graffiti is the pulse of a city (prove me wrong)

I live in a small town in the middle of what feels like nowhere sometimes and rarely have the opportunity to visit a proper city. I've been to Oakland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Offenbach/Frankfurt, and that's pretty much it. However, many of these cities are very distinct in the culture behind their graffiti and I believe it allowed me to see a hugely extensive amount of graffiti despite my limited opportunities seeing it. I'll try to share some pictures if I can find any of the pieces I really liked, but I deleted most of the stuff I saw in Germany because I was stupid.

I'm rambling!! 

If a city didn't have graffiti, it would feel so empty. I don't mean just plain vandalism, destruction and defacing of buildings; I mean the kind of graffiti that takes time, artistry, and effort to master, the risk-taking culture of throw-ups along highways, bridges, and subway/train tracks, etc-- but I also mean stickers, writing on bus stop walls and bathroom doors, brand stickers placed on road signs and hand-crafted tags on postage stickers... If you're not looking, you might not see it-- but it's everywhere.

And these tags, stickers, etc, are names, people, with a story behind them, living beings who are showing the world that they have existed in a moment of time, right there. Screw the law. They are HUMANS, and deserve to show that off. 

Yes, there's gang graffiti. Yes, there is political vandalism. Of course there is. Nothing is perfect. 

But even that allows you to keep your finger on the pulse of wherever you are. The graffiti shows you how these people exist, what they prioritize, how they feel. To an extent, I believe graffiti is essential for the human soul, in this world of corporate minimalism. 

What would happen if they painted over every piece of art, time, and pure acts of adrenaline that existed in your area? Blank walls, memories of those who may no longer be with us completely wiped from existence -- silence? Emptiness, just waiting to be filled again. Do you really believe that it would stay empty for long? 

Anyways, my point is: graffiti is beautiful and necessary. grrrr i love it so much. So much of our life could easily coexist with graffiti when it is done respectfully. These people are out here hanging off of abandoned buildings with maybe a friend or two to keep them safe, painting on overpasses above highways with cars going 60mph+ right below them, practicing their handstyle for hours and drafting ideas in sketchbooks just to put their minds onto the dull cement around us, most of the time with very little positive recognition?? Crazy!!!8