An interesting, eye-grabbing exhibit at Chicago’s Daley Plaza is garnering national attention for its anti-gun bend and intentionally misleading message: guns are as easy to get as bicycles.
What is normally a bike-sharing station has been transformed by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence and an agency called The Escape Pod into a gun sharing station called the “Chicago Gun Share Program,” according to The Daily Wire.
The station has traded bikes for ten replica AR-15-style rifles instead.
“The program was developed in response to the lack of federal gun regulations and conflicting state laws that would help protect American citizens from unnecessary gun violence,” the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence stated according to AdWeek.
The display pushes the narrative that it’s not Illinois’ insane gun control laws that are the problem when it comes to Chicago’s gun violence — it’s Indiana not being as strict as they are.
Last I checked, however, it wasn’t a big city in Indiana widely famous for gun violence — it was Chicago, Illinois.
Celia Jones, CEO of The Escape Pod, hopes the display will keep the topic of gun control at the front of everyone’s minds.
“People have strong opinions on the subject of gun violence, but conversation, and ultimately action, tend to fall off after the immediacy of tragic events fades,” she said according to AdWeek.
“Creating a physical installation brings the issue to the forefront in a way that online articles and other passive media cannot, and being able to use our creativity to raise funds for the Brady Center is the most important part… There has been a tremendous amount of support for the piece, even globally, and also voices on the other side of the debate weighing in.”
Allow me to weigh in, then:
We don’t care about your erroneous display. Your message is false, and the attempt to convince people otherwise is grossly irresponsible.
What do you think about this story? Please share this on Facebook and Twitter and let us know!