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Graffiti rant

OMG I love reading articles and blogs about graffiti and how it should stop or people trying to explain or understand why it happens? Blaming the graffiti writer, when it’s not like they invented it or have better things to do. Here are some of my favorite rebuttals:

Why don’t they paint the cool, good looking stuff instead of tagging?

Graffiti writers don’t automatically have mural painting skills, they need to learn to use the spray can and develop the skills necessary to become an artist in that medium. Tagging, Bombing, Piecing, Productions, Murals! There is a hierarchy, like everything else in life.

It destroys property? It costs taxpayers money to clean it up?

First of all, it rarely DESTROYS property. It might cause some unwanted cosmetic changes, but a car driving through a wall. That is destroyed property. I’m not saying that paint and ink cannot damage property, but usually when they say this, it is meaningless.
Second,who ever said taggers/graffiti artists don’t pay taxes? if they get caught, not only have they paid taxes if they are a citizen who likes to eat, but they also have to pay back the city for clean up. In California, it averages about $400 to clean up a small marker tag. Yeah, your taxes are getting stolen from you, because any one of us can clean that up with less than $5 bucks. Now who’s the criminal?

Why don’t they paint on their own property? Why do they target poor people and personal property?

ALL graffiti writers tag on their own shit, all the time. My back yard is painted right now and I’m a renter.
Remember, they are people, too. People can be cool or they can be assholes. Only assholes tag on peoples garages, cars and dogs. Cool writers hit up larger corporations, city property and basically say FUCK YOU to the big timers in society like advertisements on billboards and bombing the highways, state property. Most writers I’ve known are respectful of mom and pop stores, churches, personal vehicles and peoples homes.

Why do they do it? They must be angry at the world or just teens expressing themselves.

Most graffiti writers start young, but by the time they are really good at it, they are well in their twenties. These days, there are people in their 50s and 60s doing graffiti. The old school masters who never quit or came out of retirement. These people are not angry. The angry people eventually quit or do other crimes that end them up in the same places as other criminals, prison or dead. Graffiti writers usually stick to the art or at least the vandalism. It’s adventurous, exciting and fun as hell. A creative way to live dangerously. You wouldn’t understand if you have never done it, but if you have skydived, bungee jumped, climbed a volcano - I imagine it is a similar feeling. I’ve been 3 stories high (climbed without ladders or stairs) and just stared at all the cop cars driving around oblivious and I’ve also escaped a police helicopter on foot. LIKE AN ACTION MOVIE!

So, basically if you are having this discussion, remember that graffiti writers are people, too. They pay taxes, have jobs, pay bills and go to grandmas birthday party and shit sitting down like the rest of you. Get off your high horses and read a book or watch a documentary and then admit you stil only have pieces of information about an underground movement that cannot be stopped and admit defeat.

Thank you.