Potosi is the location of a prison facility where lethal injections had been carried out. Unclear whether the reference is just to the prison or to the whole town. (Maybe the grafitti artist will see this and add a clarification!)

The 'A' deliberately drawn through the circle is a very old (1980's) sign for the Anarchist movement. But, based on their principles, they were never able to organize. Maybe they want to rename Potosi like Flat River did. (I used to work with a guy who pronounced it Pot-o-sigh) Maybe Willie Nelson painted this to advertise his new BioFuel plant there.

I knew the anarchy bit, and I was also wondering if the graffiti referred to the town or prison in some manner. I have been googling both possibilities every which way but loose, and have come up short. I did not know Willie's bioFuel plant was there. Maybe that's a clue? And to see this sign in a truly ravaged part of St. Louis is interesting also. I wonder if this particular piece of graffitti is anywhere else...

"Fire to the Prisons" is a popular slogan seen tagged around South City. I'd suggest that: clearly, the intent of this one's the prison, not the town.

I have a growing collection of shots like this on my flickr site. There's a large one, for example, that just cropped up on the wall of the bank lot at Arkansas and Hartford: "Happiness is Collective Action Against State & Capital."

This particular one's new to me, though. Thanks for the tip.

Thomas, if you want an email of the original pic, let me know. By all means, put it up on your site. I have a growing curiosity with this particular type of graffiti, and I will continue to take shots.

Dude, I was kidding about Willie. Never take me seriously.

Death penalty inmates are transferred from Potosi to Bonne Terre for the execution. Prison staff and inmates can development familiarities over a long sentence or long haul of the death row appeals process. Moving an inmate for the execution helps reduce the emotional strain on staff.

The anarchist circle A symbol is also graffiti by some very nice boys from very nice families who go to very nice high schools. They wouldn't be vandalizing so much if they had to get jobs to pay for the gas and car insurance that allows them to roam around looking for ways to rebel against the system.

Thomas - there's also a new one in the S. Grand Bread Co parking lot on the trash dumpster in the back row. It reads "Sleep, America, Sleep" and has a corresponding Circle A on the bus shelter.

Howard, once again you are correct. The anarchist symbol is mostly "tagged" by middle class, white youts(did he say yout) that KNOW that daddy will get them out of trouble. At least it was when I was a kid.

OK, I have to be the one to point out that Willie could never have a BioFuel plant in Missouri because he is not a "Republican Farmer."

Boy, I'll be glad when the "pay to post's" come back this fall.

We down here in STL hills had the same graffitti last year. If what Howard and Tim says is true it would make alot of sense.

I've read notes before that insinuate that "rich kids" are generally behind these types of graf outbreaks, and while I realize that a chunk of graf-writers, taggers and others from these activist/anarchist-oriented scenes come from nice, suburban backgrounds, I don't think it's an overall, accurate summation of what's happening in pockets of South City, nor does it really paint the picture of who these "kids" are.

While I have often in personal conversations derided some of the e-postings, taggings and political actions of this loosely-affiliated group, I know that it's an increasingly public, and growing group of people, diversifying their actions from zine publishing to developing circuses and even businesses, of sorts.

The RFT did a piece - "Meet the Anarchists," I think it was called - a couple years back and while I'd always spin things a bit differently as the writer, I thought it did a good job, ground-level job of describing this community.

All I said was that the Circle A is also used by some kids from a more privileged class. I was speaking of some young men who live in St. Louis Hills and Lindenwood and go to private high schools and some county kids in private schools. Their Circle A sometimes accompanies other vandalism- tearing up tennis court netting, turning over picnic tables, fireworks, setting fires, climbing on top of park structures and attempting to do damage with hammers, stealing or destroying flags and lawn ornaments, etc. Their damage is mostly in the St. Louis Hills, Southampton, Tilles, Lindenwood, Clifton, Sublette Park areas. Sometimes they vandalize without the Circle A. It's been going on for a couple years now. One or two of them recently switched from using the Circle A to N-word vulgarities.

