Vandal doesn't understand true meaning of anarchy
Editor,
When I looked at the Lobo on Wednesday morning the first thing I saw was the photo of the message from an “anarchist” left on a wall at Smith Plaza.
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Eager to transfer to UNM, let me say something about myself. I am 36, I have four kids, a 3.6 GPA and I work 20 hours a week. Before I began to attend CNM, a friend, who apparently saw some talent in me, literally had to beg me to even check out the school, apply for financial aid, etc. I gave up a $10/hour job with benefits to come back to school. Now I can say that I am extremely proud of my achievements, and for the first time in years, I recognize potential in myself and I can see my future as more of a concrete reality, with a real shot at success.
Which brings me to my point:
Being accepted to the University three years ago seemed so abstract, and the fact that now I will be attending is a dream come true.
So I wonder — how does the person who painted that message feel about his or her own education? I mean, here he or she is, at a university, learning various disciplines, math, science, English, history, philosophy, etc., but oddly, amid all of this learning he or she is at a point where anarchy seems more appealing?
One thing that disturbs me about this is that I feel this individual is truly not familiar with what anarchy really is. In fact, looking through history, anarchy has never really been a successful system — it usually involves violence and starvation.
Sure, many of us don’t want to live in a police state — but do we want all of the crazies and criminals running around without institutions to keep others safe, and to protect our individual liberties and properties? They should ask themselves — “How well did anarchy work in Rwanda? Somalia? Croatia? Nepal?” Not well; not well at all. I am also thinking of this person’s family. Maybe the person is paying for his or her own education, but based on the immaturity of his or her act of vandalism, I doubt it, which makes me wonder — are the vandal’s parents shelling out money for him or her to behave in this manner? Or is he or she using federal money to pay for it?Either way, the individual cannot argue that the “establishment” is the destructive force, when he or she has committed a crime against public property. See, that is why we have laws — because individuals such as this cannot leave things that don’t belong to them alone.
The other thing that bothers me is that I feel the individual doesn’t realize how involved he or she is with implements of society — the or she is using nearly as much as the rest of us. Sure, he or she may be a vegan, may recycle, and may use the bus instead of owning a car, but he or she is a hypocrite. He or she needs to learn what went into the manufacturing of the spray paint he or she used — the chemicals, the land used for the paint factory, the jobs created by the manufacturing of the paint.
Also consider that spray paint is pretty toxic — a good contributor to ruining the quality of the atmosphere. He or she should also consider that it costs money to build that wall, and it will cost money and man power to clean and repair the wall. I would imagine this person spends a lot of time on a computer searching for more conspiracies and reasons to complain about American debauchery. If there were anarchy, there would be no Internet — and possibly no computers. And no colleges to vandalize.So I guess the last thing I’ll say to this individual is this: If you are tired of society, then leave. Go out and live in the woods in Montana or Dakota. You will be free of capitalism, free of rules, free of the organized society that angers you. You see, as oppressive as you think our society is, you have the freedom to leave.
I have the freedom to earn my degree, get a productive job, and raise my four sons as productive citizens. Yes, my friend, I am my own master. And I can be my own master without vandalizing property or complaining constantly about a society that gave me and many others a second chance in life.
I was just like you once. Then I put down the bong and grew up.
J.A. Graves
Daily Lobo reader
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by Summerspeaker
Which system hasn’t involved violence and starvation, Graves? Anarchist organization had striking success during the Spanish Civil War, though fascists and Stalinists soon crushed the movement. I get impression that you’re unfamiliar with the spray-painted symbol you’re referring to. Rwanda, Somalia, Crotia, and Nepal are not examples of anarchism in action. Strife between many bloodthirsty bosses could hardly be further from Kropotkin’s dream. The symbol and ideology have a history and specific significance. Your assertion that anarchy would oppose the development of the internet is particularly laughable. To the contrary, the internet serves an example of anarchist principles put to practice.
I reject the notion that there’s anything wrong with spraying paint on a wall. The paint hardly impedes with a wall’s function. The expense you talk about comes as result of aesthetic values combined with a desire for control. I support this sort of vandalism; I hope to see more of it in the future.
¡Viva la revolución social y libertaria!
by Sari Krosinsky
Graves is confusing anarchism with absence of government. I don’t know the tagger’s particular views, but I assume s/he is referring to some form of the many complex ideologies embraced under the term anarchism, of which the unifying principle is absence of hierarchy, not of order. Anarchist ideologies range from Benjamin Tucker’s individualist concept of a system of one-on-contracts for every relationship (he even made contracts with his daughter) to communalist ideologies resembling a sort of socialist direct democracy.
Whether any of these ideologies could really work is another question – they’ve never been tested, any more than pure democracy, capitalism, communism, etc. have ever been tested. But to suppose an anarchist must be acting without thinking is simply misinformed.
by r0botluv
A tip for next time you share your opinions Graves: a tad of research helps you sound less like an ignorant git.
Your notion of anarchy is one which is based in fantasy and diluted assumptions. Smart people have been discussing the concept of Anarchy for long before you and your stupid kids were around; open up a browser and read a little about it.
Geez, as a college student you’d think you’d have already tried that…
by Danny V
Hey Graves
you forgot to tell them to get off your lawn
by mArketAnArchist
It’s apparent that Graves is the one who is misinformed about the true meaning of anarchy. Anarchism can be used to describe any “system” without government, though there are various ones, both individualist and collectivist. Any proponent of anarchism is not advocating the abolition of all civilization, but the abolition of government. If Graves were correct, there wouldn’t be any starvation or violence since we have increasing governmental presence; however, the opposite is true. Government is just legitimized coercion or the impending use of force to achieve its ends. The world, despite the presence of many governments, is still filled with violence. There are wars between states funded through taxation, which each state’s subjects have no choice of paying for fear of punishment. Any proposed form of anarchy calls for the end of the violence which is seen as being completely legal.
