Picture I-215 from Wasatch Boulevard all the way to Sandy. There are at least two dozen different insignias on the red walls of the highway signifying gangs and their symbols. Add to that anyone's urge just to doodle on the highway overpasses, creative or not. Does seeing this have any impact on us as we drive by? Yes, it does. The vulgar words are imprinted into our minds and our scenery is distorted. I feel encroached upon and insecure about what lies ahead.
Vulgarity is used so often relating to vandalism that it becomes normal to see it. On a "dip" sign in my area, one degrading word has recently been added to it by someone who just wanted a good laugh. Even though it is just one sign in a neighborhood, I wonder why anyone would do that in the first place.Think of public restrooms. In any school from elementary on up to high school, one can find writing on stall doors and names etched into the wood and onto the glass. Writing on walls of public restrooms is not an appropriate way to vent one's frustrations about oneself or others. The words are permanently there for everyone who sees it to sympathize with or criticize as they please.
Getting lost in the beauties of nature is one of the most invigorating things I can think of to do. I love Montana with all its pine trees, green grass, wildlife and mountains. Everything I go by seems so pristine. But, even places such as Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and the Uintas have their occasional vandals who have no respect for nature in these preserved parks.
I feel bombarded and overcrowded by everything fed to me along I-215. I sense an uneasiness when around graffiti as if I am in danger, even when I know that not all vandals are dangerous. There is a great amount of good that can be done by individuals and organizations who want to take small steps to beautify our state and express their respect for nature. One church organization held a project for the painting over of areas that had been vandalized. Even though all their paint has an even newer coat of graffiti on top of it, I still think it is great that they tried to help the situation. With enough people concerned about the preservation of our state's beauty I believe that the tide could really change.
Cynthia VanDam
Salt Lake City