Political Expression or Acts of Civil Disobedience

I'm a supporter of political expression regardless of whether you are Republican, Democrat or something in between. As an adherent to Liberal Republicanism....if there is such a thing....I can say I have some leanings to the right. However, those are economic ideas, principles and freedom based values. On the social side, I believe in the inherent rights of individuals. The right of individuals to express their beliefs in acceptable pathways.

Is this political persuasion or civil disobedience?

I would bet that it is a touch of both. There is a definite political argument here but it does violate some laws as they relate to damaging public property. While I can applaud the political expression, I cannot agree with it costing the tax payers money. It will take a few dollars to strip and clean off the work. Dollars that we all worked too hard to earn!

As a Republican who looks at this picture, I can feel a little ping as my sense of values, based on my own limited perspective, is teased. However, as a person who enjoys lively debate and is open-minded to alternative views I "get it". There is a valuable message we can learn from this act and how the needs of some youth are not being met.

Do we see the similarities between ourselves?

Did I mention this is one of my favorite coffee shops? It is and it is embedded in a highly liberal area. Being a Republican doesn't mean I don't enjoy people from various backgrounds and beliefs. Each person I meet has something valid and important to say. It just depends on whether political leadership is listening to the deeper message or not.

Hoping someday to take more of a leadership position in political life, and of a scientific mindset, I can say that the message displayed here is one of fear. Of course it is only my humble opinion. It is fear of ones life, validation of needs, and the desire to feel connected to society. They are saying, "I have something to say, and my needs are not heard,"...so I'm going to paint it on the street!

Engagement might be the cure!

How we draw younger adults to engage in more constructive criticism and push for meaningful change in society is a monumental task. There is a lack of trust that seems to be etched in society between the two camps of political thought. As a nation we should ultimately be more concerned with creating a better nation for the next generation. It is our duty to draw them into appropriate political expression and push their efforts toward making society a better place to live.

Are the two political sides actually listening to each other or are they just drowning out the conversation?

As a Republican I have faith that we can better connect to young people and help them realize the importance of contributing to society in helpful ways. That may be developing a sense of community, engaging in pursuits that better themselves, supporting acts that strengthen society, and expressing themselves in appropriate outlets. While I may disagree with some of the things that have been said, I can steadfastly support some of the general philosophies that have not been tampered by the "spirit of the day". As a mechanism of political expression, I would hope we could keep the streets and public property free from political expression, or civil disobedience, as you might choose to define it!