The Writing's on the Wall: The Debate over getting it off
By Jean Godden
There are two competing views of graffiti. There is the prevalent belief that it should be against the law to deface public or private property. Seattle has been enforcing its graffiti law, arresting perpetrators, ever since the 9th Circuit Court ruled last February that it is okay once again to enforce Seattle’s law. (Prior to the city’s appeal, a federal judge had ruled parts of that law unconstitutional.)
But while most residents are cheering renewed graffiti enforcement, there is a contrary view that it is wrong to penalize free expression and to allow government to define what is and what is not art. This view is voiced by those who believe the city’s law stifles artistic expression and social commentary, especially for marginalized communities.
The contrary viewpoint was expressed by Publicola’s Erica C. Barnett who recently wrote that “Seattle has an obsession with graffiti and the need for ‘order’ that warps city spending and serves as a cover for cracking down on people whose ideologies (in the case of encampment ‘sweeps’) conflict with government priority.”
Barnett voiced her divergent viewpoint after King County Prosecutor Lessa Manion announced charges against 16 individuals in more than 30 graffiti incidents. Those alleged perpetrators were identified in December following a year’s investigation by a special task force. The investigative team enlisted personnel from the King County prosecutor’s and city attorney’s offices, the Seattle Police Department, the mayor’s office, and the Washington State Patrol.
https://www.postalley.org/2025/01/25/the-writings-on-the-wall-the-debate-over-getting-it-off/