Removing all defects of character...
Well! Could this "Step" be more timely? As we move along our journey of self-discovery for making Detroit better, Step 6 says to "remove all defects of character"...
This weekly series is very loosely based on the AA 12-Step Program, and the purpose is to look to ourselves for the answers--not to blame others.
However, here in Detroit--especially because of the most excruciating developments of last week, most of us have come to the conclusion that the Mayor has to go. Even The Michigan Chronicle, Detroit's premier Black newspaper, has taken the unprecedented step of calling for the Mayor's resignation in this week's issue.
We here are looking for solutions that are best for the City of Detroit; ways to let go of the past and move Detroit forward. We have to realize that...
* The Mayor cannot be effective in running the City while he is embroiled in all of these legal and political distractions.
* The Mayor has lost all credibility in working with the regional and national people and business leaders necessary for continued growth in Detroit.
* The Mayor has brought shame and ridicule on his family, the City of Detroit, and the entire State of Michigan with his actions.
There are some who say that the media, the Wayne County Prosecutor, and the Michigan Attorney General have been unfairly "piling on" the Mayor; or that all of this is "racially based". While some of that may have been true in the past, if we really look at the facts, it becomes painfully obvious that the ""defects" that have caused this ever-worsening situation are those of the Mayor himself.
It is also true that the Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has brought many positive changes to the City, especially with his working relationships with businesses who are investing in Detroit, all of that has also been completely negated by his actions.
None of us is perfect; we all have "defects" in our character. But the actions of the Mayor and the ramifications for the people of the City of Detroit and the entire region and state can no longer be ignored, justified, swept under the rug, apologized for, or tolerated.
The Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity has "recommended" that mayor Kilpatrick step down; although several members disagreed with withdrawing support for Mr. Kilpatrick during his time of crisis.
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is holding a hearing on September 3 (three weeks from today) on a request from the Detroit City Council to remove the Mayor.
Meanwhile, we are the ones who still have to live and work in Detroit. We are the ones dealing with the repercussions of this whole situation. But we are also the ones we have been waiting for...we the people are the government. It is up to us to demand that our leadership reflect who we really are and we we really want to be. The government we presently have is not representing the best about us or our City; it is time for us to effect the changes necessary.
I look forward to your thoughts and ideas in the comments section...
Shameless Plug: Please read my husband's blog The "D" Spot...
This weekly series is very loosely based on the AA 12-Step Program, and the purpose is to look to ourselves for the answers--not to blame others.
However, here in Detroit--especially because of the most excruciating developments of last week, most of us have come to the conclusion that the Mayor has to go. Even The Michigan Chronicle, Detroit's premier Black newspaper, has taken the unprecedented step of calling for the Mayor's resignation in this week's issue.
We here are looking for solutions that are best for the City of Detroit; ways to let go of the past and move Detroit forward. We have to realize that...
* The Mayor cannot be effective in running the City while he is embroiled in all of these legal and political distractions.
* The Mayor has lost all credibility in working with the regional and national people and business leaders necessary for continued growth in Detroit.
* The Mayor has brought shame and ridicule on his family, the City of Detroit, and the entire State of Michigan with his actions.
There are some who say that the media, the Wayne County Prosecutor, and the Michigan Attorney General have been unfairly "piling on" the Mayor; or that all of this is "racially based". While some of that may have been true in the past, if we really look at the facts, it becomes painfully obvious that the ""defects" that have caused this ever-worsening situation are those of the Mayor himself.
None of us is perfect; we all have "defects" in our character. But the actions of the Mayor and the ramifications for the people of the City of Detroit and the entire region and state can no longer be ignored, justified, swept under the rug, apologized for, or tolerated.
The Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity has "recommended" that mayor Kilpatrick step down; although several members disagreed with withdrawing support for Mr. Kilpatrick during his time of crisis.
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm is holding a hearing on September 3 (three weeks from today) on a request from the Detroit City Council to remove the Mayor.
Meanwhile, we are the ones who still have to live and work in Detroit. We are the ones dealing with the repercussions of this whole situation. But we are also the ones we have been waiting for...we the people are the government. It is up to us to demand that our leadership reflect who we really are and we we really want to be. The government we presently have is not representing the best about us or our City; it is time for us to effect the changes necessary.I look forward to your thoughts and ideas in the comments section...
Shameless Plug: Please read my husband's blog The "D" Spot...
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