I just read the latest issue of the Metro Pulse, Knoxville’s own anti-establishment rag. I would be surprised to read anything other than their weekly “we are smarter and our ideas are/were better than anyone else’s” article in the News and Commentary section of the paper. This week the writer titled his column “The Attractive Destination” and pats himself? some people he says were called “troublemakers”? and others for how successful the down town area is and saving it from the top-down thinkers that presented and supported some big-time “destination attraction” ideas to make Knoxville a destination city.
In my world the process went exactly how it was supposed to. Ideas were presented, debated, positions taken, conclusions drawn, and a path taken. The “destination
Universe Knoxville Poster
 attraction” ideas were not accepted mainly due to funding deficiencies. But who is to say that the Universe Knoxville concept could not have co-existed with a real farmer’s market and a biscuit festival? Who is to say that the people attending the Destination ImagiNation event would not have enjoyed a trip to Universe Knoxville? I can’t say that and I don’t believe the writer in all honesty could either. In fact, it seems to me that a world class children’s museum would be something that attendees of such an event would love to go see. Â
But I am not writing this to disagree with the writer about the “fun place to be” that the Knoxville down town has become. It has evolved into a happening place.
I just don’t like the tone of the article. The writer could have made his point without the un-merited belittling of ideas and the “top-down” thinkers that dared to care enough about the city to put time and effort into the creation of those ideas.
Interesting Metro Pulse articles
I just read the latest issue of the Metro Pulse, Knoxville’s own anti-establishment rag. I would be surprised to read anything other than their weekly “we are smarter and our ideas are/were better than anyone else’s” article in the News and Commentary section of the paper. This week the writer titled his column “The Attractive Destination” and pats himself? some people he says were called “troublemakers”? and others for how successful the down town area is and saving it from the top-down thinkers that presented and supported some big-time “destination attraction” ideas to make Knoxville a destination city.
In my world the process went exactly how it was supposed to. Ideas were presented, debated, positions taken, conclusions drawn, and a path taken. The “destination
Universe Knoxville Poster
 attraction” ideas were not accepted mainly due to funding deficiencies. But who is to say that the Universe Knoxville concept could not have co-existed with a real farmer’s market and a biscuit festival? Who is to say that the people attending the Destination ImagiNation event would not have enjoyed a trip to Universe Knoxville? I can’t say that and I don’t believe the writer in all honesty could either. In fact, it seems to me that a world class children’s museum would be something that attendees of such an event would love to go see. Â
But I am not writing this to disagree with the writer about the “fun place to be” that the Knoxville down town has become. It has evolved into a happening place.
I just don’t like the tone of the article. The writer could have made his point without the un-merited belittling of ideas and the “top-down” thinkers that dared to care enough about the city to put time and effort into the creation of those ideas.