…but I have to disagree with your opinion about what does and does not “trivialize” the act of chalking. While I agree that chalking should be treated responsibly (why give the administration more ammunition against it?), I think that the most subversive tactic is to chalk un-self-consciously. If every message written on the ground is a carefully crafted political statement, where does that get us? In being ultra-conscious of chalking as a political act, we’re missing the point. All the joy of “freedom of expression” gets taken out if we don’t actually feel free to express ourselves.
Mark, I agree with you when you tell us to take chalking as if it were always ours. But I think that the best way to do that is to chalk whatever and however we want. Want to tell your friends you love them? Awesome. Want to quote some philosopher you read in class that you think sounds kind of cool but know nothing about? You’re kind of a tool, but you should still do it. Want to cover the entire sidewalk between Olin and Andrus in pink and purple stripes? Please do. Chalk whatever makes you happy, whatever you want people to think about, whatever you think would make people smile. Basically, if Danzig wants to chalk Disney lyrics all over campus, he should do so. And I think everyone’s day would be a little better for it.
Leave a Reply