Chavez 1

Carmen Chavez-Aguirre
Professor Jackie Hymes
English 115 MW 11-12:15
27 October 2014
Graffiti: Art or Vandalism?
For my argument topic I chose graffiti because many people have conflicting
views on this topic. Many people see graffiti as only vandalism and they fail to see the
true beauty behind some of these pictures. What draws me to this topic the most is that I
live in a city full of graffiti. South Central Los Angeles is a city where people can use
graffiti to express themselves and show their true talent. There is one specific artist that
uses the graffiti as a way to express himself. His name is Banksy and he uses graffiti to
portray very important issues such as the government, war, and expressing the
importance of peace. There have been many officials that do not agree with the pictures
he makes but in my opinion they are necessary. I think that graffiti can me considered art
and not just vandalism but it really just depends on the prospective and how you look at
what is being shown in the art. My proposal is that graffiti is art and not just vandalism
and there should be a place for these street artists to show their skills without getting in
trouble or judged for that is being shown. I believe that it has to be justified to show art
and not feel restricted or confined by people that are too prissy to see what is really being
shown and the truth behind important topics expressed through graffiti.