Graffitti often degrades public buildings/offends.

Graffitti art, although sometimes well done and artistic, can be a violation of public and private space and the sensibilities and the right of the public to enjoy public buildings and space without having outlandish, garish and sometimes obscene and/or offensive images and phrases, that may glorify violence and criminal behavior, thrust into their vision.

Graffitti artist often believe graffiti to be a means to get their art noticed and express themselves but more often then not, painting graffitti in public and private walls, without consent, is simply a way to get arrested and destroy your own lungs and sinus cavities through inhaling the toxic fumes emitted when you spray paint graffiti on such buildings or any building for that matter.

Also people who own the buildings that you spray paint on and the people who work for them are forced to use large amounts of dangerous paint removers and toxic chemicals to remove the graffitti which is detrimental to their health as well  as damaging to the environment in cities where graffitti is excessive.....and to the atmosphere in general.

Building owners also sometimes have to hire others to remove the graffitti for them at great expense if the graffitti is over a large area.

Another thing to consider when engaging in graffiti painting is that when you do so your example is set for other youths/others around you to do the same thing.....this can lead to their eventual and repeated arrest and also sickness from breathing in the dangerous fumes associated with graffitti painting.

Many people develop lifelong lung problems and even die from breathing in these types of fumes.

When we break laws and destroy and degrade public and private property most people simply don't care about our creation they just wish it was not on a formerly clean or beautiful blank wall.

Although it's understood that underpriviledged youth and graffitti artist have the need to express themselves, doing so through painting on public buildings without the consent of the public or of the owners of the buildings.....most people would agree..... is not a legitimate way to of creating art that brings positive change, beauty and love which is what many people believe that art is or should be about.

Many people believe there is beauty in a blank wall and that there is beauty in the lines of a building's architectural design. 

Even though many of us do agree that the graffitti painting style is a legitimate style or school of art, we also believe that it should evolve beyond wall painting and enter into the world of fine art and off of public and private walls and out of alleys where consent was not givin to do such art.....and put into consentual space or on canvas and paper and other mediums, such as scupture form, where it can get the respect it deserves in museaums and internal private spaces, if it is indeed worthy of such artistic respect, which surely much of it is.

We the undersigned agree with the sentiments of this author.