Chicago police want YOU to report suspicious holiday behavior

Oh God of Progress
Have you degraded or forgot us?
Where have your laws gone?
I think about it now - Surfjan Stevens

Oh the places that the jokes can go. Chicago police put out a real flyer asking Chicagoans to report suspicious behavior like note-taking, binocular use, cameras, video, maps. (Image of flyer from boingboing via Sepia Mutiny's analysis of who will be profiled, aka brown folks. Let's talk about karma folks! The Bean was created by an Indian American artist, Anish Kapoor. What if his relatives come by to ooh and aah and take pride in their dadaji and get flagged as terrorists?)

If terrorists do their dirty work by spreading, well, terror, what should we call public servants who aggressively promote fear and unhinged suspicions by telling the public to report note takers, binoculars users, camera enthusiasts, map owners, and motorists who time traffic lights?

Is Chicago really trying to kill any sort of tourism revenue? I mean, how can you visit and NOT photograph the Bean? What holiday shopper doesn't marvel at Madison Avenue and the Sears Tower, or the Cows on Parade, which were specifically a huge tourist draw to the tune of $100-200 million? Or does it just expect folks who come to their new city-owned casino to avoid smiling cheesily for the camera?!?

On the hyper-vigilance stupidity scale, this far exceeds New York city's ban on taking photos in the subway. Because although I hate tourists everywhere, I know folks need a memento for their friends back home.

Plus, on a youtube junkie level, the CPD's crazy edict would prevent me from watching fun/hilarious/timewasting videos like:

Come on! Feel the Illinoise!

Pavi and Harvin - With Mango Juice

Free Hugs Chicago

Chicago Street Drummers

In conclusion, Chicago, you're a beautiful city, and not enough of the world knows it. So don't hide behind your gritty streets and mean cops - show your purty face tonight.



Wilco - Pritzker Auditorium, Chicago 9/12/07 (Had wanted to find vid of them performing Via Chicago in this setting, but settled for this.)