In Defense of Michigan

These days Michigan is taking a severe beating, and I mean this more than economically. A lot of my fellow Michiganders are turning their backs to their densely wooded, sporadically weathered homeland. Because of the economy, harsh winters, and decomposing cities a lot of people plan to/have already left the state for more temperate and prosperous pastures. They're seeking out a more suitable environment expecting to find the happiness that has long eluded them here in Michigan. Well there is an obvious problem here. For one, you can take the person out of Michigan, but not the Michigan out of the person. This goes for anyone, anywhere. There is another level to nature and nurture when considering one's environment, and Michigan provides a unique one wherever one may have been raised. However, my biggest criticism for people looking to leave the state is the belief that some other, physical place will provide happiness, which I believe to be false.

Michigan can be a bitch, I know, but it provides a variety that few other states have. From the industrial melting pot of Detroit to the almost uncivilized woods of the UP, we could be a nation in our own right. Although we are often categorized as "Midwestern" we have a culture and attitude that I have not seen in any of our neighboring states. Yes, we're rude, but we're interesting! We're diverse, we're segregated, we're integrated, we're open, and we're traditional. We have the Motor City, Cherry capital, Great Lakes, Edmund Fitzsgereald, Motown, Iggy Pop, Ted Nugent, P-Funk, Hard Lessons, White Stripes, Red Wings, Pistons, State, Michigan, CCS and we're the freakin' Mitten State for God's sake! We have a lot of culture here, from hunting to hipsters.

What of course makes me proud to be from Michigan is our music scene. From the high energy grit of The Stooges to the flat out shredding power of Ted Nugent, we are Detroit Rock City from border to border. We have a thriving music scene, legendary venues, and rock n'roll, funk, soul, jazz, and blues heroes to boot. There is a Michigan spirit that has spread all over the world. If you've ever listened to a Stooges, Nugent, MC5, Temptations, or Alice Cooper album, you're aware of the visceral power that Michigan natives possess. We invented Punk for Christ sake! All the English and New York guys were doing was listening to Stooges albums and bam! Punk rock! In my opinion, neither the Ramones nor the Sex Pistols even touch Iggy Pop's intensity or talent, and I believe many will agree. We are the bedrock for reinvention, we're a big enough state to do our own thing without concern for the outside world and yet still have a large impact.

My purpose for writing this is to try and get it in people's heads not to neglect their birthplace. We're all citizens of the world today and are more effected by what goes on throughout the world than ever before. However, because of this I believe we neglect what's closest to us, what's right outside our windows. This is a call to everyone who still gives a damn about Michigan, and even more to those who do not, to take pride in this state. Not in its institutions, government, economy, or any of that. Take pride in the people, the culture and the possibility of what it can be. I'm speaking in a great degree to musicians as well. Support local music, local businesses, local labels, local breweries, and local organizations. Don't dismiss it, pack up and leave just because there is work to be done. Letting this state burn to the ground is the most selfish and irresponsible thing one can do, it is denying your roots, denying a part of you.

There is a strength is Michiganders, a strength to overcome harsh conditions, changing landscapes, boredom, isolation, overcrowding, and any number of conditions that would drive Californians insane. We've given birth to a number of revolutionary ideas and individuals. We inspire the world without receiving the credit deserved. We take the world in the iron grip of our...mitten.

I stress, happiness cannot be found outside, it is something within you. You can only make yourself happy, stop blaming Michigan winters and the economy! We can make something new of ourselves, we can come back from this slump. All it takes is a little hope, effort, and change in perspective. I personally love the change of season, unpredictability of the weather, and variety of landscapes Michigan has to offer. I challenge you to find something worthwhile to say. I'm sure you'll find more that you expect.

Jam Econo, Stay True