Racist "Yard Art" Angers Neighbors

By Prescott Carlson in News on Mar 10, 2010 9:20PM

A man in the Beverly neighborhood on Chicago's South Side is being less than subtle about who -- or more specifically, who he doesn't -- want to move into the vacant home next door. Michael Corrigan, a spitting image of Wilford Brimley, put letters up on the side of his garage that says, "No to the ghetto," "white power," and "Mt. Greenwood the next Englewood." Corrigan also added "White Power" and "God Bless America" stickers, as well as a clothesline noose that he hung from the garage eaves.

Fox Chicago's Craig Wall confronted Corrigan about the display and Corrigan described it as "yard art." Wall responded, "Seems like rather racist 'yard art,' sir." One neighbor interviewed by Wall said, "It's just amazing, we have a black president right now and to see something like that right around the corner from you is amazing."

Another neighbor called police about the "yard art" and officers took photos of it and interviewed Corrigan, but since the words were on his own garage and general in nature, those pesky free speech rights of ours means that no further action will be taken. The listing of the house for sale says the "chicago [sic] style bungalow!!!" features new paint and a "full basement!!!" but "close to nearby batshit racists" was left out.