Starting in June 2019, the City of Chicago will place a ban on all living and deceased birds. This is part of Rahm Emanuel’s “Last Hoorah” approach in an attempt to leave the City of Chicago with at least somewhat of a positive impact. This comes shortly after the “Birds Aren’t Real” campaign, that is sweeping social media, which claims that birds no longer exist and have been replaced by drones which are used to spy on the public.

“Honestly, I am glad they are banned from Chicago. I don’t have to worry about being spied on when I am walking my dog in the park,” says Julius Erving ‘21. Many seem to agree that birds provide nothing positive to the Chicago economy, especially pigeons which seem to be prevalent in the city. Some even believe ridding the city of birds is a matter of health and safety. “I honestly just can’t stand [pigeons]; they are so annoying and they have diseases,” complains Robert O’Neal ‘19.

Last year, a group of teenage students were attacked by a flock of birds on the Upper East side of Chicago. Although most ran away unscathed, two students received major injuries to their knees and abdomen. “I feel like I can finally walk the streets stress-free, without having to worry about losing a kneecap to a bird.” notes Miranda Cosgrove ‘20). We can only hope that Chicago will advance towards the future and put these dark bird-filled days behind us.