Posted 10/30/2008 09:42:00 PM by Douglas

For any Michigander that thinks their state doesn't suck, read this and rejoice in the glory of your state: every year burning down some of it.

The city that used to burn on the night before Halloween as mischief-makers torched abandoned buildings has largely doused its Devil's Night by mobilizing tens of thousands of citizens and law-enforcement personnel each year to patrol city neighborhoods.

Ah, the joys of community activism. Helping homeless? Feeding the hungry? Giving a kid his first bike? Nope, keeping some thug from burning down part of it. How quaint.

"It's unfortunate of course that we have to do this, but this is the hand we're dealt," said Luther Keith, executive director of ARISE Detroit!, a coalition of community groups hoping to keep Detroit safe from fires and vandalism around Halloween.

At its peak in 1984, 810 fires were reported in Detroit from Oct. 29 to 31, fueled by, among other things, Devil's Night's growing notoriety and the city's large number of abandoned buildings.

But the number of blazes has dropped — 147 fires were reported last year for the three days ending Oct. 31, up from the 113 reported in 2006 and 121 in 2005.

Shit, why try to stop them? MOVE and let the animals have what's left.

Labels: Detroit Decay