Hey friends,

I had a different note to you planned. And then this issue of deploying the National Guard to Detroit came up, thanks to Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers saying that Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan should be on the phone "now" to ask the President for troops. Then there's the question some have that if Chicago is targeted now, would Detroit be soon on the list?

I didn't want to talk about this.

I was going to mostly write about the progress of the Apple Store that's close to opening downtown, sharing a video from a listener of the soon-to-be-open store, with the barriers down, and street work underway.

I was going to talk about the new bus platforms along East Jefferson that will be used to help get a Bus Rapid Transit-like route going.

May as well show that picture, too.

And then there's an adult spelling bee happening on Friday at 6:30p that I think you should know about. It's going to be in Gordon Park across from the Congregation, at Rosa Parks and Clairmount.

The work of Detroiters is always overshadowed when politicians use Detroit as a talking point without understanding what's actually happening here. We're doing good work, but that gets lost when outsiders suggest drastic measures like bringing in the National Guard.

Look, I live here. I know that my city has issues. But we're making progress, together.

Today, I think there are areas where both major political parties are leading us astray. Our political environment has totally lost cabin pressure.

But here's what I think. Some folks always jump to 'more police' or 'more troops' because it's easier than admitting our system isn't working for many millions of people.

Real solutions like Community Violence Intervention programs or bringing in better jobs or investing in transit would mean looking in the mirror and making actual changes.

Acknowledging that those in power enforce the system that is resulting in this violence we see on American streets.

Violence some politicians never have to deal with themselves, in their multiple houses and mansions.

We continue to have a national affordability and opportunity crisis, and my friends and family just starting their careers are facing one of the toughest markets in decades. The data shows it's poverty that drives people to crime.

Then there’s the racist reasons that some have to want troops in town. But, if you’re a racist, I don’t have any words for you. 🤷

I know some people won't care about the facts here, even though neighborhoods using Community Violence Intervention programs have seen crime drop by between 37% and 83%.

Or that the city's murders and shootings have been going down.

Yes, there's more work to do.

In case you care, a while back on the podcast, I took the time to learn and get beyond the social media soundbites. Here's a conversation I had on how CVI works.

We're coming up to a hotly contested race for Michigan Governor, and the current Detroit Mayor, Mike Duggan, is running as independent. He's pulling votes from both Democrats and Republicans.

Who knows if he will win. But if he can pull votes from both parties like polls are showing, he has a real chance.

That means political knives are out on him, and the city he currently leads.

I'm not here to defend anyone named Mike in this conversation. They're grown-ups.

What we really need are more jobs, investment, and opportunity. We need to give people a hand up, not just talk tough. And honestly, I'm tired of this social media crisis machine that keeps us all worked up about everything. When everything's an emergency, nothing is.

Once the social media hits are gone, and we're no longer pawns for political ambitions, Detroiters are still going to be here.

Dally in the Alley, for instance, is this weekend in Midtown. It's been going on since 1977.

In Detroit, we're keepin' on. We always have. And I know we got this.

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Remember that you are somebody,

-Jer