Teen Says City Sticker Design Had No Gang Symbolism

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 9, 2012 11:00PM

Mayor Emanuel and Herbert Pulgar celebrate Herbie’s winning entry. Photo credit: Brooke Collins, City of Chicago

Responding to the controversy surrounding his city sticker design, 15-year-old Herbert Pulgar defends it and says it contains no intentional gang symbolism. But the question of whether Pulgar intentionally included gang signs in his drawing is moot. Like an optical illusion, once seen, it cannot be unseen.

"Unfortunately, whether or not the design was meant to include potential gang symbols, the perception that now exists is that the artwork could be misinterpreted as containing gang related symbols," Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza said yesterday at a press conference announcing the design was scrapped.

Now ABC7 reports that the family is considering taking legal action.

Herbie is visibly upset in the video below (0:43 mark), and so is his mother (1:30 mark), Jessica Loor, who says, "It's very painful to see how cruel people can be and take his drawing and intertwine it with something that is not there." The Tribune writes:

"I don't think that's fair. I tried the best I could," the boy told WGN-TV reporter Dan Ponce, crying throughout the interview as he sat on a couch in his home with his mother. "That art design has nothing to do with no gangs. Nothing. No violence, no nothing.

"I did the best I can," he continued. "I don't know why they smashed me like that."

Herbie's teacher Janice Gould from Lawrence Hall Youth Services shows the design on which the boy's drawing was based at the 2:04 mark, and it's pretty obvious this wasn't the boy's intent.

Not to get a little too mushy on our readers, but it seems like this kid was convicted in the press a little too quickly. Tribune columnist John Kass (who we hate to agree with) called this "a story of easy outrage." But this kid is 15 years old. Is it right to make him the butt of so many barbs? And should the city revoke the $1,000 bond they had given him? It's a savings bond. The kid can't even touch it until he's 18.

What is particularly upsetting to me is, what 15-year-old wants to come under the judgmental eye of someone who calls his or herself "Detective Shaved Longcock"? Sure, former police superintendent Jody Weis said the drawing of the hands kinda, sorta looked like a gang sign, too, but that was only after the idea was presented by an anonymous blog that publishes headlines like, "Mayor Emanuel now "IFFY" about South Side Irish Parade... But Rahm wouldn't have the balls to cancel the Bud Billiken or Gay Fruitcake Parade." Herbie didn't ask for this.

That blog, by the way, also contains some of the most offensive things I've ever read—and I spend every day on the internet! (Ed. Note: Totally agree with Sam here. The posts and commentary at "Shaved's" blog make what's posted at Second City Cop seem like a day with the Algonquin Roundtable. — CS) We'll spare you examples. Feel free to check them out yourself, but let's just say we've banned commenters for saying things half as racist.

Sure, send me your hate-mail, Longcock readers. I look forward to it.

UPDATE: Mendoza says she'll personally buy a $1,000 bond for Herbie. Read more at the Tribune.