Tagging is vandalism, not art
Editor, The Times:
“Graffiti vandals cost public millions” [page one, April 26] typifies the ambivalence that so often accompanies stories about graffiti as well as the unconscious tension between calling it “art” and feeling obliged to call it for what most of us think it really is —wanton vandalism.
When you then throw in additional article tag lines such as “millions” in removal costs, some folks will no doubt be asking themselves whether removing all of the tagging is really worth the effort and expense.
I write as someone who frequently sends notices to the state Department of Transportation about tagged freeways. As someone who believes even more effort and money need to be assigned to remove graffiti, I am prepared to call all tagging for what it is —environmental blight, vandalism and an eyesore as well as a threat to community safety and cohesiveness.
I see nothing heroic in tagging sign gantries over busy freeways or defacing freight cars, bus stops, buildings and freeway walls and support columns. There is no “art” in this, whatever a tagger might dream it is.
I recommend establishing a central reporting authority to enable better coordination between all the relevant removal authorities and a centralized database of where and when graffiti is spotted.
Database “tags” could be added to entries and then reports downloaded by the various cleanup authorities so that the WSDOT, King County Metro, the city of Seattle, Sound Transit, etc., know which is required to deal with the vandalism.
For the public to have to guess which agency is most likely to deal with the vandalism and then to have to find the relevant online reporting tool is half of the battle in the ongoing struggle against what City Councilmember Tim Burgess has referred to as “environmental disorder.” Let’s streamline the reporting. I believe our communities will all benefit in the short and long term from the faster and more efficient response to the problems that bedevil so many of our communities.
— Tim Whittome, Issaquah
No accountability for ‘artists’
My husband and I own a building and business in Wallingford. We were standing in our shop a couple of years ago and realized that a young man was etching one our tinted windows with a rock. Each and every one of our windows at the ground level has been etched in this way. The cost to replace them is about $700 each.
One of my sons took off on foot and was able to catch the young man. He was held until the police arrived. I assumed since he had been caught red-handed, there would be consequences such as paying restitution and perhaps community service removing graffiti at other locations.
Nothing has happened. This man called a friend on his cellphone while he was being detained and said he had been caught. These graffiti vandals communicate with each other. They know nothing will be done to them so the vandalism continues. Until they are made to take care of the messes they make, nothing will change.
I know the courts are busy, but if vandalism is costing the public millions of dollars, that should be considered when the decision to prosecute or not is being weighed.
I would love to know why these vandals are given a free pass. By the way, referring to the vandals as “artists” simply glorifies the act.
— Wanda Garfield, Wallingford
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