Critical ‘Tour of Downtown Duluth’ Video Removed, Replaced By Positive Themed Videos
Early in July, I shared a couple of videos that had gone viral from a YouTube page called Save Duluth MN.
The video that had gone viral in the Northland was called 'Tour of Downtown Duluth', in which the host tours popular downtown Duluth locations while exposing things that have been left in disrepair and people who are battling addictions and appear to have limited places to turn to for help.
It was a raw and critical portrait of the downtown Duluth area. The video description read:
When you search Duluth MN you see a beautiful harbor town located on the the greatest freshwater lake in the world. As much as I would love to believe this the unfortunate truth is over the last 20 years poor leadership and decisions have turned this city into a mini Chicago. Weekly shootings, drugs everywhere, homeless living anywhere they can find shelter causing fires and unsanitary conditions. Panhandling is a popular employment opportunity as you can find multiple on every corner and they are encouraged to do so. This city has turned into a place I no longer wish to call home. It's time to save our city and change our leadership.
Also posted at that time was a video of the host rolling up his sleeves and doing some work to improve things, with the hope that others would follow suit.
Since I initially shared those videos, I would periodically check back on YouTube to see if more videos had been posted. A couple weeks ago, I noticed a new one had been posted called something along the lines of 'Duluth Is An Unsafe City'. That may not have been the exact title, but the title specifically questioned the safety of Duluth in its current state.
I ultimately decided to update my original story about these videos and include that new video and whatever else Save Duluth MN had posted. It was then that I noticed a significant change.
First, the 'Tour Of Downtown Duluth' video that had originally caused a lot of passion and opinions has been completely removed, causing it to also be removed from my original story.
Second, while the follow-up video I recently saw is still available to view, the tone of the title has changed. Rather than the original title that was along the lines of 'Duluth Is An Unsafe City', the same video is now titled 'Safety Is The Communities Top Concern.'
It appears the host of these videos made the decision to change the narrative of his videos and steer far away from the tone of being critical of Duluth and its leadership in favor of a positive approach.
Focusing on the positive isn't a bad thing, but based on that first video that is now missing, one wonders if that was a choice he made on his own or if there was any pressure from anyone in a city leadership role.
Either way, the 'Safety Is The Communities Top Concern' video does talk about recent violent activity in Duluth and offers some good advice to help people stay safe.
Continuing with this more positive-themed approach, another video was recently posted showcasing the recent improvements made to the Wheeler Athletic Complex.
Regardless of why the overall tone of the Save Duluth MN channel on YouTube has changed, hopefully positive change is only beginning across Duluth.