On a side note, Graves said with anarchy that we’d be “free of capitalism”, but free exchange of goods and services, without any government interference, is the most pure form of capitalism. Perhaps Mr. Graves isn’t ready to attend UNM.
by ...
“I was just like you once. Then I put down the bong and grew up.”
So your saying the spray painter is immature and you decide to say that?
Google is your friend, do some research on Anarchist ideologies, it will help when writing an unbiased article.
by ...
Sorry for above, didn’t realize this was the opinion section, my mistake. Go ahead and delete my post.
by Keith
Anarchism, really nice idea. No government, no hierarchy, no rulers. That is a recipe for nothing getting done. Anyone who has ever had to get anything done knows this does not work.
J.A. Graves sounds like a guy who has actually been out in the world and held accountable.
The responses his letter has received all missed the fact in even in a system of Anarchy, vandalism is not cool. If the respondents to his letter had done their homework they would know that destruction of property is not cool, unless it is yours, and even then it depends on who you read. Sure the university is public, that means it belong to everyone, it is as much mine as yours. No one asked me if they could deface my wall. All systems of Anarchy are based on respecting property. If you just want to go with a dictionary definition then it would be cool, but you guys are talking about systems.
AThe idea that an objects function is not affected by its “aesthetic values” is narrow minded at best, just plain stupid at worst. I doubt the person who wrote that would feel the same way if someone keyed his car, or if someone spray painted her coat. As human being we like pretty things, this is not because we were taught to, or because of some form of control. Flowers are pretty. Art is nice. A messed up wall is a messed up wall, it looks bad, and in turn makes those who see it feel bad. Again, had you done your homework, used the internet, or Google, you would know that.
Graves was not attempting to write an unbiased article about Anarchy. He attempted to write a very biased letter about some idiot with too much free time messing up a wall. Mission accomplished.
Maybe Graves could have been a little nicer. Maybe he could have done a bit more research to see that there is no simple, one sentence answer to what anarchy is. But all you who felt the need to trash him either missed the point of his letter or were to busy being smart to notice. If you people, yes I said “YOU PEOPLE” are representative of the UNM students he is going to encounter while he is here, then he too good for UNM.
Good luck Graves, just be nice to these guys when they are working for you one day.
by craigclower
plenty of jobs in medical coding, get your degree in medical coding and get a job in medical billing. it is easy and i did it myself at http://bit.ly/14YX8y
by l'anarchy
“All systems of Anarchy are based on respecting property.”
lol wut
by Summerspeaker
I stand by what I typed. Keith, I think you may be confusing anarchism with libertarianism. While I can’t think of any leftist anarchist intellectual who specifically addressed graffiti, I can assure you spray-painted slogans and the like have featured in countless anarchist-inspired movements. For example, George Orwell wrote that the hammer and sickle appeared scrawled on every wall during the Spanish Civil War. Rather than running contrary anarchist ideals, this sort of public display has a long history.
Furthermore, you’re intentionally obscuring the distinction between public space and a personal possession. (Though to be honest, I wouldn’t particularly care if someone tagged my jacket. If they put an anarchist symbol on it, I’d be positively thrilled.) When it comes to images on walls, I think it depends on your view of the message. I consider the tagging in question to be art; it’s one of the best things I’ve seen on campus my entire time here. I wouldn’t feel the same way about right-wing propaganda; if it were especially offensive, I might write over it or put a counter beside it. Public spaces should be an area of interacting discourses. My problem comes with thugs attempt to punish folks for communication. Remove graffiti if you must, but don’t harass then folks who put it up.
Props to all graffiti artists out there. Keep up the good work and ignore the haters.
by Keith
If people are not secure in their possessions (property) you just have lawlessness, which is one of the many definitions of Anarchy. Lawlessness implies lack of government, or at least one with no effect, same result.
We live in a society of free speech. I don’t care about the message. Say whatever you like. Go old school and start a newspaper, or pass out pamphlets. Set up a booth and talk to people, or try too. I am unaware of groups being denied the right to assemble here on campus, maybe it is happening. Don’t even bring up the food not bombs people. There speech was not being restricted, distributing food was. Granted some will argue they were/are one in the same, I don’t think so, also don’t think a court would.
As far as attempting “to punish folks for communication” again, not aware that is the case. By the people that I pass by on campus preaching the bible, discussing abortion, wanting to talk about the environment etc, it does not seem this campus is anti-speech or expression. Public space is not the same as public property.
And you would care if someone tagged your jacket with a message you did not agree with. For you it is conditional, for me it is not. I don’t want anyone to tag my jacket or my wall.
“I wouldn’t feel the same way about right-wing propaganda;” So speech you agree with is o.k., everything else? “I might write over it or put a counter beside it.”
“Props to all graffiti artists out there.” Just those you agree with, right? Keep up the good work.
by Summerspeaker
Actually, a court accepted food distribution as political speech in First Vagabonds Church of God et al vs. City of Orlando.
by Keith
Nice! Looks good to me.
by Julie Parker
I agree that vandalism is unattractive on many levels, and I understood your point J.A. Graves. I too am a returning 30 year-old student with an excellent GPA and four children—-and honestly I’m not surprised that the scholastic community responded in such a way. However, I am glad someone addressed the issue.