Here We Go Again

Only yesterday I commented on the knee-jerk reaction adults often have when confronting perceived problems with young people. It seems that no matter what the "problem" is, the solution is always the same - ban it. Make a law, forbid, clamp down. Is it any wonder nothing ever really gets resolved?

Today's example is courtesy of Portland, Oregon City Commissioner Randy Leonard. Seems like we have a problem with graffiti here in the Rose City, so, Mr. Leonard's solution is a proposal that includes requiring spray paints to be locked away in stores, requiring those over 18 to show ID and sign for the purchase, and requiring youth under 18 to ... aw, heck -- we just won't let them buy the stuff at all.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am a HUGE property-rights guy, and most tagging is an expensive form of vandalism -- so I am in no way speaking in support of criminal behavior or unsanctioned graffiti. But neither can I support measures that further restrict all young people as a means of addressing the behaviors of some young people, particularly when these measures are nothing more than a "ban it" knee-jerk reaction that does nothing to address the source of the problem. I don't think anyone reading this blog (please comment if I'm wrong) believes that the existence of spray paint is the cause of graffiti. If that's the case, how do you explain the graffiti problems in ancient Greece and the Roman Empire? I'm pretty sure spray paint didn't come around until a few years after that. So, you may ask -- if I'm so smart, what's my solution? Its a legitimate question. Come back tomorrow, and I'll give you my answer.