Rock shock

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1. If you had seen somebody trying to topple the
Duckbill, what would you have done? What about if
you witnessed a different act of vandalism such
as somebody spraying graffiti on a wall?
2. Why do some people commit acts of vandalism?
What type of people commit these acts?
3. Do you think graffiti is art or vandalism? When is it
considered art, and when is it considered
vandalism?
4. Have you ever written, drawn or sprayed
something on a wall, desk, bench, toilet door
etc?
5. Is vandalism a big problem where you live? What
can be done to prevent vandalism?
6. Which of the following cases of vandalism are the
most and least serious? What sort of punishment
should they receive?
Scratching somebodys car with a key
Toppling an iconic rock formation in a
natural park
Defacing a famous painting
Spray-painting the side of somebodys house
Destroying cultural heritage, e.g. statues,
temples etc
Smashing a shop window
Setting fire to a forest
Destroying a cash machine or bus stop
Carving your name into a tree
7. Why do some people video themselves
committing acts of vandalism and other petty
crimes?
8. Do you think people are generally more respectful

Rock shock
A : The two videos look very similar, but it's worth noting that in
the first one its a passer-by who witnesses and films the toppling
of the Duckbill. However, in the second video it's actually one of
vandals themselves who does the filming and sharing of the video,
which you might think is a bit strange. People normally try to
hide any wrongdoing that they get up to. You know, they
obviously dont want to get caught and then punished. If you
commit an act of vandalism or break the law, the most logical
thing surely would be to seek anonymity and try to hide your
identity. So why would anyone intentionally share a video of
themselves committing an act of vandalism on Youtube? Where it
can be seen by hundreds of thousands of people all around the
world, including the police. Personally, I think it's got
something to do with the current obsession with fame and
self-promotion, you know, the same sort of thing thats behind
selfies and other forms of digital narcissism. These days,
everyone wants to be a celebrity. We seem to have some sort of
desperate need to do something out of the ordinary which
makes us stand out from the crowd in some way. One way is to
appear on one those awful talent shows on TV, but there are
obviously some people who are prepared to break the law in
order to become famous, even if that means getting punished
for it.
B : Well, I suppose there are all sorts of reasons. But I think one
of the most common is so people can vent their frustrations,
which is often combined with a desire to challenge authority.
Its an easy way for people who feel they are powerless to let off
steam and have a go at those who are in control. You know, stick
two fingers up to the people you think have wronged you in some
way. But acts of vandalism are often perpetrated with another
kind of audience in mind. Vandalism, and especially graffiti, is
commonly associated with street gangs, where its often about
being accepted by your peers, showing bravado, and looking
cool by having the guts to do something dangerous or
transgressive. Obviously a lot of graffiti is ugly and
meaningless, the result of mindless frustration or boredom. But
its also regarded as a form of artistic expression, as well as being
a way of criticising the society in which we live. Banksy is probably
the best-known exponent of this type of protest graffiti. His
aim is to make the passer-by think critically about society and
draw their attention to social injustice. As for who commits