Forever Open, Clear and Free

Gauzy rhetoric doesn't disguise a land grab. One of the prominent advocates for the Chicago Children's Museum, Tribune:

"We should work to encourage all the children of Chicago, all the children of this metropolitan area to visit it and learn from it and enjoy it."

All very admirable, but what is it? Read on:

"This is one of the most magnificent urban vistas on Earth," said Lois Wille, former editorial page editor at the Chicago Tribune and author of "Forever Open, Clear and Free: The Struggle for Chicago's Lakefront.

Yes, and she's talking about Grant Park. Which should be forever open, clear and free. Fine, a children's museum is admirable, but not in this irreplaceable park, which once lost will never be restored. Too many parents are overstructuring their children's lives to their detriment. Where else in Chicago can a kid get a sense of wide open spaces, of limitless possibility, of the world being their oyster? Imagination and creativity soar. Kids need somewhere special they can just be.

And I smell a rat if the Rev. Michael Pfleger is on board with this. The Children's Museum is already at the built-up, centrally located downtown Navy Pier. They can stay there to fulfill this vision--gee why haven't they found this multiculti nirvana there? If they want to move, fine. But leave Grant Park alone.

UPDATE: Trib hosts OpEds pro and con.