We're A Cowtown!
Jul. 1st, 2003 08:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mishalakToday I found out that the Denver Post is running a series of articles about what would make Denver better culturally. I didn't read the paper on Sunday or Monday because I was busy and sick respectively. But now that I have seen the opinions online it's time for a nice rant.
Denver is not New York, Denver is not Chicago, Denver is not LA, Atlanta, Omaha, or any of those other cities mentioned in the articles. And we should stop trying to ape those other cities. If you think those other cities are so much better, great! Move there. I like our cowtown where we don’t worry about keeping up with other cities. We aren't caught up in pointless campaigns and fads except for Mayor Webb. That's what I hated most about our outgoing mayor (besides his tin plate version of Chicago graft and corruption), always on about making Denver "World Class" by adding this that or the other.
I'm not a libertarian, but I do not see why we should put out money to support more middle tier theaters and so on. If someone else wants to spend his own money on such projects, but I simply do not value theaters. I'm not interested. I go to the occasional bit of Shakespeare, but otherwise... I know people who want money from my already tight finances will say it will make Denver more respected and attract more business, and my response is that we don't need that sort of interest. Just as I said about giving subsidies to the sports teams, "If the Broncos moving away will make the sports hooligans move out of town, I'm for it!"
You want culture in Denver? How about the science fiction conventions? What, not hoity toady enough for you? Not to worry, you don't have to pay for it. We support ourselves. Our community puts up all the money, we do all the work, and I think we produce some damn fine events. If the other art communities want more of their sort of art I think they ought to do the same as us and not keep dunning us for money.
Now I think making Denver better culturally is a good idea. I think we ought to focus on things more uniquely part of our local culture rather than trying to imitate other metropolises. For example a big part of our culture is fitness and outdoor sports. I think we ought to consider building more bike trails, perhaps even closing off some lesser-used streets to motorized traffic. But not right now, we're strapped for cash now in this city and we need to concentrate on basic services. Perhaps even cutting unnecessary frivolities like the African-American research library built by Mayor Webb as a monument to himself.
End of rant. I feel much better.
The much shorter version. Move back to where you came from if you don't like living in a cowtown.
Denver is not New York, Denver is not Chicago, Denver is not LA, Atlanta, Omaha, or any of those other cities mentioned in the articles. And we should stop trying to ape those other cities. If you think those other cities are so much better, great! Move there. I like our cowtown where we don’t worry about keeping up with other cities. We aren't caught up in pointless campaigns and fads except for Mayor Webb. That's what I hated most about our outgoing mayor (besides his tin plate version of Chicago graft and corruption), always on about making Denver "World Class" by adding this that or the other.
I'm not a libertarian, but I do not see why we should put out money to support more middle tier theaters and so on. If someone else wants to spend his own money on such projects, but I simply do not value theaters. I'm not interested. I go to the occasional bit of Shakespeare, but otherwise... I know people who want money from my already tight finances will say it will make Denver more respected and attract more business, and my response is that we don't need that sort of interest. Just as I said about giving subsidies to the sports teams, "If the Broncos moving away will make the sports hooligans move out of town, I'm for it!"
You want culture in Denver? How about the science fiction conventions? What, not hoity toady enough for you? Not to worry, you don't have to pay for it. We support ourselves. Our community puts up all the money, we do all the work, and I think we produce some damn fine events. If the other art communities want more of their sort of art I think they ought to do the same as us and not keep dunning us for money.
Now I think making Denver better culturally is a good idea. I think we ought to focus on things more uniquely part of our local culture rather than trying to imitate other metropolises. For example a big part of our culture is fitness and outdoor sports. I think we ought to consider building more bike trails, perhaps even closing off some lesser-used streets to motorized traffic. But not right now, we're strapped for cash now in this city and we need to concentrate on basic services. Perhaps even cutting unnecessary frivolities like the African-American research library built by Mayor Webb as a monument to himself.
End of rant. I feel much better.
The much shorter version. Move back to where you came from if you don't like living in a cowtown.