I'm getting a little tired of having my home town of Flint, Michigan being continually slandered and libeled by the Australian oppressor and others, including Michael Moore. He is not from Flint. That benighted town has lots of problems, some even of its own making, but spawning the likes of Michael Moore is not one of them.

According to one of his many contradictory stories, he himself claims that he was raised in rural Lapeer county, and according to one of his fan websites, he was actually born in Davison (now a suburb just east of the growing city, but at that time a small town outside of it). Of course, I didn't have to look it up on the Internet. Being there at the time, I knew that.

In 1954, Michael Moore was born in Davison, Michigan, a suburb of Flint, to an Irish Catholic family of laborers.

Well, now we know that being a laborer is not genetic.

At 14, Moore, impressed by the Berrigans, joined a diocesan seminary. But a year later, he was asked to leave.

What a shocker.

Moore cited girls as the main proponent.

And the girls no doubt cited him as the main repellent.

He was forced to return to Davison High School, where he became a star of the school debate team, a student-government organizer and even authored a school play.

Note: Davison High School. Not a Flint high school.

In 1970, Moore received the Eagle Scout award. His Eagle Scout project was a slide show exposing the worst polluters in Flint.

Was he part of the show? Based on first-hand reports of his personal hygiene habits, inquiring minds want to know.

And we have good reason to be suspicious. After all, he is famous for creating exposes of things for which he himself could be a poster child (e.g., "Stupid White Men").

Though, I suppose he'd be exempt in this particular case, being a resident of Davison.

After high school, Moore worked several jobs, including one at Buick, which he quit on his first day.

How does one "work" a job that one quits on the first day? This is a logical miracle achievable, apparently in some immaculate way, only by someone who is the offspring of "laborers."

In 1972, spurned [sic] on by Donald Priehs, his former government teacher, Moore decided to run for the school board and won; at 18, Moore became the youngest member to sit on the Flint City Council. Shortly after, Moore lobbied to get Priehs fired.

Isn't he a gem?

Moore caused so much trouble for the town that a recall drive was attempted. Moore dropped out of the University of Michigan, Flint because he was too busy suing his town in court.

And the University rejoiced.

Shortly thereafter, he headed out to infest San Francisco, and tormented my poor city no more until he came back in the late '80s to stalk Roger Smith.

And, as someone who was born within the city limits (the year after Mr. Moore) and a resident through my third year of college, I can assure all that Flint is nothing like Manhattan, a fact that I regretted throughout my childhood...

Mr. Simberg,

On reflection, it is perhaps a good thing that Moore did not stay in the seminary. Considering how some folks who have graduated from seminaries have gone on (Josef Stalin comes to mind), and given Moore's tendencies in that direction, the mind reels at what he'd have done, given some discipline, training, etc.

Please note that this was a swipe aimed at MOORE and NOT at seminaries, Catholics, etc. Many fine folks have gone to seminary and gone on to serve the people. I suspect, however, Moore would not have been one of them.

Mr. Moore is a typical leftist intellectual. 'I will save the proletariat and then lead them on because I know better'
I know people from Michigan. They are hard-working, honest decent people.
Moore is a stalinist just hoping for his chance. It wouldn't matter where he was from: He is a grade A asshole.

I'm a bit confused by your statement regarding the "Australian Opressor". You state that "I'm getting a little tired of having my home town of Flint, Michigan being continually slandered and libeled by the Australian oppressor and others, including Michael Moore.

You seem to be comparing Tim Blair's statement:
"Let?s celebrate his success with this handy, all-in-one information primer on Flint?s largest export!" with Moore's comments regarding Flint. Seems a reach to me. Tim Blair isn't dissing Flint, he's dissing Moore. Blair's mistake is perpetuating Moore's position that he's from Flint.

Are there other instances of Tim Blair attacking Flint?

Well, that was actually a joke. I'm not at all upset with Tim. But to claim that Flint exported Moore is a slander of Flint, since he's not a Flint product.

So, to make sure Flint isn't "slandered" you decide to imply that there's something wrong with Davison? Sorry to tell you, but it doesn't matter one iota where in the world someone is from -- it's the person they become. Your city has NUMEROUS problems as I'm sure you're aware. As a proud Flint resident, wouldn't your time be better spent trying to clean up and straighten out the financial mess Flint has gotten itself into? The government in Flint is a sham. One drive through Davison's quiet, peaceful, clean streets should be enough to show you that Davison is a wonderful community. EVERY community has the occasional bad seed. Davison not only is one of the most peaceful communities in Genesee County, it also has some of the best public schools in the state. But of course, since you researched you should know that. Perhaps some people who have supposedly "slandered" Flint in the past got Michael Moore confused with one of the many homeless drug addicts in your city.

I'm not (any longer) a Flint resident (and have not been for well over two decades).

My intent was not to slander Davison--I'll let them defend themselves--or even to defend Flint from it's many legitimate shortcomings (I did leave, after all...) but to put an end to the calumny that he is a native of Flint.

I love it when you people who hate Moore make personal attacks on him. I always know which side has won the argument on issues because the other side starts name-calling. Good job on showing your 'quality'. Keep it up.

Hey, personal attacks mean losing? GREAT! Then we're sure to have Bush for another 4 years!