(02-19-2011, 04:12 PM)Slasher Asher link Wrote: Sorry to sound like a curmudgeon here, but if the reason this is being made is because of the the bad economy then I think things like meals for the homeless or new squadcar for the local policestation would be a better use of money.
Don't get me wrong, I love Robocop as much as anyone else but it's not like making this statue will lower the crimerates, give shelter to the homeless or solve any other problems caused by the finical crisis.

Sorry if I offend anyone but that's just my opinion on the matter. The helmet looks great though.

(02-19-2011, 10:53 PM)stainboy link Wrote: No problem, I'm glad you feel free to voice your opinion. I wish more people would do so, on this board.

However, in retort, I must add that this statue is based in good spirits, an homage to a film that championed the human spirit over corruption, industry, crime and of course, machines. In a day and age where we, as humanity, suffer from crime connected to a horrid economy and downsizing of the auto industry in the midwest, I think any little bit of bright sunlight can help. If nothing else, the statue actually could bring in a little tourism...look what the Rocky and Fonz statues did for Philly and Milwaukee, respectively. The statue could inspire more revenue to the Detroit Imagination Station and surrounding areas (where the statue was chosen to be erected) and that trickle-down economic effect could spur more business and less crime. While this result (from a public gesture) is not guaranteed, what is guaranteed is that everything the city of Detroit has done thus far to better the city has done nothing but fail. So why pick on the raising of a statue?

The use of the money, you say?

As for the money being used for a better purpose, I offer two rebuttals:

1) Please remember that this money was 100% PRIVATELY financed. Not one tax dollar was used. It is being put on a private (not public) location in Detroit, meaning the city is 100% not involved. In other words, to complain about people spending private money on private purposes would be as pointless as complaining about a bunch of horror movie mask guys spending thousands of private dollars on masks that they merely display in their bedrooms. Why not make an argument against people spending money on movie tickets, concerts, DVDs, MP3 players, downloads, televisions, sporting events, children toys, computers, video games, video game systems or anything else that contributes to the multi-BILLION dollar entertainment industry? Can you imagine what type of financial problems we could fix in the world if everyone just stopped wasting money on our silly entertainment needs?

Point is, I and many of the Robocop contributers pay more in taxes than the average U.S. citizen and THOSE dollars go to public welfare projects (as well as police projects) all the time. Why critique a community who pays for a statue - out of their own pockets - to be made for the public? It's nothing but generous, in my opinion.

2) Not that a second argument needs to be made after my first one, but - for those interested in extra cannon fodder - the Robocop Statue community concurrently donated enough money on Feb. 17 alone, to fund 10,000 meals for the homeless.
[color="#FFFF00"][url="http://www.detnews.com/article/20110218/METRO/102180428/1409/METRO/RoboCop-pushback-raises-10-000-meals-for-Metro-Detroit-hungry"]http://www.detnews.com/article/20110218/METRO/102180428/1409/METRO/RoboCop-pushback-raises-10-000-meals-for-Metro-Detroit-hungry[/url][/color]
For anyone who doesn't know what "concurrently" infers, it means that Robocop contributers donated BOTH to the statue and to the homeless this past week. Charity is not a zero-sum game.

Detroit will not magically turn into a crimefree overnight with the addition of some statue. I think we all know that. However, the statue might bring a little pride to a town that has had little to champion for the past few decades.

I think that enough, is worth the effort.

(02-23-2011, 03:12 AM)darko@totalgeek link Wrote: Anyone spoke to Rob Bottin yet?

Would it need his approval?