I have been rereading one of my favorite political writers, Kenneth Burke, thanks to Mike Duggan’s recent State of the City address. Burke was a complicated, wide-ranging thinker who greatly advanced our understanding of the relationships between language and politics. Predicting the rise of fascism in Europe in the early 1930s, he continued to explore the meaning and manipulation of symbols into the late 20th Century. One of his key concepts is “the stealing back and forth of symbols.” It was this idea that caused me to revisit my much-used copy of Attitudes Toward History, written in 1937.

This week Mayor Mike Duggan gave his 10th State of the City address. He staged it in the Michigan Central Station. Amidst the gleaming columns and grand architecture, the mayor focused on how far we have come since being forced into bankruptcy in 2013. He noted that in those dark days, the train station was a symbol of despair, and now it portends possibilities of growth to rival Silicon Valley. Duggan emphasized the demolition of abandoned houses and the restoration of others. He talked about new, affordable housing, lowering unemployment, job training, new businesses, and crime prevention.

The vote by the Michigan State Senate to extend civil rights protections to people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans and queer is a cause for celebration.

This decision comes amidst a growing national trend to assault and demonize the LGBTQ+ community. Tied to the attacks on Critical Race Theory, attacks on “queer theory” are integral to efforts to distort and destroy fact based, critical analysis of our country. Fifteen states have laws prohibiting certain words and concepts from being uttered, including mentioning racism as “systemic, “and outlawing the words gay and queer. State legislators are targeting trans parents and students, in some cases making it illegal to offer care and support to them.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia passed its one year mark this week. Looking ahead, most analysts see only continued carnage and devastation. The U.S. and Europe are pledging more arms, including advanced tanks. President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to press for fighter planes and long-range missiles.  He is committed to victory over Russia. Russia continues to prepare for greater military engagement, despite heavy losses on the battlefield. 

I recently got a photo from a friend that I cannot get out of my mind. It is a picture of a shower timer given out to people when they sign up for the city’s Lifeline Plan. The plan is based on a fixed monthly rate and limits water usage. When you sign up, you are warned that usage is limited. The shower timer is your reminder.

Detroit is facing critical choices about basic institutions that shape our lives. Development pressures pushing long term residents out of homes, are accelerating as money flows into the city. Corporate interests are pressuring for everything from capturing library funds to large scale developments of highly toxic concrete production plants.

This week the city of Memphis laid Tyre Nichols to rest. But the questions raised by his brutal murder remain. Mr. Nichols should have had a long life. He should have been able to grow old, surrounded by the love of family and friends.

Once again, we have witnessed the brutal murder of a young, Black man at the hands of police – Tyre Nichols’ death has provoked outrage and horror. The hour-long video capturing the viciousness of the attack he endured, has shaken people who have become used to such scenes of violence at the hands of police.

This week a young person, Manuel Teran, who called themselves Tortuguita, was killed by police in an urban forest in Atlanta, Georgia. Multiple police groups attacked a peaceful protest encampment, in a day-long effort to dislodge forest protectors. The encampment is an effort to protect the forest from plans to turn it into a police training center. At least seven other protestors were arrested and charged that day with domestic terrorism. Protestors were living in tents and tree houses. Tortuguita was asleep when the assaults began.

Detroit is a city where you get used to loss. When I came here in 1973 there were nearly 2 million people in the city. Now we have less than 650,000. We have been losing people for seven decades, tumbling from the 5th largest city in the country to number 27.

Many of us are embracing this new year in a spirit of deep reflection. We realize that these are dangerous and uncertain times. We are facing stark choices about the kind of futures we will have.

Earlier this month my next-door neighbor’s house was robbed. I live in a typical working-class neighborhood on the west side of Detroit. My neighbor is an elderly African American man who lives alone in his family home. Until a few years ago, his mother lived with him. His children and grandchildren live up the street. He has lived in our neighborhood for all his 70 plus years and is well known. He returned home in the early evening and found every light in the house on, drawers open, cherished possessions on the floor. His handgun was stolen. He said, “They really didn’t take much of anything, but I just feel so violated.”

This week, The Boggs Center joined a coalition of local groups in suing the city of Detroit over the improper approval of multimillion dollar contracts with ShotSpotter. The lawsuit argues that the city violated a hard won ordinance requiring citizen input and transparent, evidence based processes before the introduction of new surveillance technologies.

The day before Thanksgiving, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced no charges would be brought against the five Detroit police officers who killed Porter Burks. In response to a request for help from Mr. Burks’ older brother, police shot 38 rounds, hitting Mr. Burks 19 times. He died on the street.

The Detroit Police Department killed two people in less than one month. Last week community protests were held to draw attention to the killings of Porter Burke and Kiaza Miller. Both were in the midst of mental health crises. Both were shot to death by police who had been called by family members for help.

Late Saturday Catherine Cortez Masto narrowly defeated Adam Laxalt, securing Democratic control of the US Senate. This victory, along with the strong showing by democrats nationally was greeted with relief. Senator Chuck Schumer, who will retain leadership in the Senate said the vote was “a vindication for Democrats, our agenda and for the American people.”

We are just beginning to understand the emotional and social costs of the pandemic. Isolation, fear, and uncertainty have increased violence among us. Anger and rage seem to have displaced compassion and care in much of our lives.

For a moment it looked like progressive Democrats were going to give some leadership to de-escalate the dangerous and deadly war in Ukraine. On Monday the Progressive Caucus released a letter to President Biden emphasizing, “We are under no illusions regarding the difficulties involved in engaging Russia given its outrageous and illegal invasion of Ukraine and its decision to make additional illegal annexations of Ukrainian territory. However, if there is a way to end the war while preserving a free and independent Ukraine, it is America’s responsibility to pursue every diplomatic avenue to support such a solution that is acceptable to the people of Ukraine.”

Recently, a jury in Florida determined that Nickolas Cruz, the young man who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland would be sentenced to life in prison. Cruz had pled guilty to first-degree murder in connection with the February 14, 2018 shooting of 14 students and three staff members. The killings touched off massive student led campaign against gun violence. Because of the guilty plea, the only question before the jury was whether Cruz would be put to death or endure life in prison. Under Florida law the jury must unanimously agree to the death penalty. In this case, three people insisted on voting for life in prison.

After six postponements, an intense town hall, and relentless campaigning by Mayor Duggan and Chief White, the Detroit City Council voted 5 to 4 to support a $7 million contract for ShotSpotter gun detection technology.

The fight against ShotSpotter is far from over.