Sunday, July 5, 2009

What's the Story?

These two headlines were cheek-to-cheek on the Sun-TImes Web site this weekend.

Several gun and knife arrests reported at Taste of Chicago
July 4, 2009
FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS

and

Police say Taste peaceful, credit heavier presence
July 4, 2009
(no byline)

So what is it? Is this year's Taste of Chicago a madhouse of thugs and gangbangers and people bringing guns and knives into the crowded streets, or is it a lovely weekend where attendees walk around with parasols, sipping lemonade, tipping their caps at fellow tourists and Chicagoans and those leaving on public transportation give up their seats to ladies and the elderly? Hmmm?

Unfortunately the latter, 'peaceful' story relies on the word of the police and city officials, who would say "everything is fine here," even if downtown was burning amid armed rioting.

Two things here -- one; if your mother (or the city) says the Taste of Chicago is safe and peaceful, CHECK IT OUT, and two; the perceived safety many have of of this city, even downtown, is an illusion.

1 comment:

Stephen R. said...

Since two years ago, the trains all shut down leaving passengers stranded for nearly an hour and last year, people were killed, I avoided downtown Chicago's celebration of the 4th like a bad rash on Dick Cheney's taint.

Too graphic? Yeah, it was. Sorry about that. :)

Also, I made the video of Alex calling Janet Davies the "Meryl Streep of our generation" public. So, check it out. I HOWLED!!!

Hope you had a great holiday.