Graffeti Immoral?

[Galloglasses]

Do you veiw Graffeti as sinful? I have an interest in it but i'm not particularly talented nor am I willing to go out and spend a small fortune on spray cans, but I wondered what you guys thought.

[thessalonian]

The property that usually is grafettied does not belong to the one doing it. Sometimes it is that state that owns it but that doesn't make any difference. Never that I know of is the owner asked if people can paint all over their property. It's pretty clear it is immoral, sinful, wrong, whatever you want to call it. Don't do it.

[CatherineM]

I live in "that" part of town. They are trying to clean out the drug dealers by helping the merchants redo their facades, and doing beautification on the sidewalks. One building was especially pretty including colored awnings. A gang painted the whole neighborhood, ruining this new stucco job, the park benches, you name it. It collectively made the whole neighborhood depressed after starting to feel better.

[Autumn Dusk]

grafiti art is not bad, and quite frankly, it can be beautiful

However, the act of grafiti, when you're doing it to a building that dosn't belong to you or is under your legal control is immoral and illegal. Often they are really just "tags" and gangs marking their territory.

[soccer girl =D]

completely agree w/ autumn dusk.....

[cmotherofpirl]

If you want to beautify your bedroom and you own it - then go for it. Otherwise, leave private property alone.

[thessalonian]

Weather it looks pretty or not as CMP stated if it's not your property you better get permission or it's wrong.

[prose]

Does no one here know how to spell graffiti?

I think it is a sin if illegal.

But I think it is a high talent, and potentially very profitable business. Several places now pay graffiti artists to decorate their buildings in an attempt to prevent the vandal-type graffiti.

[Galloglasses]

Why is everyone here sound like they're assuming i've actually done Graffiti?

[Paddington]

[quote name='Galloglasses' post='1492095' date='Apr 3 2008, 08:37 PM']Why is everyone here sound like they're assuming i've actually done Graffiti?[/quote]

Nobody said you did. It's the bee of the eyeholder.

[Autumn Dusk]

i never said that you did anything, but typically, a person dosn't ask questions out of pure curiosity. Usually, they have an emotional connection to the problem.

[goldenchild17]

I like graffiti art, but just do it on your own stuff, or where you have permission and you're fine.

[kujo]

It's wrong to break an unjust law; however, in this case, the law protects private property from being defaced (or "enhanced") by graffiti. If a business wants graffiti art for their building, they'll contract someone to do it.

That said, I can definitely see the point of view that bridges, overpasses and street signs are fair game because we pay for them as taxpayers; however, I think they are classified as city property and, thus, can be regulated.

I also see a lot of validity in the "broken window theory" which says that areas with a lot of graffiti, broken windows, unkept streets, abandoned cars and prostitutes/drug dealers on every corner are generally the areas with lots of crime because the overall environment is not condusive to lawfullness. The perception is that it's an unsafe/unpatrolled neighborhood, so you could probably get away with whatever you want. This was one of former-Mayor Giuliani's guiding principles when he cleaned up New York City in the 1990s.

Edited April 7, 2008 by kujo

[Deb]

It is not immoral or sinful if it is done in the privacy of a public restroom stall.

[knightec]

[quote name='Deb' post='1495944' date='Apr 9 2008, 09:12 PM']It is not immoral or sinful if it is done in the privacy of a public restroom stall.[/quote]

[the 13th papist]

I'm currently studying in europe, and there is a ton of it here. It's kinda disgusting to see that much lack of respect for the belongings of other people/ the state. It makes me rather angry when anything, especially histrical monuments are defaced in such a way. However, this is nothing against the art form. I actually like it, but it should be reserved for one's own property.

[Deb]

When it defaces, it is horrible. I could not believe how much graffiti there was on the cross on top of Cross Mountain in Medjugoje. How anyone could write on it was beyond me. Two people actually had placques made of their intentions for someone and somehow mounted them on the base of the cross. I know someone paints it periodically but, whoa. Very disrespectfull.