Activists mock US gun culture with Chicago 'gun-sharing' dock

[iscooterliberally]

Source: BBC News

A Chicago public art installation is raising eyebrows in its protest of American gun culture.

The display, Chicago Gun Share Program, depicts an urban bike-sharing station, but instead pretends to offer people the opportunity to rent a rifle.

A sign invites anyone to "unlock and load" a replica high-powered, semi-automatic rifle known as an AR-15.

Activists say they want to raise awareness on how easy it is to "obtain a weapon of war".

The installation in downtown Chicago's Daley Plaza was commissioned by the Brady Center, a gun control advocacy group.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44115267

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[Achilleaze]

1. .

.

[barbtries]

2. that is brilliant. nt

[Blue_Tires]

8. Normally I'd agree

But we live in crazy times, parody, satire and farce are all dead and I have no doubt that someone at NRA headquarters is calling senators on Capitol Hill trying to get the ball rolling on making this a reality...

[barbtries]

12. i almost hope so.

because someone will have to explain to the cretin that they are not real guns and why it would not be a good idea.

however, i almost expect some real stupid person to try to get one of the guns. for free.

[Hoyt]

3. Love this comment by Congressman Mike Quigley --

Link to tweet

/photo/1




Please -- No need for gunners to tell us AR-15s are not "weapons of war." We've heard that junk before: Quigley, and everyone else who refers to an AR-15 with anything but love, doesn't know enough about guns to have an opinion on slaughter in America.

[George II]

4. The AR-15 was designed specifically for the US Army at their request. It is a weapon of war.

[Initech]

5. I'm done trying to play nice with the gun nuts.

After they're responsible for the shit storm we're having to endure right now, fuck 'em!

[Igel]

17. There are at least three distinct sets of gun nets.

There are the white teen paranoics who glom onto nationalist or hate-filled ranting.

There are the black teens and young men who are into turf battles and "business", made notorious by being glamorized in song.

There are rednecks who merely use guns for sport.

Those three groups have little to do with each other. I've known the third kind quite well. I don't understand the first two at all.

"Gun culture" is like "tomato" culture. You can use the tomatoes in pico de gallo, in pasta sauce, in butter chicken, in tomato bisque, or serve it for breakfast with cheese, rolls, and cucumbers and peppers ... One's more Mexican, the other Italian, the third south Asian, the fourth a bit preppy, and the last homestyle central European. Yet they all share "tomato culture". Identical, except for the fact that they have almost nothing in common.

[Blues Heron]

18. "Rednecks merely use guns for sport"

I think you're overlooking the militia types, the "sovereign citizens," etc.

[mopinko]

6. have i mentioned lately how much i love my city?

and my reps? quigley isnt my rep, but i am a big fan.

[MountCleaners]

7. Makes me proud

Guns are not really popular here. What's interesting is that we are not hostile to the use of them for sport, it's just the proliferation and the kind of weapons out there, as well as the ideology of the gun right.

[murielm99]

13. That is exactly the right way to explain it.

I live in Illinois, too. But I am in a rural area where nearly everyone has at least one gun. There are a lot of farmers who have guns to shoot animal pests, and a lot of hunters. They are mainly responsible people. They are not so stupid as
to think they need an AR-15 to shoot a skunk or a coon getting into the garbage.

Most of our problems come from surrounding states with lax gun laws. That is how the illegal guns get into Chicago and other parts of the state.

[Lucky Luciano]

9. The ammosexuals might think this is a good idea too.

They are probably jealous they didn’t think of it first.

[flamin lib]

10. Wayne LaPierre saw that and collapsed in a

shuddering orgasm . . .

[Brother Buzz]

11. Somebody's gotta go back and get a shit-load of dimes!

[FiveGoodMen]

15. And bring enough gum for everybody

[Brother Buzz]

16. Mongo Like Candy

[GoneOffShore]

14. Just re-tweeted this.

And Facebook shared it.