D. Klein writes:
>I thought I was the lone voice in the wilderness - but I too think this
>obsession with graffiti is pointless. In fact - I've even seen some
>graffiti I've rather liked. I guess some see it as a slippery slope; I
see
>it as a fine line. I do agree that the defacement of every flat surfaced
>object in public is a nuisance, but I would rather spend my "civic duty"
>energy on education, feeding the hungry etc. But hey, whatever .
I'll admit, as one of the anti-graffiti maniacs you critique, that I've
wondered why I feel so strongly about it myself. (Jordan Kurschner wondered
the same thing at the last Mpls-issues gathering, and I'll admit, talking to
a guy who defends the powerless, it does make you a little sheepish...)
I'll be honest and admit one reason: anal-retentiveness. While not quite
Jack Nicholson in "As Good As It Gets," I have my moments.
It really is, on some level, a very visible psychological crime. People in
my area take great pride in the neighborhood's appearance, and some little
punk has the arrogance to put something that'll stick in our face for days,
or, given the city's cleaning speed, weeks. We're not talking out-of-the-way
walls or free underpasses, either -- more like stone walls, nice planters,
public street signs (including Stop signs, where it gets a little
dangerous).
Since I know business owners who've spent hundreds or even thousands to
clean this crap up, I call it visual burglary, like ripping money out of
someone's till. But the other thing is does -- and I think this is very
important -- is that it creates a minor depression, a sagging. We all
respond to visual stimuli, and sorry, most graffiti is NOT good-looking. It
takes a lot of energy to keep a community healthy, especially public or
openly private spaces where we all must accomodate others' needs. Seeing
some arrogant jerk's work -- a visual f-u to that community spirit -- takes
a little wind out of you, and over time, can take more, which leads to worse
things.
That said, is graffiti the biggest problem facing Mpls? No, but. Like Russ,
I do a lot of other civic things that I hope are more important. But even if
I don't, for many of us, this is a wrong we can see, and live with in our
everyday lives. (Yes, this is a function of living in a nice area where
larger social problems aren't as visible.) I don't blame anyone for taking
it on. It's the folks who don't do squat about ANY social problem that I
would criticize.
In a perfect world, would I pick a grafitti-obliterated landscape where
everyone gets a great education and a fully belly? Sure. But trust me, the
larger social problems you see -- education, hunger, etc. -- also have
massively more energy directed at them. The city's response to graffiti has
been puny -- most of the energy you feel attacking it is precisely because
nothing (other than empty words, for the most part) has been done.
Anyway, it's a quandry I continue to think about, as I straighten the papers
on my desk into neat little piles.
Best,
David Brauer
King Field - Ward 10
