The Zoo
The Detroit Zoo is located in Royal Oak, a few miles from where I live. As a kid, I frequently went to the zoo, and as a parent, i can't count the number of times I have taken my kids to the zoo, even for just an hour. Membership does have its privileges.
But it looks like Detroit is in a pissing contest with Lansing over who controls the zoo, and in a vote this past Saturday, the city council voted to close the zoo. This is a zoo which has had millions of dollars invested in it over the past few years, both for exhibits and their new conservation center.
Lansing allocated $4 million to the zoo, with one caveat. The city of Detroit had to hand over control of the zoo to the Detroit Zoological Society, a nonprofit organization. Detroit, still in the afterglow of hosting a great Super Bowl, had a chance to continue building momentum in for a city that desperately needs help. Instead, the city council voted 7-2 to close the zoo.
Oakland County (where the zoo is located) Executive L. Brooks Patterson said the zoo cries out for regional management, and he was highly critical of the council's vote.
"They'd rather close the zoo than share its management with the region," Patterson said about the Detroit City Council's decision. "And shame on them for that point of view."
But the most bizarre quote comes from councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins, who sees this issue as a racist issue, where Michigan's white legislatures don't trust Detroit's black city council to run the zoo.
"This is not a plantation," Collins said. "We are not owned by everyone else. Black folks are not owned by white folks anymore. I made the point Saturday that the state Legislature was pimping the City of Detroit, and that we should not play the role of prostitute. That upset a lot of people, but I stand by my words. The symbolism is that Detroit is a black city, and we're not able to govern ourselves. It's a racist attitude and I resent it."
I'm not black. I don't see racism in every move made by government. And I can't see how asking Detroit to hand over control of the zoo to a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the zoo is a racist move. Currently, Detroit has a lot more important issues, like a 20% unemployment rate and dismal city services, to concern themselves over. Let the zoo people run the zoo. Let the city council try to fix some of Detroit's problems.
But it looks like Detroit is in a pissing contest with Lansing over who controls the zoo, and in a vote this past Saturday, the city council voted to close the zoo. This is a zoo which has had millions of dollars invested in it over the past few years, both for exhibits and their new conservation center.
Lansing allocated $4 million to the zoo, with one caveat. The city of Detroit had to hand over control of the zoo to the Detroit Zoological Society, a nonprofit organization. Detroit, still in the afterglow of hosting a great Super Bowl, had a chance to continue building momentum in for a city that desperately needs help. Instead, the city council voted 7-2 to close the zoo.
Oakland County (where the zoo is located) Executive L. Brooks Patterson said the zoo cries out for regional management, and he was highly critical of the council's vote.
"They'd rather close the zoo than share its management with the region," Patterson said about the Detroit City Council's decision. "And shame on them for that point of view."
But the most bizarre quote comes from councilwoman Barbara-Rose Collins, who sees this issue as a racist issue, where Michigan's white legislatures don't trust Detroit's black city council to run the zoo.
"This is not a plantation," Collins said. "We are not owned by everyone else. Black folks are not owned by white folks anymore. I made the point Saturday that the state Legislature was pimping the City of Detroit, and that we should not play the role of prostitute. That upset a lot of people, but I stand by my words. The symbolism is that Detroit is a black city, and we're not able to govern ourselves. It's a racist attitude and I resent it."
I'm not black. I don't see racism in every move made by government. And I can't see how asking Detroit to hand over control of the zoo to a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the zoo is a racist move. Currently, Detroit has a lot more important issues, like a 20% unemployment rate and dismal city services, to concern themselves over. Let the zoo people run the zoo. Let the city council try to fix some of Detroit's problems.
posted by Air Time at 4:20 PM
13 Comments:
Traces of Solomon in this bad decision.
Seems to make the point exactly of who should be in charge. Remarkable!
where would you put the zebras? how about the orange animals, like Lions. It is really too complex.
as a black person, i can tell you that detroit is an island of black pride in a sea of white, well-meaning, racists.
kwami is my man!
Anonymous, if you are going to pose as a black detroiter you need to be more realistic, and not have an ISP that is coming from Israel.
Get the hell out of there while you still have the chance!!!
-OC
So much for the after glow.
OC -
I don't think they are going to just let the animals run loose.
adina - Are you sure she wasnt warning us to get out because the aniumals will be running loose?
detroit is still safer than the middle east, roaming elephants or no.
the elephants left the zoo last summer. i dont remember where they were shipped to
Hey Krunk, where did your blog go??
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