What about the chokes? Aren’t you afraid your guests will choke on the thistles? Shouldn’t they be removed before serving?

That's your call. Use your best judgment based on how well you know the people at your dinner table.

I wouldn't bother removing the chokes for myself or immediate family members. We all know what parts not to eat. In the same way, I don't need to be super fussy about removing every single fishbone for a family meal; they know what sort of bones they shouldn't swallow.

Some of my friends would also know what to do with artichokes, fish, etc.

I'd remove the chokes if I had dinner guests whose familiarity with artichokes was unknown. Or I could explain it to those people.

You could even say, "They're prettier with the purple choke but that part is rather tough so I usually leave that."