I grew up in WG and knew of many kids that got a big thrill out of going to the city and hanging out in the bad areas. The Anarchy symbol only states that "I am tired of getting hit with a golf bag when daddy hugs me going out the door to the links." Boomers make the worst parents. But, "The Greatest Generation" gave birth to them.

I did not read the RFT article. Maybe there is an organized effort to disorganize. But, I then refer to my first post. (Not the Willie part.)

Generalized comments about upper-middle class white male archists/activists/discontents are just that, generalized comments. Furthermore, the circle-A has been a staple of punk and iconclast pop culture for so long pretty much anyone will appropriate it for whatever purpose.

For disambiguation, here's the link to RFT article about local anarchists. Interesting read, since it focuses more on activities of specific people, rather than on generalizations.
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/Issues/2003-06-25/news/feature.html

The grafitti pictured above is likely the work of one person, since similar slogans with comparable "hand"-writing have appeared elsewhere in South City. Here's picture of a tag probably done by the same person, protesting recent (anti) immigration legislation in the House.
http://www.stlimc.org/newswire/display/1591/index.php

My point - and why I'm persisting in trying to get this across, I don't know - is that the "rich kid" thought is maybe there, but the population of South City activists that revolve around certain circles and endeavours (Black Bear Bakery, Bench Press Burlesque, CAMP, Confluence, the Fucking Bike Club, etc.) are usually walking the walk, rather than "slumming" or going through some teenaged/early-20's phase. Politically, I disagree with no small amount of material posed in, say, a Confluence, but I also realize that there's a strange energy happening around the Cherokee corridor which seems to be growing and ain't going anywhere, anytime soon.

What is almost comical to me is listserve chit-chat indicating that there's one person behind this, or that it's a recent trend. As "ben" notes above, much of the terminology and methodology of this graf hits are well-known throughout the world and I tend to think we're just a little slow to pick on that, preferring to blame "gangs" or rogue, individually-acting punks from Kirkwood.

As for the conversation about artistic tagging vs. agitprop sloganeering... that's another whole debate and, frankly, is one I'd like to see the ACC tackle.

The person that wrote smash hr4437 certainly did benefit from a proper education. Unless the School of Hard Knocks now has a Poli Sci degree. If there is going to be a peasant revolution to burn down the prisons a la the Bastile, by all means, lets discuss it. Truth of the matter is, every generation has had people that walk the walk and want to overthow the yoke of the oppressor. That strange energy is youthful idealism.

Congrats Lucas. This is the first post in three weeks with any comments. I do love a healthy dialog. (why at 2:55AM do you ask? Because if baby ain't sleepin', ain't nobody sleepin')

Graffiti is vandalism and should be treated as such, punished instead of tolerated or admired. I have yet to know a person buying a home here based on how cool the graffiti is. To the contrary, I know people who move out of neighborhoods because they got tired of dealing with nuisance crimes.

Amen. I agree with Howard. I think that glorifying it will lead to its propagation. Although, one would think that I would be the grumpy one. Not getting any sleep and all. I was being sarcastic about all of the other topics. Hard to believe.

The web is a beautiful place for anecdotes to become truths: "To the contrary, I know people who move out of neighborhoods because they got tired of dealing with nuisance crimes."

Quote thomas:
"As for the conversation about artistic tagging vs. agitprop sloganeering... that's another whole debate and, frankly, is one I'd like to see the ACC tackle."

I would also like to see this debate, whether on ACC or elsewhere.

My $0.02, since no one's asking...

Tags aren't going away time soon, whether because recent forays by graphic artists into grafitti have lent some legitimacy, or because people wish to vent their vexation about current events in some way that's visible and forceful, or simply because Kmart sells cans of spraypaint cheap.

To dismiss all grafitti as vandalism neglects the fact that many people may look to it as a means of expression when they feel socially and economically isolated by their neighborhood, by the local gov't, etc.

