Graffiti Letters by Students Inspire Others
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Excerpts from letters written by sixth-graders about graffiti at Rosemead’s Savannah Elementary School (Times Dec. 6, 1992) inspired sophomore English teacher Karen Blumenfeld to propose an assignment in argumentative writing to her students at Ganesha High School in Pomona.
Their views on graffiti, ranging from admiration to fear to disgust to resignation, came in a deluge of 88 letters. “Thank you for ‘Children React to Graffiti Problem’--it led me to an exciting assignment in which nearly all students got involved. This is a real accomplishment,” Blumenfeld wrote.
The majority of the writers harshly disapproved of graffiti and related gang violence, but some looked at the problem from the perspective of the tagger, reaching a different conclusion. Following are excerpts, with the original spelling and grammar:
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School should really be the last place for violence, drugs, and gangs. School should be safe for those who wish to learn and teach. But nobody can stop kids from brining guns and knives to school these days. That’s why there should be cops to keep the school safe because the police show authority and respect. Authority and respect can go a long way.
ORION TIPPENS
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