Day 240: Chaos in the Park

     In 1968, the Democrats decided to hold their national convention in the great city of Chicago, Illinois.  At the same time, the Vietnam War was quickly escalating out of control, the country was still reeling from the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, and emotions were in general running VERY high and VERY tense.  In addition to this, a young man by the name of Abbie Hoffman started the Young International Party(aka: the Yippies) to advocate for social change in the United States.  All of these different forces were converging upon Chicago to air their grievances, have their voices heard, and to demonstrate.  Finally, the second to the last day of the convention arrived.  The day started out...

     Wait a second.  I could sit here and write all kinds of narrative about what happened, be it Richard J. Daley talking about cops preserving disorder, or a police riot, or even the relative qualities of the Chicago Seven.  But instead of doing that, how about I just let an eyewitness account speak for itself?  In the summer of 1968, Jan Maday was 2 years removed from graduating Hinsdale Central High School.  She spent summers helping on her family's farm in Oak Brook(yes, there used to be farms in Oak Brook).  And on Wednesday, August 28, 1968, her boyfriend took her to Grant Park to see Sly and the Family Stone.  I'll just let Jan tell the rest of the story from here:

     "[I was a] typical 20 yr old...all about fun, and not much about politics. It was the hippie generation...if I recall Sly and the Family Stone were scheduled to play in Grant Park. My then boyfriend (now husband) who was much more city savvy than I (me from Oak Brook boonies at the time) said "let's go"...we had done the Rush Street/2nd City Scene on many occasions and were always up for an adventure. As a country bumpkin I was very very naive, and had no clue that I might be in harm's way. We arrived at Grant Park to a maze of people...solid walls of hippies as far as you could see. When the scheduled bands were late (or didn't show)...the crowd started getting 'lively'. Chanting, pushing, pot smoking, alcohol, power fisting, you name it.
Chicago's finest (Mayor Daley's Police)...took an excessively firm stand...they were launching tear gas at the crowds to try to disperse us. Water canons, night sticks hitting hard for no more apparent reason than gathering. The crowd got incensed at the sight of the hostile police and started chanting PIGS, PIGS, PIGS...which likely enraged the police more. Everyone was running in every direction...my boyfriend and I escaped w/nothing more than injured egos; feeling very fortunate to not have been put in a paddy wagon or bloodied (as many others were).  Meanwhile...my folks had no idea Dan had taken me to that scene...and when we arrived home later than evening, and the folks had viewed the coverage on the news, and they learned we had been in the fray...the folks were quite pissed.  We lived on a 'farm' of 2.5 acres in OakBrook...dad grew all kinds of fruits and veggies (that I sold during summer, and put me thru college). Mom and Dad made us do 'penance' by picking corn and apples and promising never to rabble rouse again. How many times [has] Grant Park cross[ed] my mind since? Maybe a handful [of times]...when [my family] shares pics, when my daughter stays at Palmer House on business trips and says she LOVES jogging in Grant Park while there...seeing the rewinds on the PBS documentary "Remembering Chicago". Having friends remark how much they enjoyed Chicago and Navy Pier while on vacations...every once in a while...But oh boy, were my folks ever mad!!"

     So when yoiu're out and about today, go down to Grant Park.  Maybe you'll see Buckingham Fountain, maybe you'll see the site of this year's Blackhawks rally, but while you're doing all that just stop for a second, and think about what happend 45 years ago to the day on the VERY spot you're standing on.  I gurantee it'll be somethng else.