On the other had, to encourage or promote "artistic tagging" also lends legitimacy to kids painting stupid tags on houses for s/g.

Still, to dismiss the "agitprop sloganeering" potentially trivializes topics in current events that could merit public discourse. Not everyone keeps their opinions confined to tshirts and blogs, and just because a small group of people chose to do acts of vandalism doesn't mean there's no point to debating the death penalty, immigration law reform, and so on. Even when the tagged slogans are kinda nitwitted like "No HR4437," they still serve to publicly highlight someone's issue of concern.

So is the point of this grafitti to bring awareness to a problem at the jail or to serve as a warning? Politcal or intimidation?

In my neighborhood, Clifton Heights, we deal with grafitti all the damn time and from the same kids going through that wonderful adolescent period that makes them so pleasent to be around.

I'd prefer tht if they are making a statement do it in a way that we can all understand so that you actually make a point.

(Damn we all do sound like old men of the neighborhood)

I've no idea what the point is really of the "potosi" tag pictured above. Could very well be the tagger intended it only to be provocative (albeit obscure) outdoor decoration and gave it little thought beyond that. Bloggers' curiosity has since taken it much further.

I was attempting to be more general about how tags tend to get used in the city (by a variety of actors), since someone mentioned how this could merit discussion.

It does suck to be an old man.

Hey, is my father on here? Cause it sounds like a bunch of old fogies griping about graffitti on the internet. Woop-de-fucking-doo.
Plus, you keep going on and on about middle-class people (what bracket do you fall into huh?) doing this. So you have me picturing Doctors and Lawyers going around tearing up tennis netting.
DO YOU KNOW HOW REDICULOUS YOU ALL SOUND?
(do you know how difficult it is to tear up tennis netting?)
Anyway - if ANYONE is going to talk about graffitti, at least let it be the content, or just quiet down already.

Never tried to tear up tennis netting, so I will take your word for how hard it is. If you think that Doctor's and Lawyer's kids are not doing it, then you are very naive. (hold the water bottle up to the mirror and it all becomes clear)

Now as far as content. It is all about the "Bottle Rockets" reforming and playing at the Circle A Bar.

Now I gotta go because my bursitis is actin' up so you consarnit kids be quiet and stay offa my lawn.

After looking at the picture again; all I have to say is...opportunity sure knocked the hell out of that door below the sign.

This all started with children being rewarded by adults for not pooping in their pants.

Damage and destruction of private and public property is not something to study and glorify. It needs to be prosecuted.

The content of graffiti makes no difference. It costs time and money to get rid of it.

I am tired of the political message excuse as if graffiti in this country had anything to do with civil disobedience. This nation produced something beautiful and powerful called freedom of speech. Anyone who damages another's property to say what's on his mind and is unwilling to do jail time for it is a coward.

I am also tired of the artistic value excuse for graffiti. Much of the drawing-related graffiti in my area are crude works by boys- what their ideal babysitter/teacher/girlfriend looks like, delusions of grandeur regarding own anatomy. In the good old days, we would draw such things on paper in private and hide them in much the same way we would later hide our Playboys in the sock drawer.

Damage and destruction of private and public property is not something to study and glorify. It needs to be prosecuted.

Tennis netting can be damaged or destroyed a variety of ways, with a variety of implements. I am not going to provide a how to manual on a blog. I will say, however, that the oddest tennis net damaging implement that I know of to date was a sword.

Living example of internet boards providing an outlet for the "wild overstatements as truths" posting: "This all started with children being rewarded by adults for not pooping in their pants."

Thomas, don't poke the grumpy old bear.

One thing that I don't think that you realize is the absolute fear that grafitti provokes in some people. Fear that their neighborhood is not safe and that hoodlum are roaming. Fear that their greatest investment will not be worth much if the neighborhood decays. The perception of decay is sometimes enough to start real decay. How many people have to lose their life's savings before some developer makes huge money creating lofts out of the decay. To dismiss Howards comments is as closed minded as you think that we are.