Hey America, Here's the Detroit You Don't Hear About

It's getting so that I can't remember a day that I haven't watched our listened to pundits around the country talking about the Detroit area as if they know us.  I wonder how many have ever even been here, let alone lived here.  I can't help thinking they don't really know us, but I wish they would take the time to try. 

With cavalier abandon I hear people use the word "Detroitt" as if it's a synonym for a declining industry, rather than a city rich with culture, sports, and the kind of people who would give you the shirt off their back.

The Detroit Institiute of Arts

Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum

Largest theater distrcit

Eastern Market

When it comes to sports, we're a city of champions.  The Red Wings, Tigers, and Pistons have all brought glory to the region.  Sadly, the Lions have not, and yet, year after year, we root for them anyway with an illogical hope that someday they might..  Then again, our Red Wings are beloved and up until the 90's we cheered faithfully for 42 years waiting to see the Stanley Cup come back to "Hockeytown", and it's been here many times since.

The true test of our city's character did not come with championships won, though, but in the limosine tragedy that severely injured team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov and ended the career of Vladimir Konstantinov just six days after winning the Stanley Cup in 1997.  Fans today can still tell you where they were when they heard the shoclkng news.  Somehow miraculously, the team went on to win an incredibly elusive back-to-back NHL championship the following year.  Fans donned caps and held banners all season long with the word "Believe", knowing all along that what they were really talking about was not hockey, but the human spirit.

This is a town that knows and thrives on the power of the human spirit.  Despite hard times, we continuoulsy rank as one of the most philanthropic cities in America.  We wear not only our hearts, but our flaws, on our sleeves for all to see.  Not because we are proud of the flaws, but because they are a part of who we are.  Perhaps