Instead of stirring up the racial fires in the city of Detroit. The Mayor (Kwame Kilpatrick) should be working hard to clean up his public image. He should still be keeping a low profile in the media. What preceded the thirty days he's talking about is him being caught up in a sex scandal. Read the excerpt below from his 2008 "State Of The City Address."2008 State of the City Address
On March 11, 2008, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick delivered his seventh State of the City Address to Detroit. The majority of the 70-minute speech focused on positive changes occurring throughout Detroit and future plans. Kilpatrick specifically noted increased police surveillance, new policing technologies, and initiatives to rebuild many of the neglected neighborhoods in the city. He received standing ovations from the audience repeatedly during his speech.
Towards the end of the speech, Kilpatrick deviated from the transcript of the address that was given to the media[57] and posted on his official city website[58] so that he might address the scandal and controversy surrounding his years in office. He said, "I cannot leave this auditorium with my wife and my sons sitting there without addressing this issue." Kilpatrick begun his statement with, "In the past 30 days I've been called a nigger more than anytime in my entire life. In the past three days I've received more death threats than I have in my entire administration." He then proceeded to state that the media is only focusing on the controversies so that they can obtain more money through higher Nielsen ratings. In the remainder of the speech, he addressed the city council members who chose not to sit behind him on the stage in protest, particularly Kenneth Cockrel Jr. and asked that people "say no more" about any of the controversy.
"...And finally, and this may be the most talked-about part of this speech after laying out all of that, but I feel that I cannot leave this auditorium with my wife and my sons sitting there without addressing this issue. In the past 30 days Ive been called a nigger more than anytime in my entire life. In the past three days I've received more death threats than I have in my entire administration. I've heard these words before but I've never heard people say them about my wife and children. I have to say this because it's very personal to me. I don't believe that a Nielsen rating is worth the life of my children or your children. This unethical, illegal lynch mob mentality has to stop. And it's seriously time. We've never been here before. And I don't care if they cut the TV off. We've never been in a situation like this before. Where you can say anything, do anything, have no facts, no research, no nothing and you can launch a hate-driven bigoted assault on a family. I humbly ask members of council, I humbly ask the business community, I humbly ask the religious community, I humbly ask the brothers and sisters of the city of Detroit - I humbly ask that we say 'no more' together. I humbly ask that we say no more together. I love this city with every part of my being. I will continue to stay focused on building the next Detroit. God Bless you, Detroit. I love you."
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