maleficent

Mayor: Cut thumbs off graffiti artists
Well Ok then.. public whippings and televised dethumbitations... Guess what happens in vegas, also gets you punished publically in Vegas... Wonder what the visitor's bureau feels about that

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Redlemon

(Mal, are you holding a can of spraypaint? Looks like you've already tagged the background of your avatar )

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maleficent

Right now, i wouldn't mind having my thumb amputated... I sprained it (or pulled a tendon or something two weeks ago) and the pain hasn't gone away... makes using my blackberry PAINFUL!!!!)

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Bill O'Rights

"Howard Rosenberg, said cutting off the thumbs of taggers won't solve the problem"
Well, actually...I mean beyond how incredibly barbaric and wrong it is...cutting their thumbs off would solve the problem of taggers.
A.) It's incredibly hard to hold a can of spraypaint without a thumb.
B.) Do it publicly, say...twice...maybe three times, and potential "taggers" are gonna go; "Oooh...maybe I might wanna rethink tonights activity agenda"

Seriously though. Although I can understand, and even sympathize with his problem, Goodman needs to reelvaluate his "official" position on such issues.

Kinda funny, though.

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Scorps

You can't live without your thumbs....that would be the stupidist thing to ever do.


With out your thumbs you couldn't eat or drink(without a straw)

Eweser

This is on that line of on one side what we'd like to do and on the other side what we can/should do.

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guthmund

Why not? If people can get by without their arms, surely a gaggle of taggers can get by sans thumbs?

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skier

uhhh no. Cutting off their thumbs would be like spanking a child for catching them in the cookie jar. You're not showing the correct action, you're just punishing the bad action. The kid's just going to get sneakier getting the cookie out of the jar- Graffiti writers will just find validation from the punishment.

Graffiti is about a few things: Social protest, Rebellion, Fame, and Art. Commited writers have been lamenting how graffiti is becoming a mainstream marketing device for major corporations. It's "fashionable". This is so hypocritical considering how graffiti was an anti-social act. It's even moved past being just a counter-culture market icon, but a mainstream one as well.

If Vegas did something so ridiculous as cutting thumbs off taggers, I would say you would see two trends in vegas- first a decline in casual, poor graffiti, and second a rise in high profile/visible peices done, as well as increased political protest graffiti.

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raincity

Here I thought it took a natural disaster to make the mayor of a large city lose his mind. Geeez.

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politicophile

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

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maleficent

that would also include your thumbs should you get caught grafitti'ing

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raeanna74

A public spanking for teens who do certain crimes would not necessarily be a bad thing. A whipping on the other hand could be construed as cruel and unusual.
As for cutting off thumbs - Ok these people defaced public property - so deface them. Except the public property can be repaired or repainted while a person's thumb does not grow back. It handicaps them somewhat. I can just see people coming back and suing the state for handicapping them and getting some sort of support to sit on the duff and devise more kinds of graffiti to paint on freeway walls. So what happens after the 3rd time you catch them painting?? Cut off toes?? Sure make the punishment more severe than it currently is but don't go overboard.

I cannot believe that this guy was not just talking facitiously. He can't really be serious can he? He obviously never thought this through.

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Willravel

I say stick with cainings. Make them earn their signature. I don't think it's barbaric to spank a kid just to show them that there are physical as well as passive punishments for certian actions, so what would be wrong with spanking an adult? For some, prison or fines is nothing but a slap on the wrist. Normally I am a pacifist, but under these circumstances I would be willing to support some physical punishment, so long as the effect wears off. Cutting off thumbs is obviously wrong, and I'll be in Vegas in a heartbeat to protest if this gets any serious attention.

politicophile

The Mayor should understand that the little bastards' brains are concocting the idea of spray painting stuff on public property: the thumbs are just helping to carry out the plan. We need to get to the root cause of the problem. To this end, it would make a lot more sense to advocate lobotomy procedures or, better yet, decapitation. Then again, there would be a great irony in drowning them in a huge vat of spray paint. It would make for good theater, too...

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BigBen

I hate to admit it, and as a liberal (in general) I shouldn't, but:

I agree with the principle of public caning for small offences.


