Say it; don't spray it

Here is a picture I found online.  I don't know where this wall is, or who sloppily stenciled their philosophy onto it.

The philosophy, I might add, is not the original thought of the person with the stencil and the can of spray-on Krylon.  These words - "I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery" were the words of Thomas Jefferson, who quoted from the Latin " Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem."

And I couldn't agree more.  It's a worthy philosophy, striking the note of being willing to fight for freedom rather than acquiescing to a slave-master.

The old church in 1902

But I'll tell you about something else I really like, and that is old brick walls.  You go to Williamsburg, VA, and see the bricks on the Bruton Parish Church, right in the middle of the restored area, and you realize those bricks were in place when Geo. Washington, Patrick Henry and many others instrumental in founding this nation walked into the church for worship services.

I don't need to see some slogan spray painted on those walls. And somehow I have a feeling that the owner of the wall we see above is not the person who wielded the can of spray lacquer.

I feel this way, and you might disagree, but graffiti vandalism is morally and esthetically wrong.  If you have a burning desire to spray your thoughts (or Jefferson's) onto a brick wall, you ought to be the owner of the brick wall.

Otherwise, we can only wonder what TJ would have thought of this kind of defacement.