Political Taggers

It is amazing to me that some politicians can campaign so dramatically about harsh penalties toward taggers and graffiti writers, yet they themselves are massively tagging our neighborhoods with their names. They believe that the end justifies the means in their case. They are looking to get elected by brainwashing ignorant people who never bothered to study the issues to vote on name recognition. For this we are supposed to tolerate their tags.

It is politically significant when an individual or business posts a political sign on their property but most campaign signs are placed on private property without the owner’s permission. Typically vacant lots are densely tagged by political taggers. They avoid public sites because there is some enforcement of existing laws if someone complains. It is currently illegal to post on private property but this is mostly not enforced.

As a high school teacher I believe that we cannot persuade young taggers to treat their neighborhoods any different if the politicians are allowed to get away with this activity.

CHARLES WILKEN

Van Nuys