Chicago City Clerk Investigating Whether Winning City Sticker Entry Contains Gang Symbolism

Herbert Pulgar, Freshman, Lawrence Hall Youth Services

Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza said her office will look into allegations that the winning entry in her office's city sticker design contest contains gang symbolism.

The winning entry was designed by Herbert Pulgar, a student at Lawrence Hall Youth Services on the North side. LHYS is a non-profit child welfare agency that provides services to at-risk youth. Pulgar's entry was chosen from over 18,000, and his story of being rescued by a firefighter at the age of four made for a heartwarming ribbon to be tied around the story.

Pulgar's winning entry shows police, firefighters and EMTs throwing their hats in the air from behind a heart decorated with the Chicago skyline and flag. The police blog "Detective Shaved Longcock" began analyzing Pulgar's artwork and claimed Pulgar may have included symbolism for the Maniac Latin Disciples in his sticker design, the first one to have Mayor Rahm Emanuel's name attached. "Longcock" determined the hands throwing hats in the air in Pulgar's sticker are also throwing the MLD pitchfork sign. He also wrote:

"Since submitting this new city sticker design... Little Herbert has had MANY 'police & juvenile section contacts' and is now a self admitted Maniac Latin Disciple...
"Look at his city sticker design. The HEART is the major MLD Gang Symbol. Look at the hands pointing up to the hats on that sticker... Look closely at the fingers and how they are being held...The 1st finger in front of the 2nd finger with the thumb extended back... It's the pitchfork sign. A normal drawing of the hand would not have each 1st finger extended past the 2nd finger. "

"Longcock" also trolled Pulgar's Facebook page (which has since taken down) and posted photos of Pulgar throwing gang signs, smoking blunts, and wearing a red bandana around his neck commonly associated with the MLD.

Former Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis, now president of the Chicago Crime Commission, said the hand positions look "very, very close" to resembling gang signs. "It's too close to be a coincidence," Weis told the Chicago Tribune. "Every finger configuration is identical."

Mendoza, in a statement, said her office is taking the claims seriously.

“Every artist has a back story and oftentimes artwork is controversial,” Mendoza said in a statement. “However, the artwork on Chicago’s city stickers should not be controversial.
"In a design that is meant to honor the city’s first responders, I am very sensitive to this issue. I grew up in a neighborhood filled with crime and gang violence and I come from a law-enforcement family."

The Maniac Latin Disciples are among the more violent street gangs in Chicago. Last summer, two MLD members were arrested for opening fire on a playground that was hosting a community policing meeting in the Avondale neighborhood on the North side. Two children were injured in that incident. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy had his department crack down on the MLD in the wake of that shooting. “We’re going to obliterate that gang,” McCarthy said at the time. “Every one of their locations has to get blown up until they cease to exist.”

Contact the author of this article or email tips@chicagoist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Chuck Sudo in News on February 8, 2012 8:30 AM 0 Comments

Comments [rss]

legsquats

I don't see the problem here. Chicago has the most gangs out of any city in the United States. I think the sticker reflects the city's diversity accurately.

MagicS

“There was no other option,” explained Kristine Williams, the Clerk's spokesperson. “She had to make this decision. This comes down to public safety. We had the girlfriend of a gang member call us to thank us because she said her boyfriend would have been shot for having that city sticker on his car’s windshield.”http://theexpiredmeter.com/201...

Now that Jody Weis and his racist blogger pals have McCarththistically coached the city to see gang symbols in what was to be this year's city sticker, gangbanger girlfriends are calling City Clerk's office to thank her for reneging on Herbie's winning design.

We're saving gangbangers by virtue of slandering teenage artists.

frankyburns

Hey KID -- Quit drawing cute pictures for the city of Chicago. Go back to the street, or jail or somewhere!! (Just kidding, kid, actually, way to go. I hope you keep at it.)

frankyburns

O guess being an expert can put you off the deep end at times.

Alex Salvador

Can't we EXPORT gang members to some war torn region of the world since they like to fight and kill so much?

Emily Mendoza

Poor Kid, He worked hard on this and was inspired by city workers saving his life. How dare you take something away that he won in this contest fairly! Hands are hard to draw, maybe if these folks at the city got their heads out of their behinds they would appreciate it instead of trying to decipher every possible different meaning it could possess

Mimihaha

MLD color is blue, not red. If he was Folk, it wouldn't be a red bandana.

