I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Detroit's poverty (photo: OneRaisedEyebrow via Flickr.com)
Sure, the numbers paint a bleak picture of poverty, but nothing compares to seeing it first hand.
When I first moved to a low-income neighborhood in Detroit, I dreaded the drive home. Every day, I was forced to witness blatant displays of poverty right in my neighborhood. It’s a sight numbers can’t quite quantify.
It made me really uncomfortable to see kids pushing each other around in grocery carts in the street for fun because they had no toys, or functional parks to play in. It made me uneasy when I saw house after house burnt to crisp, or abandoned.
But, (and I hate to admit this), now that I’ve been here almost a year, the sight of poverty on the way home is somehow less remarkable. Yeah, there’s a kid down the street who tells me he hasn’t eaten anything but hot dogs for breakfast, lunch and dinner in a long time. Sure, I see houses with no water or electricity so families have to wash their clothes and hang them, 18th century style, and break fire hydrants for cold water on hot days.
I’m afraid I’ve become another one of those people who just look down and keep going.
Let me explain. If I let these sights bother me, I’d have to move. If I let these sights under my skin, I would live in constant depression.
So when I read about the new poverty statistics from the Census Bureau, that put Detroit’s poverty level at 33.8 percent, sadly, it’s less than surprising.
Not because I don’t care, but it’s like I’ve grown numb. I think a lot of people have. Whether it’s reading numbers on a computer screen, or seeing hungry kids in front of you, there comes a point were it starts rolling off the back. That’s what scares me. If I have to shut it out to make sure my day’s not ruined, what are the people in government offices doing that don’t even see it every day going to do about it?
Should these people be expected to pull themselves by their boot straps, even if they don’t have boots? It seems to be more than apparent that they’re on their own.
It’s three in the afternoon and I’m driving home, almost there. A haggard man is selling Tootsie Rolls and bottled water on the corner with his two kids, trying to hustle up a little money.
I turn up my music and keep going. So does the state of Michigan.
Do you know where to vote on Election Day? Do you know what to bring with you? Get comprehensive voter information for your state here.
Sign up for our email newsletter