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Painted Perspective
August 5th, 2007One has to adore the logic of lunatics, and not just elected officials.
Seems that graffiti “artists” in San Francisco are appalled, offended, and angry that the city and some concerned citizens have painted over their spray painted murals. In a relatively unknown little park in an odd area of The City, some volunteers, armed with buckets of paint and rollers, attempted to take back their playground from ad hoc artisans. While they were toiling on behalf of neighbors and other decent folk, they also trimmed some weeds and policed the trash.
Aerosol artistes were not amused to see their vandalizing works vandalized in return. Waiving signs with mentally deficient slogans like “celebrate graffiti”, they made veiled threats to mar the newly recovered canvases. “Painting over artwork isn’t gonna prevent any crime,” said one graffitist who was at least honest enough to admit the criminality of his craft.
Like some cities mixed with high minds and low lives, these defacers face little opposition. With taxpayer dollars diverted to public housing (yet another graffiti target), overpaid civic union employees, and overpriced/under-talented supervisors, San Fran invests insufficient funds in their police force (or police farce given their directorial debut). Vandals face little chance of getting caught, and given San Francisco’s lackluster record on criminal prosecution, they stand little chance of earning a sabbatical in jail.
If people want graffiti to end, they need to become graffiti “artists” themselves. If you find someone decorating property that isn’t theirs, then decorate them. Grab the can and see if painting their face’s makes them look like the clowns they are. It will be for them a memorable experience … which might keep them from repeating the process.
