Op-Ed rough draft

Art is a timeless tradition that will never end. Yet through the ages society has continued to oppress new and innovative styles. Graffiti has seen a similar sort of oppression during the last century. The fact of the matter is that man has been writing on walls for thousands of years. Now the problem these artists face is a place to express them. With constant fear of the law artists resort to hiding and living a near criminal lifestyle. These artists shouldn’t be forced into hiding for doing something that they love. In fact they should be given appropriate opportunities to create their work and be inspired by others. In today’s society many things out of the norm are commonly accepted, so the question is why are these artists still considered criminals?
From the law abiding stand point, graffiti is the defacing of property. Vandalism in its truest state. This is a crime and in some instances a serious felony punishable by law. In Boise the law is very strict against graffiti. Artists such as Jay O’Leary face serious punishments including probation. In other large cities there are similar situations and the law consistently looks down on graffiti. The simple facts from the government’s point of view is that graffiti costs money. Man power and supplies to remove unwanted graffiti costs thousands of tax dollars each year. This money could be put into other things if graffiti were eliminated from the picture. In other words it is a nuisance to the tax payers. Although it continues and shows no sign of stopping healthy and safe alternatives must be crated so that the problem can be handled correctly.
Safe and legal alternatives for graffiti have been explored and proven successful. Many cities sponsor walls put up specifically for graffiti in skate parks and such. Places where graffiti is accepted and allowed have shown significant decreases in problems related to graffiti. Another alternative is places where businesses allow artists to paint space in back alley’s where it does not affect the appearance of the storefront. Artists understand that if they are given free space not to overstep their boundaries. They create a mutual respect with the owners usually without even meeting them in person. Having available space free of persecution allows the art to continue and develop. It also allows newer artists looking to make a name for themselves to stay out of legal trouble. Having these alternative more readily available seems like a win-win situation to both parties.