There have been mass gatherings in various downtown places on weekend nights. The Bean in Millennium Park is an attraction for the large groups of young people having a night on the town. Unfortunately, these gatherings erupt in violence.
There is only one thing to do. According to the new Chicago Way, if a public art piece is controversial and may lead to violent acts, it should be removed to a secret location known only to the Great Comedian.
To prevent violence and protect police officers, the Bean should be removed and stashed out of sight and mind. Problem solved.
The same holds true for certain businesses that are a magnet for masses of young people where violence breaks out. The McDonald’s on Chicago and State is one. It is next to a CTA El station, making it easy for young people to get there. Last night there was a mass shooting there, leaving 2 dead and 8 wounded. The restaurant should be immediately closed by the city and demolished. It could be turned into a pigeon sanctuary or the city’s first cat park.
If there are more problems at North Avenue Beach or any other beaches, they should all be shut down. The city could create the Chicago Shoreline Protection Agency to preserve and bring the Lake Michigan shore back to its natural state- as close as possible. It should be designated an environmentally endangered and protected area. Humans will not be allowed access.
If the Picasso in Daley Plaza becomes a magnet for the masses and violence breaks out, it too should be removed. Shuttered off to the city’s Never-Never land of public art.
These measures are the same theory behind the removal of public art. If something causes so much offense or anger that violence erupts, it should be removed or closed off to the public. It is for the common good. Lives will be saved. Citizens, police officers, and fire personnel will not be injured. Innocent members of the public will not be potential victims of violence.
Those were the reasons for the removal or potential removal of statues of famous people. Anger, offense, and violence, or the potential of violence, caused the city to rethink its commemorative public art. The same reasoning can and should be used for the mass gatherings where violence erupts.
It is more than obvious that something about the objects or places incites people to anger and violence. There is no human problem here. The objects or areas are the problems. The solution, get rid of or repurpose them.
In the interest of public safety, Mayor Lightfoot should act immediately and start removing or shutting down these dangerous objects or places. The mantra of “Guns, Drugs, Gangs, and COVID” as the drivers of violence should include public art and other sites that drive violence. The city cannot blame and control humans or stop the flow of illegal firearms. It is common sense to control access to areas or remove objects driving the violence. A simple solution to a simple problem.