By RYAN SCHOOF, Guest Columnist.
If you were to ask someone about Detroit, what would they say? Automobiles, the assembly line, and blue-collar workers. Personally, I have known Detroit as the city of prosperity, hard work and a pleasant place to live. But after reading “Detroit: An American Autopsy” by journalist Charlie LeDuff, I now understand how Detroit made a turn for the worst. Will Detroit regain itself again in the near future, or is at a point of “no return?”
The book lays bare the city’s many maladies: An $18 billion debt. A sky-high crime rate with a morgue overflowing with unclaimed bodies. Drive-by shootings, robberies and arson. Anarchy.
Crumbling sidewalks and streets, abandoned houses that go for blocks, underfunded fire departments and corrupt leaders round out the problems.
At the root of it all is the collapse of the Big Three and outsourcing of automotive jobs, the unemployment rate shot sky high.
The connection that LeDuff makes with Detroit could be summarized as a love-hate relationship. As a journalist, LeDuff has lived in Los Angeles and New York, but no matter what, Detroit is home. It disturbs him how his once prosperous hometown has turned sour. LeDuff cannot believe what little effort is being done to help the city recover. He is hopeful that a better and brighter future is ahead for the city.
At times Detroit impacted me to greater thinking or helped me make a sudden connection. For example, when LeDuff is listening to the plea of Mario Willis before his sentencing for killing a firefighter. Mario’s sorrowful cry is so fake, it makes LeDuff all fed up. LeDuff writes: “Mario Willis, General Motors, Kilpatrick, Wall Street, Modern America, they were all cheaters.”
From a murderer to a neglectful company, to greedy politicians and dirty dealings, Americans will keep digging ourselves into a deeper hole of problems, all because we want to cheat our way out.
LeDuff’s writing style is very simple: He is blunt, straightforward, and he will not “sugar coat details.” His writing style is perfect for explaining Detroit’s downfall, and the ruggedness of it. I do not think another author could have pulled this off when describing a city such as Detroit.”
With the vivid and extensive truth of how Detroit stands today, along with LeDuff’s writing style, this book would not be everyone’s cup of tea. I would recommend this book to those 18 or over because the content could be very “descriptive and suggestive” and the use of vulgar language is common throughout the book. Those that are light-hearted or easily offended should avoid reading this book.
Overall, LeDuff shows a side of Detroit that others may not have seen before. Hopefully this book will make Americans think twice on what can happen in a matter of time to a major city.
Will Detroit regain itself again in the near future, or is at a point of “no return?” With large debts, a decreasing population, and the fall of the Big Three, the era of prosperity has come and gone, and the dark ages are right around the corner for this city.
