Horizontal Crimes of State

I am not saying that state-sponsored terrorism has ceased, I am not even saying that it is in decline. What I am saying is that a number of the countries normally associated with state-sponsored terrorism, Iraq, Syria, North Korea and Libya, for example, are undergoing or have undergone radical changes. Whether it has been the death of their leaders, the Arab Spring or the intervention of outside influences, the brand of terrorism once generated by these and certain other countries has, at least by appearances, diminished for the time being.  

Belmont Shore residents who are cognizant of the dangers of governments engaging in both illegal and immoral actions against their own citizens and citizens of the world could normally sleep more peacefully at night knowing that some of this villainy has waned. But should they sleep more peacefully?!?  

NO! NO! NO!  

I am quite sad to report that in THIS nation, collusion exists between various local governments including our very own city to engage in sanctioned activities for which regular citizens are both prosecuted and incarcerated. These acts are done in the light of day with complete impunity. They are literally a blight to which many turn a blind eye. Are they as wanton and barbarous as state-sponsored terrorism? Not really. Are they violent or involve assault? Yes! Assault upon the eyes! Violent to the aesthetic peacefulness of our seaside community!  

Of course, I refer to state-sponsored graffiti! It seems that agents of government, either as public service workers or private contractors, regularly deface public property and rights-of-way with "tags" purporting turf attributed to certain "utilities." They are no better than common street gangs carving up neighborhoods for their own nefarious purposes. These abhorrent markings can be found at nearly every intersection in the city. And they are not limited to streets either with markings appearing on sidewalks and even on parkways and grass in publicly-owned areas. That's OUR land, yours and mine, being victimized and abused by so-called public servants.  

It is commonly understood that, as the governed, we rightfully allow ourselves to be coerced by the mostly benign forces of local, county, state and federal government in the interest of law and order. Such flagrant disregard for the sacred bonds between the governed and their government, as are these willful acts of mostly horizontal graffiti, is a call to every citizen to rise up against the slaughter of public beauty, against the debasement of our ingresses and egresses, against the defilement of our walkways and ways of life.  

The threats made upon us by the greater world, the inducements to war, the vagaries of fragile economies, the predation of poverty, these we rail against daily in addition to our own struggles as a free people living by the grace of God. Must we also, bearing the burden of so much, fight even for our own small patch of unspoiled land?

Tim Bulone is an ardent observer of life on the swirling blue marble. He works at Davis Group Consulting and creates fine art and canvas prints which he likes to sell from time to time at http://www.MyFamilyArt.com He is an early morning pedestrian in Belmont Shore, where he resides with his wife and a variety of pets.