graffiti

ok, one thing that i don't much enjoy about city life is graffiti. i know some will say that this is my rural upbringing coming to the fore here, but i don't buy the meme that it's simply 'kids expressing themselves' and 'kids are bored because there's nothing to do in the city'. i basically call nothing but b.s. on that. when i was a kid, i lived in three different towns where there was significantly less to do than there is to keep one entertained here in DC. for some reason, none of the kids in those three places (in georgia, pennsylvania, and michigan) graffitied anything.

i'm not saying that kids there were angels either, but the willful and wanton destruction of another's property (which is what graffiti is) is illegal and stupid. if there's anything that stuck with me from nine years of catholic school (and believe me, a lot stuck with me), it's the golden rule. treat other's as you want to be treated. and no one wants to have their house spray painted by someone else, especially without their permission.

in DC, there are parks, museums, open fields, etc., where kids can keep themselves entertained. all for free. and all within a bike or bus ride from anywhere in the city. i didn't have that opportunity as a kid, though i'm not complaining.

anyway, enough of my rant. i've reported a few graffiti issues to the city's service center, and the one across the street from my house hasn't been dealt with yet. one in shaw has though, so that's encouraging. the ongoing war to have a livable city goes on...