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Rash of graffiti linked to Slaughterama?
04/09/2009 10:05 PM by John M
Last Friday night, prominent Union Hill properties were tagged repeatedly with monikers such as “Skdmrx” and “Rakun.” The properties hit were mostly along the Jefferson Avenue corridor: The Family Market, Inner City Blues, the tailor’s shop next door, and the former Jumping J’s. The timing and bicycle motifs have led to speculation that the graffiti is related to last weekend’s Slaughterama.
The Richmond Police are currently investigating the incidents, and are seeking reports of any other graffiti from the same weekend.
I hope the perps or perhaps the event planners will volunteer to clean this mess up. Short of that, I know that event and its out-of-town attendees won’t be welcome in the neighborhood again.
quite possibly the worst graffitti by the most talentless writers I have ever seen in Richmond. Maybe skdmrx is talking about his underwear.
Personally, I feel sorry for the Cutthroats/the organizers of the event. They are nice local folks (with families) who host an outdoor event on Belle Island with bicyles.
I especially love seeing all the kids with tricked-out modified bikes. However, the fact that some of the Slaughterama participants did this tagging is just sad.
Sources say, the kids/20-somethings who did the tagging were visiting other Slaughterama participants who share a house in Union Hill. After the gathering, they left their mark on the neighborhood where their “opponents” live.
What’s so pitiful about this is that not only was the tagging cowardly, but the whole community is victimized by it. We just had Jefferson Ave repaved, the round-about at 25th is finished and the whole neighborhood looks great, except, for spray-paint scrawling that is offensive to everyone who lives here.
Perhaps the hosts of the vandals will volunteer to remove the stuff. Nah… I doubt it. Birds of a feather…
^Uncalled for. A lot of the bike folks I know are very nice and respectful people.
That being said, crappy graffiti by out of towners sucks.
After all those fine words by Anon E Mous.
“It would be in
EVERYONE’S BEST INTEREST to continue their normal lives and mind to their own damn business.
It’s no different than a game of basket ball.
Way to cop a ‘tude.
I hate this graffiti but I really hate this obvious smear based on some idiot’s “speculation”. Way to go, chpn. Hope you’re proud.
“Sources say”? What sources? Who saw these “kids/20-somethings” do this? I suspect the sources are unnamed and the “suspects” are named only because they rode bikes over that weekend.
I don’t like the graffiti any more than anyone else but one should make sure they know who they’re talking about before pointing fingers… I know fro a fact that “visiting other Slaughterama participants who share a house in Union Hill” is inaccurate.
To Readers of Chpn.net:
I am a family member of one of the properties that were vandalized. I am able to say that I know for a fact that the person involved due true live in Union Hill close to the properties that they so called spray painted. I can care less for what the meanings are for what they spray painted but it is bad when you do that to your fellow neighbors. How would you feel if we spray painted deragatory words or slang on your property? Why don’t you put your expression of people on paper or canvas and publish it in a museum? I am not pointing fingers at Slaughterama or participants of the event but I want the record to be reflected that I know who did it and it is a shame that you did not have nothing better to do at 3:15am in the morning after coming from drinking, partying, listening to rock or hard music, playing in the band and entertaining your friends from out of town. Who is to say that they did not help vandalize people property in our wonderful Uinion Hill. Now if someone wants to point fingers turn those fingers to the ones who did it and do us a favor and help us get rid of them out of our neighborhood.
If you know who they are you should report them to the police so ” our wonderful Union Hill”, which it truly is, can be rid of this insult.
#9, as Bill Hartsock, said, if you know who they are then please contact the police, thanks.
It’s times like these when I wonder why some people open their mouths… I at least know why I am opening mine. Seems like it’s pretty obvious that the spray paint was related to the bike event, but then again it seemed obvious to the cops that what Rodney King needed was more force used on him.
I really dig counter-culture events such as this, but it’s not like it’s the X-Games. Clearly there was a lack of organization if no one knows where the event will be held one month or less before it will be held, but who says they have to be organized: the taggers.
Pricks who tag things without any talent, among other obvious problems, really need a public flogging, because you can’t teach them to be role models but beating their asses and then making them clean it up might have a lasting impression.
To Anon E Mous…. STFU. I’m sure you’ll understand that since it’s on your level.
Should you read this, don’t bother to respond because this is the last word and I wouldn’t bother to come back to read your retarded responses.
As much as people complain about graffiti, they sure do seem to leave it there a long time. Here’s a hint: nobody likes to tag places that just get buffed the next day. It’s not worth the risk. And as for the ones on the boarded up buildings – what do you expect?
Anon, “And as for the ones on the boarded up buildings – what do you expect?”
That’s CRAZY!!! Just because a building is vacant, and may have boards on it (to keep vagrants out and keep windows from being broken) doesn’t mean graffiti vandals deserve it as a carte blance canvas for their crime.
FYI, one of the most vandalized buildings in this latest spree of grafitti is the Family Supermarket, which is open 7 days a week and is an institution in this neighborhood.
Down the block, the former Jumpin J’s is owned by an upstanding member of the community, who is in the process of REMODELING and ENLARGING the building for the next tenant.
The former tailor shop is owned by a man in his 80’s who had a stroke and is home permanently disabled. His building is closed, but not unkempt. Would the graffiti perps have preferred to have kicked this old man to the ground instead?
Lastly, grafitti is a slap in the face to ALL the citizens who live here. It’s an eyesore, is depressing and brings down the overall appearance of the neighborhood.
Graffiti impacts the entire community not just the property owner tagged. There is nothing you can say that makes it right.
Just my two cents, but we could sure do without an “institution” like The Family Supermarket. It “is an eyesore, is depressing and brings down the overall appearance of the neighborhood.”
That doesn’t make it OK to vandalize it, though…
Who are you people? you all sound like a bunch of negative Nancy’s. Nobody wants Church Hill to be vandalized, No one thinks anyone/place/thing DESERVES to be vandalized. Buildings/stores/bars are not eyesores….Who defines what an eyesore is? Because i am sure it is different from opinion to opinion. If you do know who they people are turn them in and be done with it. Of course skidmrxxx is talking about his underwear to assume anything else is giving the vandal too much credit.
We all live here together and it is a very diverse lot. instead of focusing on the negative let’s move to the positive. Like what a success Cycle Slaughterama was and how much fun everyone had. How the disorganization and non sponsorship helps create an amazing collaboration of inspired fun and enjoyment by being free. Slaughterama takes everyone to make it, even the shitty graph kids. Believe you me No member of the Cut Throats condone what those people did at all and they have offered to repaint the surfaces at hand. With help from the neighborhood many of the surfaces have been repainted and when the next vandal encroaches on the neighborhood the surfaces will be repainted again, the never ending cycle.
It is very unfortunate that what four people out of 2,000 did is the only subject within this post.
Please google Slaughterama 6 to find some positive feedback during this unfortunate time for Church Hill.
We are glad to have the Family Market as our neighbor and know that the goods and services they provide will change as our demand for them changes. They are becoming active partners with our neighborhood association, and, whether you approve of them or not, they do not deserve to be vandalized. They have placed video cameras outside their building and are working with authorities to bring the vandals to justice. I share Houdon’s hope that the organizers of this event will take the lead in cleaning up our neighborhood.
I agree with Stretch Monster. We really need to work together to develop places like Family Market and its clientele out of here.
OOH.. i get it.. it’s art right?