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George's avatar

the folks who used to smoke weed under the glass atrium benches now tend to hang out by the fountain on the side of Blackwell house. It's a strictly worse situation because now the smoke is closer to the playground areas where kids play.

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Eleanor Rivers's avatar

Dear George,

Thank you for sharing that observation. It’s remarkable how the movement of people—even by just a few feet—can change the emotional and sensory landscape for others, especially where children are involved.

I often think of public spaces like a patchwork quilt: each square holds its own character, but how they're stitched together affects the whole. Your comment brings into focus a shift that, while subtle, carries real consequences.

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The lazy activist's avatar

Benches are the most available civility the public has to be comforted. To take them away is cruel.

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