“Graffiti is Art. It Doesn’t Even Count.”

“Sinnah Back“ is the nom-du-video taken by a comrade of Donna Acevedo. Sinnah back runs around taking video of Anaheim police officers in the course of their duties, accompanied by running commentary that is generally derogatory and often obscene.

Here is one from a weeks ago, titled “Officer offend community member by saying playground looks l” [sic] — a title that says more about Sinnah Back perception of reality than the reality depicted in the video.

It’s long and mostly boring, but I’ve excerpted an interesting exchange between Donna Acevedo, and unidentified woman with her and an Anaheim police officer.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfLo9JHrBmo]

What does the officer say that Sinnah Back finds offensive? He points the graffiti on the walls and the awful condition of the little playground/lawn, makes the obvious and true observation that people should want better for their children, and encourages Acevedo and her comrades to get people together to fix it up instead of just pointing fingers.

Acevedo initially signals her general agreement but as the conversation wears on, she and her companion grow increasingly defensive about the squalor. When the officer notes the ubiquity of graffiti and points out a particularly obscene graffiti while asking if they’d like their kids to be around that, Acevedo’s friend gets upset and objects that “Graffiti is a non-violent crime” (as if that is some kind of excuse) and follows up with this gem:

“Graffiti is art. It doesn’t even count.”

Not, “Yes, officer, you are absolutely right. This is squalor and children shouldn’t have to play in it, least of all with obscenities scrawled on the wall.” She just shot right back with “Graffiti is art. it doesn’t even count.”

And no correction or contrary response from Acevedo.