Thoughts
Chicago's city sticker and the insane controversy
So it's been all over the news and internet about the now pulled design for the 2012-2013 Chicago city sticker. For those not from Chicago, I'll lay it out simple. Every year we who own cars in the Windy City have to shell out $100 to display a sticker on our windshield, or face fines. The designs for these stickers are usually made via a contest for local amateur artists.
This new sticker though has incited controversy due to claims that the hands in the image are somewhat like gang signs. This one I have to give a hearty "facepalm" about, simply because it's such a stupid logic.
Let's look at who designed it
This is Herbert Pulgar. He's a fifteen year old kid who designed the sticker. A good kid with plenty of talent who came from a school for troubled youth.
Does this really look like the type who will be robbing stores at gunpoint, selling drugs, killing rival gang members, or even tagging garages?
Yet FORMER Police Superintendent Jody Weis wants to sit there spinning his conspiracy theories and playing his games. Haven't we had enough of the remains of the Daley Administration? I know he's got experience and expertise, but let's be blunt here. This is the kind of "art" you'll see out of Chicago's gangs:
Not the usual "peace and love" designs we end up seeing on our city stickers.
Let's cut the crap
First off, I can see why Weis and other city officials are playing things so "PC" and careful. Let's not forget Chicago Magazine's expose on how much local city government has been working with street gangs in an effort to bring peace and solve problems. Unfortunately, some people only think in black and white, where we should simply arrest and lock up everyone without thinking about how much that doesn't fix anything. Thus I imagine city officials are worried about embarassment.
However, it's cowardly and ridiculous to break some kid's heart based on very loose theories. The Latin Kings use a heart? Why don't we then ban all Valentine's Day merchandise? I even agree with Pulgar's lawyer. We could easily claim the stars normally known to the Chicago flag look more like Jewish Stars of David.
Let's cut the crap even more
What really blows my mind on this whole controversy is if you really ask most Chicagoans who own a car, they really could care less about what's on the sticker. Seriously. All we think about is the $100 we have to pay every year for this, and our minds question how effectivly is that money being used.
You could put two dogs humping, two men kissing, or even an image of the Care Bears singing and dancing with the Smurfs. We really don't care. If you ask what we want, the answer will be "kill the sticker and let me keep my money".
I'm astounded at Weis and all those who are going ballistic on this. They can claim all they want about hometown pride and such, but that's a load of crap. Why don't you just put an image of a fat cat politician laughing as they take our money? Or some bland, meaningless Government symbolism that does the job?
I think more people right now are angered about the mess they're putting Pulgar through over whether or not those hands and heart and stars make one think of gangs.
Get the hint, WE DON'T CARE! That sticker will always be a shining symbol of money we have to pay to the Government every year. No matter what shiny happy imagery you put on it, it's still seen as nothing more than legalized extortion.
Leave well enough alone, put the supposed "gang picture" on the sticker, tell Weis to shove it, and let's go about our business. Shall we?
Am I out of line here?
One Response to "Chicago's city sticker and the insane controversy"
Leetenant on February 15, 2012
People also don't like the government to tell them they have to buy something, whether it be stickers or health insurance.
