Letter to the editor, the New York Times, March 24, 1994:

"In a City of Graffiti, Gangs Turn to Violence to Protect Their Art" (news article, March 13) captures the exuberance young men experience as graffiti writers, or taggers, as those you describe in Los Angeles call themselves. Rather than identify and guide this energy, adults see graffiti only as a vandalism issue.

I have been a teen-age counselor for six years, mainly in New York City. I discovered that graffiti writers around the world are highly organized: they hold conventions, publish magazines and establish international reputations. For many, family, school and work are irrelevant, if not downright miserable, and don't come close to the brotherhood of graffiti in providing, believe it or not, a sense of respect and accomplishment.

Furthermore, writing graffiti is a better choice of activities than pure violence. Los Angeles has had a violent gang subculture for years; it's no surprise that graffiti writers carry weapons. By contrast, New York's graffiti subculture began from an urge to compete through art.

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