Here's the latest in our continuing conversation about the things we love most about Memphis. Send in any lists that you have and we'll post them here. Eventually, we'll post a master list of everyone's favorites. Here's Jeff Cozzens' list:
1. Approaching Memphis from the Arkansas side late at night and seeing the beautifully lit "M" bridge.
2. Being a proud graduate of a division one University, the University of Memphis.
3. Overton Park.
4. The beautiful old oak trees, how our city fathers from long ago decided not to cut down the trees to build an interstate through Overton Park.
5. Real "soul food."
6. Real BBQ, often imitated but never duplicated.
7. My integrated church.
8. Our rich civil rights heritage.
9. If you need it, high-quality medical care.
10. A sense that Memphis can always improve and become a better place to live and work.
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8 comments:
If i remember correctly, it wasn't our city fathers who decided not to cut down the trees to build an interstate through Overton Park. Rather, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling stopping this section of the expressway.
If you notice the new "old" houses along the Overton Park corridor, those are results of our city fathers having had all the old "old" houses torn down in preparation for the expressway that was stopped. That left prime midtown lots for new "old" house development.
Memphians talk like they have a corner on the market of "soul food", but, anywhere there are soul people, there will be soul food.
Everyplace has it's own style of BBQ, even Harlem has good BBQ.
Civil Rights heritage?
Sadly, Memphis will live in my mind as the place where the last son of God was assassinated. How about civil rights "reality right now"? To me, it doesn't really seem like progress when you have so many biggots and offenders on both sides of the equality equation still around and growing. I'll give it you it's all fueled by ignorance, gossip and superstition, but, it's palpable here.
I'm tired of hearing and reading how "Memphis could always improve", of course there's always room to climb up in the bottom of the bucket, no argument.
It's time Memphis "actually improved" as far as I am concerned.
Ann:
We'd suggest that it was grassroots activism at its best that stopped the interstate through the park. If not for them, no court would have had a case on its docket. We need more of it.
Absolutely right about the grassroots activists. As I remember it, was a bunch of "little old ladies and men in tennis shoes" but my point was NOT city fathers.
Ann:
You are exactly right. And it's sad how used we are to our city fathers not being the trigger for real change.
Zippy:
These are personal lists of what a person likes. As such, they really aren't debatable. They are based on that person's likes and dislikes, perceptions, etc.
Oh, I got that, loud and clear.
I feel ya.
Personal Perceptions need adjusting if anyone is to notice anything outside their personal "bubble shield of denial" to get involved in making Memphis work.
You did seem to get involved in the "city fathers action (an error) vs grassroots activism (a reality)" debate.
Still a debate on ultimate reality vs opinion.
2. Being a proud graduate of a division one University, the University of Memphis.
Um, PROUD to have graduated from Memphis? Wow. What a joke!! You can't be proud to have graduated from a school that accepts everyone.
Anonymous:
Since all of us here are University of Memphis grads, we share the pride about our university. You could make the same comment about any state university, but we're proud that ours is connected its applied academics to our city.
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