. It's a pain in the butt. But I guess I can understand because I've seen a couple drivers get slapped and one who got robbed."