I read, with alarm, Jon Chesto’s front-page article on corporate logos being allowed on Boston towers (“Signing up for the skyline,” Nov. 3). I dread the day when I am crossing the Longfellow Bridge, either on foot or the Red Line, and see the timeless Boston skyline infested with companies flaunting their brands.
If corporate elites had their way nationwide, every community’s sense of place would be homogenized into a bland panorama of logos and advertisements.
We are citizens who must exercise critical thinking in order to make informed decisions about our community. Generally speaking, commercial advertising does not assume we are intelligent. The corporate class would prefer passive consumers of goods and services rather than informed citizens, so integral to the practice of democracy.
Let us reinforce Boston’s history as a cradle of democracy by resisting the onslaught of corporate logos on the city’s skyline. Stand with the Boston Preservation Alliance in protecting the city’s landscape and history by calling for, at least, clear standards. And let’s hook a short leash on those who insult our intelligence with skyline sales pitches.
Dana Franchitto
South Wellfleet