Peter Schmitz wrote: > What I said was "So why stop at graffiti, a crime that > many of us, correctly or incorrectly, associate with marginalized > populations (e.g., inner-city youth of color)?" Rather than blaming > a specific group for the graffiti, I wanted to call attention to the > harm that can be done, especially to low-income families, if parents > are held financially accountable three times over for graffiti done > by their children.
Graffiti is not a victimless crime, just wait until something you own is tagged and see how much it costs you out of pocket to have it removed. And, if you want to see how much graffiti can lower the quality of our neighborhoods just try visiting some large cities on the East or West coasts. Whether graffiti is done by intercity minorities or suburban Whites is irrelevant. The effects on our neighborhoods and taxes are the same. The question should be whether this law will actually reduce this type of crime or if other types of programs and penalties would be more effective. Michael Atherton Prospect Park TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Send all posts in plain-text format. 2. Cut as much of the post you're responding to as possible. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
