Response to "Detroit vs. Everybody"

When I first began reading the article, I was completely convinced that Detroit was just a rundown city in Michigan that really had nothing special about it. I have never been to Detroit and to be honest I would consider myself pretty uneducated about the city. This probably factored into why when I was reading about what was actually a movie set, I took in everything as if it was the reality of Detroit. That being said, Detroit may actually be a tad rundown due to its problems with the economy, but that does not have to define the city or what it has to offer. One of the most startling things that I read was when the desk women at the hotel that the author was staying at, smiled at him and mentioned that he might hear explosions. Since I was reading this, unaware that it was the area of a movie set, I found it so strange that she was smiling when she said that and it disturbed me.

Now looking back and knowing that it was a movie set, it changes my perspective. Perspective is really what is key when looking at the city of Detroit. When viewing Detroit from the outside looking in, many misconceptions and assumptions are made. Some of these assumptions can be refuted by the author’s pictures and explanations of places like Lafayette Greens and Belle Isle Park. I think these particular places are places that are probably overlooked not only by visitors but also the residents of Detroit. I think if more people visited these places and embraced what they had to offer, a new perspective of Detroit would be formed from a lot of people. Along with that the Heidelberg Project is an artistic approach at protesting, and in my opinion a beautiful way of going about something that is usually seen as violent. I love art and think it is one of the most important ways in which someone can express themselves. It made me so sad to see that someone took the liberty of burning down one of the houses in the project.

I believe that if the city of Detroit utilized the spaces that seem to be abounded these days, that this city has much more potential than its letting on. While the abandoned structure in Hart Plaza was disheartening, I think it someone took the liberty of cleaning it up and making good use of the space, simple changes like that could bring so many new opportunities for the city.