Credit Where It's Due
Let me first commend Metro Pulse on taking the time to photograph the billboard on I-40 and portray the graffiti on it in a positive light [Knoxville Found, Nov. 28]. Unfortunately, you were misinformed about what the graffiti actually said. The side that was photographed was actually done by two different artists: Scar1.0 (BW crew) and Ero (KOS crew). The OPPOSITE side was done by: Kotah (BW crew) and Apes (KOS Crew). Scar1.0, Apes, and Ero are all from out of town. Kotah is a Knoxville native.
I know all of this because the three artists from out of town came here to paint with me and my crew, The BW Crew. However, you were accurate in describing graff as a hip hobbie preformed by youths with ample ambition as well as the ability to "beat the system."
It's nice to see graffiti shown in a positive light. Often times beginners will choose potential spots with poor taste (residential property, well-kept buildings) and give the public more reason to hate graffiti. Those are the kind of writers that get arrested a couple of times and get out of it before they really even get into it. Please understand that there is a huge difference between beginners or half-assed slackers and the truly dedicated writers. The ones that stick with it for the long haul honestly take the whole art form to another level...I could go on and on about the ideology behind graffiti art (just in case you guys ever want to devote another article to graff).
MESKO, BW crew
Knoxville
Stop Locking 'em Up!
Tennessee is not the only state grappling with overcrowded jails. Many states facing budget shortfalls are pursuing alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders. With violent crime continuing along a downward trend, the drug war is the principal reason the United States now has the highest incarceration rate in the world.
A study conducted by the RAND Corporation found that every dollar invested in substance abuse treatment saves taxpayers $7.46. There is far more at stake than tax dollars. The drug war is not the promoter of family values that some would have us believe.
Children of inmates are at risk of educational failure, joblessness, addiction and delinquency. Not only do the children lose out, but society as a whole does too. Incarcerating non-violent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education in criminal behavior.
Turning drug users into unemployable ex-cons is a senseless waste of tax dollars. It's time to declare peace in the failed drug war and begin treating all substance abuse, legal or otherwise, as the public health problem it is. Destroying the futures and families of citizens who make unhealthy choices doesn't benefit anyone.
Robert Sharpe
Drug Policy Alliance,
Washington, D.C.
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