Mayor’s State of the City: Your reactions
I had my book club on Tuesday evening during the mayor’s State of the City address, so I didn’t hear it as it was happening, but I hard plenty about it on the local news when I arrived home that evening. The mayor said a lot during the speech, but the biggest hoopla to come out of the night were his remarks that the media is acting like a lynch mob against him and his blatant use of the N-word. I have to say, I was pretty stunned when I heard these elements of the speech recanted and analyzed on the 11 o’clock news. It was a bold move to defend himself during a time of political turmoil — but a very wrong move in my opinion. Kilpatrick should take a cue from Eliot Spitzer and resign with grace — and soon. The city and region, not to mention residents and businesses, will continue suffering otherwise.
Do you disagree? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share them in the comments section below.
I haven’t gotten a chance to see the speech yet, I’ve got it on DVR ready for me at home…but I AM jealous that you have a book club!
I attended the State of the City. Overall, the speech presented the "state of the city." The last few remarks by the mayor were candid and partially fair for him to present and partially unprofessional.
In context, the Mayor was explaining how he had not been called an "n" more in his life since the media began this new barage than ever before. No matter the extent of the Mayor’s or anybody’s wrongdoing, name calling as harsh as this is unacceptable.
We may not like to hear someone we are extremely mad at call this out, but I think it was fair for the Mayor to stand up for himself on this point. This language was also used in the context of death threats that have been lobbed against the Mayor and his family. Again, it is fair to call this out. It would be more fair if the Mayor would account for his own contribution to the problems he is facing.
What was unprofessional was calling out President Cockral, while Cockral’s decision was equally unprofessional, it was not appropriate for the Mayor to make these comments particularly where Cockral was not the only one who was not on stage that night.
The lynch mob reference seemed a bit out there to me as well. Then on Friday, I happened to read in the Det News about how the implication that the Mayor had something to do with the demise of Tamara Greene may be just an implication and detailed eye witness accounts of the killing by a suspect whom Ms. Greene had an altercation during a private show in Southfield around the time of her murder. Then I wonder…is this a lynch mob mentality, implying murder by the Mayor or someone he knows when the alternative explanation and strong facts which have been around as long as this implication may lead to another explanation?
On the other hand, we have yet to see what Kym Worthy has to present as her "interesting" findings and evidence and if charges are going to be made and the subsequent findings and conclusions by a judge or jury if the Mayor is prosecuted.
Regardless, the Mayor should take some of the accountability for what has happened, how it has been rolled out and he should do a better job managing the whole problem.
Thanks for the comments, April and Kimm.
April, please share what you think after you watch.
Kimm, I agree that name calling of this caliber is unacceptable, as are death threats. I do not agree with the mayor’s choice to bring these things up in a speech about the future of the city. But that is just my opinion. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts :)
I was finally able to watch the Mayor’s address this evening. Again, I’m a bit disappointed in him. Now, I’ve never (at least to this point) been anti-Kwame. Actually, until this point, I’ve been known to support the man – but this whole scandal has just become an embarrassment on so many levels that I wonder when it will stop.
The speech? Very well done. Seriously. Even those who don’t support Mayor Kilpatrick may be able to admit that he really is quite a speaker. Of course, this is all up until the end. Council members refused to sit on stage, which I thought was inappropriate. If you want to show you don’t support the mayor, then do that, but this speech was about the City, and what they did was show that they did/do not support the future of Detroit. The Mayor should NOT have addressed Mr. Cockrell personally, either. Stooping to his level showed that they were playing games with each other, and that’s not going to help things any.
And, finally, the Mayor’s end notes – the big N-Word usage, calling out the media, etc…would have been fine and dandy in a different setting. I really do think that it is deplorable that there are people out there who are turning this scandal into a personal, racial issue (and please, no one kid yourself into thinking that isn’t true) and the Mayor did have the right to call out the media for sensationalizing this beyond belief (again, don’t kid yourself into thinking they aren’t). To report the news is one thing, to videotape shapes coming in and out of the Manoogian, and interview parents of his kids schoolmates is beyond that which needs to be seen by the public. But, and this is a big BUT, to use a forum that should have been strictly for outlining future City plans, past successes and so on? Those comments didn’t belong in that speech.