Most people agree that graffiti is never really a pleasant experience. Esspecially not when your home or town has been vandalized. Some people appreciate the art and expression that takes place through it, but hardly any of those people would appreciate it if someone anonymously “tagged” the car they drive to work each day. And when you have to look at it constantly, I am sure the “art” aspect gets old. What bothers me more than anonymous puffy letters of random words or even sharpie advertisements in bathroom stalls, are the shameless plugs of political groups, magazines, radio stations and music bands that are left all over West Chester.
These people know who they are.
I have been ranting to friends for weeks about the disgrace of various “art groups” whose stickers show up in my classroom, on the desks and walls and on the tables in Sykes Student Union. Do people not realize someone has to clean up after them? More importantly, do people not realize that vandalism is NOT art?
There seems to be an interesting cycle in all this. Bands sticker-up every street sign in the town where I live, but I can not find out anything about them. Did they break up already? It seems to me that it is the talent less bands that rely on stickers and graffiti to promote themselves.
Bands who can promote themselves through good music do not disrespect public and private property to be heard.
This might sound a bit harsh; most people do not take this issue too personally. If you are a college student and you will only be here four or five years, why does it matter? Well with college students already having a bad reputation among the local residents of the borough, I’m sure leaving their stickers of bad bands and art shows on public property residents have to pay for, would not be a good way to improve relations.
Would you want people coming in to your town, writing on your stuff and leaving?
It’s an issue of respect for others, but it is also about the environment, the law and respect for yourselves, and the places you live, learn, and relax in. I would say worse than littering on the ground, is gluing the litter to a trashcan.
Maybe if more people realized that an obnoxious sticker on a street sign looks just as bad as writing your name on your trash you leave on the side of the road, they would think twice before defacing public and private property.
Sean Deminski is a student at West Chester University.