Since opposable thumbs are supposedly what separate us from the "animals", I have decided I agree with our Mayor Goodman, and that anyone caught doing graffiti should have their thumbs cut off!
Driving down the highway yesterday I was appalled, angered an dismayed by the amount of scrawling, paint and sheer volume of "tags". As part of the expansion on the 95, sound barrier walls are being put up. Not just any walls either. They are textured, painted and almost pretty. Well, on one section, a NEW section, there was about a 100 foot area that was scribbled on, painted and vandalized. I doubt the paint from the expansion was even dry yet before this was done.
I keep trying to understand this. It is not art by any means. It is just tagging. Initials, letters and such. What about creating a graffiti park? That was an idea I had. A park full of walls like dominos, whose purpose was to be marked, painted and tagged. But then, I figured that would take away the challenge and vandalism aspect, and basically hold no interest for these kids.
What I don't get is how they get away with it? This is a 24 hour town. People drive on that highway all the time. How is it that these kids (assuming that they are kids) have the time to do the painting with no one calling the cops or catching them. Some of them, you can tell are done on offramps where they probably hop out of the car at the red light and then hop back in when the light is green. BUT, what about the ones that you KNOW took time and are on the middle of a wall?
They lock up spray paint in the store, but I wonder how much that does for us? Do they ever refuse to sell it to anyone? I mean really, come on. What is next -- stop selling it all together?
I could rant on this for days, I am so infuriated by it. But for now, I will leave it to you to add comment.
4 comments:
I agree that all the graffiti is disturbing. It is not art. It is simply a challenge for these folks to accomplish. I'm sure they are counting on the fact that people are not that observant while they are driving (which is a good thing - provided they are focused on the road) to get away with things.
I think the "cut off their thumbs" is a little on the extreme side, but I agree that something needs to be done.
I don't know if cutting off any thumbs is indeed the right idea, but something more extreme than a ticket and a fine are in order. I'm pretty disgusted, myself.
Actually, I'd love to get a few people together to hang out and hide at the spots that keep getting tagged and shoot the artists with paintballs at a very high velocity. I see it as an eye for an eye as it is paint for paint.
As for thumbs... if only we could. But then again, I'd go for index fingers as usually the can contents are dispensed with those.
I am just amazed at how they can "tag" certain places. It is not like they have a ladder or anything? I also wonder just how they can get away with it here in this 24 hour town without getting caught? Does Las Vegas really have the I don't care attitude, not really my problem?
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