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Laying the law down to a can of spray paint:

PUT DOWN THAT SPRAY PAINT NOW, SIR, OR WE'LL SHOOT!

St. Louis is a funny place. It's not quite "podunk" small, yet not quite "major metropolitan" large. Only recently (within the last 10-15 years) the snot-nosed punks have started "tagging" our city. First it was just in the ghetto areas, but now, it's the young urban whitey gangsta-wannabes have started tagging all their neighborhoods too.

Actually, there have already been local laws against minors in possession with cans of spray paint. The city's really been trying to nip this whole tagging thing before it gets out of hand.

Personally, I think any kid who gets caught with a reasonable assumption of vandalism, should be immediately arrested, and put in juvy jail for 48 hours. Put some fear in some of these punks.

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"I should be calling collect from jail for the things I commit each night in my head" - D. Mustaine.

What's wrong with sprucing up a white, ugly underpass? As long as it isn't profane, somebody's house, or interfering with common people's daily lives, I see no problem with it.

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Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. – H.L. Mencken

I refuse to trade humanity for patriotism.

Well, I drive under that overpass at least once a week.

I'll try to snap a photo if it's still there.

Because we all know that there is a good reason that a kid needs 16 cans of spraypaint in a backpack.

My favorite ways I've seen to deal with graffiti:

1) A friend of mine who is a judge orders juveniles with graffiti charges to "own" a wall and keep it clean and free of graffiti for 6 months to a year. Works. They get really sick of cleaning up the graffiti, and it saves the city money in cleaning it up.

2) Rig sprinklers to motion detectors (this only works in the summer, but it works well. We called these the tagger sprinklers.



Re: "sprucing up" the overpasses...these belong to everyone, not just the punks who want to put their artwork there illegally. I have no problem with graffiti art as long as it's done, with permission, on private property.

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.

These stupid kids aren't going "Bob Ross," and spray-painting "happy little trees." They're defacing public property. No one, and I mean NO ONE wants to see gang tags plastered all over bridge underpasses. Especially the weak-ass gang-wannabes that St. Louis has (the wimpiest L.A. or Chicago gang would so totally massacre the baddest-ass STL gang).

I'd like to arm police with paintball guns, and let 'em shoot on site. Let's see how these little delinquent, snot-nose punks like getting "tagged" themselves.

Or I know...high-powered water cannons. Wash those little cockroaches down the street.

__________________
"I should be calling collect from jail for the things I commit each night in my head" - D. Mustaine.

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Guys, I need more credits! Half a million by end of year! Agna is making an appeal for them, but don't give them to him! Donate to ME only, please!

Ok, but if it's unwanted (and more importantly) not asked for, then is it still acceptable? If Renoir were alive today, would you think it acceptable for him to just go out, and randomly paint on the sides of peoples' houses without permission?

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"I should be calling collect from jail for the things I commit each night in my head" - D. Mustaine.

Sure. I like graffiti art, too. So let them exercise their talent (with permission) on private property. Then, everyone is happy.

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I'll get nicer when you get smarter.