A scourge of graffiti permeates Spain. I was shocked by the ugliness of its walls. This photo was taken while hiking through an underpass in Iguzquiza. I've read this problem exits in much of Europe.
Graffiti is not a just symptom of social problems, it's a creator of social problems.
A 'broken window' theory claims that when people and governments ignore vandalism, be it smashed windows, graffiti, or whatever, it conveys an attitude that says, 'we don't care.' When a culture of indifference takes hold, social harmony declines into social disconnectedness.
Here in the USA, graffiti was commonplace during the 1970's through 1980's. Not any more. Today the walls in cities look cleaner.
During my travels about America, I've noticed another change. People seem happier with each other. Could a crackdown on graffiti be contributing to this trend?
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