The spirit of Christmas

Here in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, we're located just one mile from Detroit, Michigan. So close, and yet so far. A different city, a different country, a different culture lies just beyond the narrow Detroit River. The majestic skyscrapers of downtown Detroit hide the seemier sights and sounds of the nearby ghettos - scenes of the infamous 1967 race riots. Many of the burned out shells destroyed almost 40 years ago still stand today. Detroit has a reputation, some say well-earned, of being a rough and dangerous city. While no longer considered the murder capital of the U.S., it is still close to the top of the list. Crimes of all kinds are far too frequent, as witnessed by the constant references to crime on the nightly news.

Contrast that with Windsor, a relatively sleepy city of 200,000+ residents, that has endured a particularly grisly year with six or eight murders. Windsor made the news this past week for a very strange reason. One that led to some unexpected comments from our neighbours in Detroit.

By the way... the place mentioned in the stories above is located four blocks from my home.