Back to jail

"Loved by some, hated by many, envied by most, yet wanted by plenty. Steal from the rich, hang with the poor, fuck the world, fuck the law,"  wrote Cheyane Back. 

Unfortunately for Ms. Back, the magistrate didn't get her message and is sending her to jail for three months - well, not for writing that self-serving trash but because Back chose to write what she wrote on someone else's property. In other words, Back is going to jail for graffiti-vandalism. 

Yippee. 

Finally, Back is getting all the attention she craved. Isn't attention what all graffiti-vandalism is about? What is the bloody point of scribbling all those awful, er awesome(?) stuff when no one else is going to read it. In jail, Back should be comforted she would be under surveillance 24/7 and there are the four walls not to mention ceiling and floor of her cell where she can act on her vandalistic inclinations. She must be jumping for joy.

Public opinion has been divided on Back's sentence. Some think it was OTT while others thought it was about time these social pests are brought into line. I am with the latter camp. 

For too long, these vandals (whether it is graffiti art or tagging) sought to have their nuisance behaviour being excused as "freedom of expression". But the reality is there is nothing funny about your walls being used as a canvas for someone else's "freedom of expression". And I utterly see the poetic justice in taking away these recalcitrants' freedom if they think they can simply go around and express at other people's expense. 

Ms Back was reportedly unrepentant, slamming the magistrate saying, "I think (the sentence) was absolutely ridiculous for my first charge and for something so small." Well, honey it may be small for you but not for the people you have so rudely taken for granted. And does it matter whether it is "first charge"? A charge is a charge and should be treated as a charge. Why should the law discriminate against first, second, third, et cetera?

The sad thing about this affair is that graffiti-vandalism will continue to haunt us. There are many before Back, and many more will come after. Sending Back to jail won't reform her either. But boy, does it feel good.