I would love to see a social activist and Grafitti artist ritually cut their own thumb off on broadcast TV to protest the mayors remarks. Imagine the sensation, imagine the coverage, imagine the political message sent to Hat-Rack worthy public officials to THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.

I would be tempted to phone my local newsstation, say "My name is BigBen, I am a grafitti artist, and I want you to film me cutting off my thumb. The one condition I make is that you show it on the news, and distribute the tape to whomever requests it."

Yes, I would be called the CRAZY GUY WHO CUT HIS FUCKING THUMB OFF ON NATIONAL TELEVISION, but if spun properly, my agenda would receive incredible exposure, and my opponent would be humiliated.

My 2 cents, from a guy who has both thumbs and hates grafitti. What is worse than grafitti? Having elected public officials say assinine things like this.

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serlindsipity

Does anyone see the potential for hell breaking loose if they accused the wrong person? that would be rather amusing to see them eat their words (or actions)

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skier

Hmmm. I believe I may have been misunderstood on my stance towards spanking.

I have no problem with spanking. I think it can be a powerful "teaching" tool for very serious matters. But all the punishment in the world is not going to teach anything unless you provide a better alternative or (if the individual is old enough to understand) a clear and stern explanation of why a bad behavior is wrong.

It's like this- People that do not believe masturbation is wrong only do it in places they will not be caught, whether it's at home or a place they can "get away" with it. Others enjoy the thrill/danger of sex or masturbation where they might be seen, because punishment for the act is usually light but still involves being caught doing something "bad" or against norms.

And then there are things we DO believe are wrong. We just plain refuse to do certain behaviors because of our moral standards, which we pick up from the people around us. The trouble is that it's hard to change someone's mind about an attitude or belief. You can help them out, but they have to take the step to a different viewpoint. It's easier just to punish than reform. If you catch a Graf writer and then can take away his reason for writing he's much more likely to stop than if you just hurt, humiliated, or detained him.

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paddyjoe

So the new crop of bumper stickers will read:


I'm a Graffiti Artist and I Vote!

cyrnel

Cutting off body parts for offenses? That'd put a damper on several Vegas vices.

Being completely ignorant of this, are many taggers beyond the kiddie stage actually caught?

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jorgelito

Spanking taggers would be a badge of honor for them I would guess. NO, the best thing to do is to fine them heavily and make them clean it up themselves and other stuff like that. We're too lenient on them. Graffitti is vandalsim plain and simple. It is not protest, nor social commentary beyond the "our gang owns this territory" markings. It's terrorism. Every see a neighborehood terrified of the gangs that "rules" them? Their markings, their graffitti are marks of terror. Used to strike fear and solicit a false sense of "respect" from the community.

The thumb idea is interesting to say the least. Would it work? I wonder. We as a society are definitely way too soft on crime. I don't think caning would work. Those people think it's cool to be bad so they would wear the scar as a badge of honor even. No, making them clean up graffitti in a rival gangs neigborhood would be interesting "punishment". Or how about making them "graffitti" "name here" is an idiot who vandalized public and private property for all to see. sOrt of like public humiliation.

hulk

Terrorism? Hah. It's teens getting a kick out of seeing their name on a wall. Make 'em clean it and every piece within ten miles off and they'll think twice about doing it again.

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Psycho Dad

Put 'em in orange jump suits and make them clean the shit up.

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dlish

instead of a whole thumb, try removing a thumbnail or something.. a lot more painful.. if anything refer to the US methods of torture

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Halx

I like that dude. He's the right kind of crazy. Keep him someplace where people pay attention to what he says and he'll be a never-ending source of entertainment.

However, I'm more of a supporter of the "catapult launching" of vandalists and the such. Once you've been launched from a catapult in public display, you'll never do it again.

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jorgelito

True, true - There's the kids with Sharpies thing. I should have been more specific - I was referring to gang graffitti.

Either way - clean it up!

albania

Taking off thumbs that's just stupid......the death penalty, now that would really lower the amount of vandalism. Or maybe even better some sort of torture, you know like shoving a glass rod up their wangs and smashing it with a hammer, hmm they'll also have to think of something for the ladies.
Seriously, I think he was probably joking or making an exaggerated statement to show his contempt for the act of vandalism, but I didn’t hear him and I don’t live anywhere near Las Vegas. It’s an interesting story that makes me glad we have the eighth amendment.