Is Graffiti Art or Vandalism?
Did you know that if you're under 21 and in New York you can't possess spray paint, broad-tipped markers, or etching acid if you're "on the property of another or in any public building or upon any public facility" and no-one can sell you any of these items? This has led to a group of artists filing a lawsuit against the city.They say "the law violates their constitutional right to free speech" while a lawyer for New York City is quoted as saying "it strikes a "constitutional balance between the First Amendment rights and the need to control the long-standing plague of graffiti".

Well most of these artist/vandalism kids are kids with rough childhoods. so to them instead of following there other ways of killings , drugs, fighting etc..they turn to the street and make art,not causing any harm to no one in my opinion, but when being caught by authority’s are being sentenced for major years in prison for expressing them self's the only way they know how, mainly to get noticed. for people who don’t know about this art they might think it is straight vandalism.

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Graffiti can be an art or it can be vandalism depending on why you are doing it. If people write random things then its no point really. If its a message that can get across to people, then they will pay attention. Some people do it to express oneself. I heard one time that there are workshops that you can go to or like a group that does graffiti on big poster boards, i forgot where it was. But the teacher that was supervising them said that he does this so the students/kids can stay away from drugs and the streets. Its like an outlet for them. I think what this teacher is doing is great. To me graffiti is both art and vandalism, it depends where you do it and for what purpose.