In response to an article in the Northern Life Magazine by Wendy Bird, the following response was published on Oct 23, 2007

Graffiti is to bullying, vandalism and cowardly behaviour as artwork is to sharing and generosity and communal respect.

Congratulations to Rachel Tessier and her grade six students. They recognize and promote the difference between artwork and vandalism. True visual artists (as these students are) show pride not arrogance. They create. They do not destroy. They offer. They share ideas and feelings without imposing them on others and on their property. In essence they don't bully the world into accepting vandalism as legitimate artwork.

Imposed graffiti is universal. Everyone talks about how it hurts cities everywhere. Yet precious little is ever done by anyone in the community to create the one thing required to curb vandalism: a communal mindset of respect for the property of others.  Sudbury should be VERY proud of this teacher and her students. I certainly am.

Bernard Poulin

Ottawa