Wipe that smug look off your face, Mr. Freeman. Democracy won out over your fascist little art project. You should be happy that America even allows you the right to pursue your happiness. The reason you lost is that you valued your rights to artistic expression over the rights of everyone else to enjoy what their tax dollars pay for.

You might be happier in Europe.

Ever been to Europe? That's where tax dollars go to fund really nice public parks instead of buying cluster bombs. Take a walk through Copenhagen someday.

Mr Freeman Thank you for opening the park.

People sometimes do not anticipate consequences to their creativity.

Im sure you were surprised by the strong public opinion.

I know you will avoid this situation again.

We all live and learn.

Yes, I lived in Europe for 3 years. It's pretty, but I couldn't wait to come back to the US, where you can actually hang laundry out in your own backyard without your neighbors calling the police. Of course I'm generalizing, but there is general difference one can feel. America feels more open-minded than most European countries I've been in. If that weren't true I doubt many people would be trying to immigrate to the US.

Mr. Freeman may be to young to excercise much common sense, but his professors and those responsible for the project should have given more thought to the consequences of closing off a popular park and the value of whatever this kids was trying to say.

We also take our tree lined streets for granted. Maybe if the artist came and cut them all down, we could have a neighborhood dialog on the subject?

It is too bad.

I'm a long time resident of Mt. Vernon, so I'm glad the artist decided to open the parks. I'm also pretty happy that he closed them and there was such a big reaction to a piece of artwork. The amount of discussion on both sides of the argument bodes well for Mt. Vernon Place and Art in general. I guess it really is an interactive piece!

"Resident", your suggestion re: Europe makes no sense. Democracy won out over Fascist art? That's pretty big talk considering this was a temporary installation that grew even shorter because the artist and his advisers listened to public opinion.

Lighten up Francis.

Despite comments to the contrary, this isn't about winners and losers. In a compromise MICA is going to open the gates. It seems though that both MICA and Mr Freeman need to rethink what community partnerships need in order to succeed.

I hope that one of the take home lessons is that self appointed "community groups" rarely represent the mood or will of the community at large.

Site specific outdoor installations can bring a lot to a community. Members of the community may be more willing to submit to inconvenience or what-have-you if more work is done at the outset to enlist grassroots buy-in for a project. Community-Academic partnerships include the community in the planning process.

I think "Resident" might be shocked to find, if he took a second to think about it, that Mr. Freeman's art piece was very successful on him. It elicited a strong response, and made him actually take notice of the good things he has in his life that he perhaps overlooks on a day to day basis. Cheers to Mr. Freeman for getting people's heads out of the sand on the first day of Spring--he may be much wiser than any you think.

Besides, he is perfectly free to wear that "smug" expression that causes you so much distress. America is a Democracy as you carefully point out--not a Facistic nation.

Resident doesn't object to art; Resident objects to the rights of one misguided individual or group over the rights of everyone else. That is fascism.

As many have pointed out, the success of an artwork has little to do with the visceral response. Were someone to hang a noose on the Square it would certainly be successful in getting a strong reaction. Just because the so-called "artist" of The Noose claimed it was art or a symbol of his right to free expression, does not mean that the community should have to tolerate it. I for one would be the first person to tear it down. Keep the MICA "art" at MICA and we'll all be happier.

I wasn't happy about the closing of Mt. Vernon's parks, either, but at least Lee Freeman goes by his real name, unlike "Resident", who spews his vitriol from behind the hiding place of anonymity

Maybe we can put fences around our polling places on election day, so people can be taught to appreciate democracy.

And maybe people can put their propety and income taxes behind a fence, so the city can be taught to appreciate its revenue sources.

Good for him!! Funny how many people drive by this exact spot day in and day out and never notice it, but as soon as someone says you can't go in, suddenly everyone is outraged. Get over yourself and go enjoy being in the park if you care so much, it's all yours again now.

Resident doesn't put his name out for fear of vigilante artists (admitted graffiti artists if you read his bio) leaving their vigilante art on his house. And yes, grafitti has been a problem in Mt. Vernon thanks to artists. Remember the fake grafitti exhibit that was displayed so prominently on the Contemporary Art Museum last year? This exhibit, which by the way, many people I talked to were appalled by, resulted in numerous buildings, including the Peabody Court Hotel, getting spray painted. You may think your art doesn't hurt anyone, but it surely can. Do it in your own back yard.

This all would have never been a problem if MICA had respected the community in the first place. What we have to put up with to live in this City.

I've chosen not to comment on this situation thus far; I felt that I was too close to the artist and the project and it wouldn't really be a fair speculation on what has happened.

I helped with the project a great deal and I have a very close dialogue with the artist, and I see the park almost every day.

Quite frankly, I'm appalled by some of the reaction I've heard and read and seen from some of the residents of Mount Vernon. I can understand the rejection of the project and the general feeling that something that rightfully belongs to the people has been stolen (temporarily), but the utterly rude comments and incessant lambasting of Lee seem to be unnecessary. He has been civil throughout this entire process and should not be blamed for his ambitions as an artist; it is quite simply an opinion by a portion of the public that his artistic vision is misguided and "wrong", to use some of the kinder criticisms I've seen.

In short, I hope that people regulate their reactions to this art piece in a civil and appropriate manner. I understand that we are speaking in a cyberspace where there are few consequences, but the conversation that has been started is important and need to be addressed in an intelligent way. Firestorms are sometimes fun, but rarely constructive.

ill