Response to "Bomb It"

When I'm driving on the interstate there are two things I cannot stand:


1. Slow drivers that wont let you pass them.


2. The random ugly black graffiti writing I see on the over pass.

I don't know if I'll ever understand the slow drivers, but after watching the documentary "Bomb It" I gained some insight on graffiti artists and their motives. The documentary spoke with graffiti artists around the world, and talked about the history and launch of graffiti as an art form, and also as a felony. After watching the movie I have no choice but to see both sides of the graffiti situation. I come from a traditional style, law abiding family, with traditional morals. If you asked my mother about the writing on the buildings she would say something like: "Those little rebels think that they own everything, they don't listen."

But they problem with my Mom's opinion is, who is listening to the "rebels," who’s parents are stuck in poverty, or have left them alone? Who is listening to the young adolescent who has nothing but the gang he "Bombs" with? Children who rebel are not normally the kids who have everything; they are not the kids with happy family lives, or with college plans and a steady girl friend.

The kids who rebel are the kids that have nothing, the kids who need to be heard. Their voices are simply not enough, so they turn to graffiti. It's a way for them to say "Look, I'm here!" As I was watching the movie “Bomb It” I was confused that I could relate to these gang members, I thought to myself: “Well geez! They are right!” What has society done to help rebuild the Getto? How come my friend from suburbia has a much better education that my friend from downtown Norfolk? Shouldn’t the family in need get the help that the wealthy man gets because of his money? I guess this world will just never be fair.





Interesting Links:
http://www.bayviewnow.com/story/index.aspx?id=672924
http://www.txmx.de/graffindex.html
http://www.graffiti.org/

Picture from: http://www.fusicology.com/events/15396/bomb-it-postcard-RED-lg.jpg