I just think hands are difficult to draw.

ChicagoD

True regarding the bandanna color. Also, today his teacher showed a flyer she had given the kids with the exact same hands. Interestingly I don't see word one about this on hoodup, which is surprising.

I am being swayed to your POV.

Stupid lousy facts.

D W

It should have been occult symbolism, would have went over much better with the government!

santijose

we really do see dead people. and I thought nyc was crazy. made my day.

snoopoz

I've read the Shaved site a few times, and it's pretty much a bastion for racism, sexism, and hate. I don't usually treat what I read on there as credible, but IF those actually were pictures from young Mr. Pulgar's facebook page, I think he's busted.

This could also just be a case of seeing Jesus in a potato chip - as in, you see what you want to see.

MagicS

Thing is - the alleged photos of Herbie were not collected by actual members of law enforcement. Those screen-shots were lifted by bloggers and members of the Chicago Crime Commission, a non-profit agency that has zero right to perform regulatory or enforcement procedure.
There are no charges filed against this kid. He did nothing wrong. He entered and won an art contest. Tweezer-face Jody Weis determined the winning sticker art to have gang imagery. Weis, with the help of his loser blogger pals created the entire context for the rest of us to 'see' gang symbols.

It's frightening that the City Clerk's office is so nonchalant about having slandered this artist and his teacher. That's the culture of Chicago for you.

Joseph Finn

Seriously? People raising their hands to the heavens are gang symbolism now? Ooooh, a heart! for pete's sake, this is a bunch of hand-wringing.

ChicagoD

Ha ha ha. Sure. Absolutely. No chance that an MLD tucked MLD symbolism into an entry he never expected to get anywhere with (remember, he was one of 18,000) at time when the city was actively pursuing MLDs.

I bet the kid is regretting doing it now, though.

Peanut_Butter

1. That's a poor drawing.
2. What kind of big city changes the name to one of its major landmarks?

BlueFairlane

You mean historic structures like the Pan-Am Building?

Peanut_Butter

That was one of many, many famous structures, and depending on who you talk to, wouldn't even make it as a "major landmark".

BlueFairlane

We only talk to people for whom it is a major landmark. Cookie and I prefer not to leave Park Avenue if we can avoid it.

How about Penn Station? They changed the name of that to Madison Square Garden.

How about the name of the city itself? Or do you think you live in New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam?

Peanut_Butter

(yawn) Penn is still Penn. And, in addition to, moreover, we're talkin' about landmarks within the city, and not the city itself, thankyouverymuch... how'd you like them apples?

BlueFairlane

Penn is very much not still Penn. The basement currently bearing the name Penn has no relation to the beautiful structure that once proudly bore that name.

Also, I don't really care for apples, big or otherwise.

Peanut_Butter

I just saw your response. So to bring it full circle, do you think the drawing is ugly or not? I think it's amateurish.

ScooterLibbby

Lawrence Hall is a disaster.
We have a couple of their group homes around us & their residents are nothing but criminals.

ChicagoD

Wait, the high school for "at-risk" youth is full of criminals? No kidding. Who woulda thunk it?

Pretty sure "at risk" means "already problems."

ScooterLibbby

No, the Lawrence Hall scum goes to Sullivan HS, which is a block away from one of the homes. Numerous residents of that home have been arrested since it opened. They also managed to get themselves into fights almost daily.
It was Topic #1 at many beat meetings until Lawrence Hall replaced the various managers of the place.
It's been quiet for a few months, but I'm afraid that as it warms up, the shit will hit the fan one again.

Navin_Johnson

"Detective Shaved Longcock"

Basically a white power site. Makes Second City Cop look like a gender studies class.

Nicholas

I'd give kudos to this blog for this discovery and saving the City from much humiliation if the blogger weren't such a raging psychopath.

Awesomer

The stars on the city flag are Folk (MLD is Folk Nation), and the Hancock Building is a pitchfork pointing up, also Folk. I think this means the city itself is allied with Folk Nation. And "Urbs in Horto" is Latin for "All is one."