Robocop lives — and what that means for the rest of us

Six days. That’s how long it took the good folks at the Imagination Station to raise the 50k needed to build a gleaming statue of Robocop in the city. While last week’s Buzz dealt with the philosophical implications of building a half-man, half-cyborg on our native soil, we’re all about practicalities today. Like it or lump it, Robocop is here to stay.

We heard from two local bloggers who offered new perspectives on what Robocop means for the city. Phil Lauri, author of Detroit Lives!, writes that Robocop could serve as a new tourist draw for out-of-state guests. But more importantly, he argues, it draws a line in the sand for Detroit’s nonprofits — clearly, there are no excuses for not raising money.

Excerpt:

It’s no secret that the city is a little less resource-stocked than
other places, so anything creative with fundraising is something that
could take us all a long way. There are something like 18,000
non-profits in Wayne County alone (that has to be more per capita than
most counties) that are fighting for money with the same tired models.
Perhaps Robo can present some interesting solutions for how meaningful
endeavors can be funded in the city, which eventually leads to a more
productive city.

And over at Detroit Moxie, BecksDavis offered this handy list of Kickstarters that have sprung up locally since Robocop. Robocharity is now funding at least three separate projects on Kickstarter: funding such worthy charities as Forgotten Harvest, the Greening of Detroit and a new public playground and sculpture community space called Le Tigre Park. Guess that robot’s leaving more than dead bodies in its wake — we like the trail of new ideas (as well as the creative fundraising efforts) spawned by this cyborg just fine.

Read more about Robocop at Detroit Lives! and Detroit Moxie.