I remember when I first moved to New York, back in the early 80’s, there was an artist / clubber named Michael Stewart who was murdered by New York transit police. A young black American with a Broad Tip Marker, writing on Sub Way adds lost his life by the brutality and negligence of NYPD graffiti critics–The not so finest NYPD uniformed code of Justice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Stewart_(graffiti_writer)

So, when I hear that police are involved in the arts–other than as protectors. I get a wee bit pissed and squeamish.

I am glad Tom posted this article. For it shows that the Miami Police need to take a course or two in cultural studies and tolerance training.

Thanks for tolerating my obsessive rants regarding this important issue.

I guess the artist or tenants at the above mentioned building were not aware that they as tenants had the right to tell the police to leave the Graffiti artist be. Since the artist / tenant are in authority as caretakers of the property, they must have the ultimate authority who comes and goes from the normal passageways or roof top. Sorry if I offended any one. But hearing that any one went to a Miami jail over expressing them selves on an empty parapet is very disturbing to me.

Opening a can of worms as this article did for me, gets ideas flowing, especially one of my favorites: Personal / private property issues, or as the “Situationist” would phrase it, “Psycho-geographical,” wondering (in relation to the graffiti artist appropriating / exploring / exploiting different routes via roof top splendor)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychogeography

That event illustrates a sad moment in the history of Miami’s developing Art scene. I hope that, at least, any charges are dropped.

His work deserves walls.

By the way humans are not the only species that throws things with intention…look at this site:

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20010527/spectrum/nature.htm

ANT-lions have no relationship with the members of the cat family. They are larvae of ‘doodle-bugs’, insects related to lacewings and alder flies. These larvae are the members of the group of animals who throw projectiles to catch prey.

Living in sandy places in the tropics or sub-tropics, they dig pits as large as 4 inches in diameter and 20 inches deep. These conical depressions act as death-traps for insects on which the larvae feed. To construct the trap, the ant-lion walks backwards in a circle, gradually spiralling inwards. It takes sand on its head and throws it either to one side or to the other, creating a depression of the appropriate size.

After the work is done, this predatory insect hides by burying itself at the bottom of the pit, with just its enormous, pincer-like jaws protruding and waiting for an unfortunate victim to blunder in. Once the victim is at the bottom of the pit, it is almost impossible to climb up because the walls of the pit are very steep and are lined with fine sand, which is far less stable than coarse sand. If, however, the prey seems to be making good its escape, the ant-lion throws sand at it, knocking it back into the center of the pit. There, it can grasp the victim, pierce it and suck out the body fluids.

There are very few animals who hurl projectiles at their prey. One such predator is the archer fish. Ranging from India to northern Australia, this fish is found in different kinds of waters, including fresh, saline and brackish, particularly in mangrove swamps. This fish usually catches insects sitting outside water. The prey sitting on an overhanging twig or leaf is brought down in the water by shooting a spit on it.

To be able to spit droplets of water to any distance, the fish has developed specialized features in its mouth. It has a groove in the roof of the mouth and the tongue is modified to press against the groove to form a ‘tube’, in effect the barrel of a water pistol. At the moment of discharge, the tongue is pressed to the roof of the mouth, the gills closed, and the front of the tongue flicks out the water droplets. A mature fish can knock down an insect which is up to 5 ft above the water surface, and with a degree of accuracy.

Seems that there are frogs and other insects that aim with water…and lets not forget the Camel that shares its misanthropy by spitting at the human race.