By: Daniel Nardini
These are the known facts in the case. A 15-year old boy named Herbert (Herbie) Pulgar won the contest for the design of Chicago’s city sticker. Then questions from a blog from a policeman surfaced that said the winner’s artwork had “gang” symbols in it from the Maniac Latin Disciples. The Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Crimes Commission as well as former Chicago Police Department head Jody Weis, after examing the design, believe there are Maniac Latin Disciples symbols in it. Herbie Pulgar and his mother Jessica Loor denied this, and Lawrence Hall Youth Services alternative school teacher Janice Gould, who helped Herbie Pulgar with the winning design, also denied this. Because of the controversy, Chicago City Clerk Susana Mendoza, who helped sponsor the contest, pulled Herbie Pulgar’s winning design from the contest and gave it to runner-up Caitlin Henehan. Mendoza gave a $1,000 bond to Herbie Pulgar despite the controversy. Herbie Pulgar’s family may pursue a lawsuit against the City of Chicago.
As I said, these are known facts. I will not comment any further on this part of the story. However, I now have one very important question. What happens to Herbie Pulgar now? Think about this; Herbie Pulgar was trying to turn his life around by working hard on the design for the Chicago city sticker. He wins the contest only to have the prize and everything pulled out from under him over a “possible” connection to some gang symbols in his design. Or rather interpretation that the design might have gang designs. There are three disturbing things I see coming out of this. Herbie Pulgar may be forever scarred by this turn of events, and his golden win may embitter him. If he had not ever been a gang member before, this might push this poor wonderful boy over the edge. When Herbie Pulgar is out of the news media limelight, will the City of Chicago care? To try and turn his life around and then win the contest of his dream only to have that dream-come-true snatch from him may serve as the wrong lesson that going on the straight and narrow path of being a law abiding citizen is an illusion.
But it is not just Herbie Pulgar whom we should be thinking about alone. What about all of the other kids out there who are trying to go on the straight and narrow? Seeing the rug pulled out from Herbie Pulgar is really giving the gangs a very major recruiting tool. The gangs can easily say to all these kids at-risk, “why try to do something when the powers that be will not let you succeed? Look at what happened to Herbie Pulgar!” If these at-risk kids believe that the powers that be are more interested in covering their buns rather than truly helping the kids have alternatives to the gangs, then the gangs have won and the City of Chicago has lost. What the politicians in the City of Chicago should be asking is, “what can we do to make it up to Herbie Pulgar?” “What can we do to make sure he really is awarded for trying to stay on the honest path?” “What can we do to truly help Herbie Pulgar, and other kids like him, when all is said and done and the news media is no longer interested in his story?” I believe that the whole point of the contest was to give all kids the chance of becoming what they want, and not being allowed to fall through the cracks. I beg of the City of Chicago; do not let Herbie Pulgar fall through the cracks!
Saving Herbie Pulgar
By: Daniel Nardini
As I said, these are known facts. I will not comment any further on this part of the story. However, I now have one very important question. What happens to Herbie Pulgar now? Think about this; Herbie Pulgar was trying to turn his life around by working hard on the design for the Chicago city sticker. He wins the contest only to have the prize and everything pulled out from under him over a “possible” connection to some gang symbols in his design. Or rather interpretation that the design might have gang designs. There are three disturbing things I see coming out of this. Herbie Pulgar may be forever scarred by this turn of events, and his golden win may embitter him. If he had not ever been a gang member before, this might push this poor wonderful boy over the edge. When Herbie Pulgar is out of the news media limelight, will the City of Chicago care? To try and turn his life around and then win the contest of his dream only to have that dream-come-true snatch from him may serve as the wrong lesson that going on the straight and narrow path of being a law abiding citizen is an illusion.
But it is not just Herbie Pulgar whom we should be thinking about alone. What about all of the other kids out there who are trying to go on the straight and narrow? Seeing the rug pulled out from Herbie Pulgar is really giving the gangs a very major recruiting tool. The gangs can easily say to all these kids at-risk, “why try to do something when the powers that be will not let you succeed? Look at what happened to Herbie Pulgar!” If these at-risk kids believe that the powers that be are more interested in covering their buns rather than truly helping the kids have alternatives to the gangs, then the gangs have won and the City of Chicago has lost. What the politicians in the City of Chicago should be asking is, “what can we do to make it up to Herbie Pulgar?” “What can we do to make sure he really is awarded for trying to stay on the honest path?” “What can we do to truly help Herbie Pulgar, and other kids like him, when all is said and done and the news media is no longer interested in his story?” I believe that the whole point of the contest was to give all kids the chance of becoming what they want, and not being allowed to fall through the cracks. I beg of the City of Chicago; do not let Herbie Pulgar fall through the cracks!