No Child is Born a Criminal

Powerful Message in Art

This picture was painted by a street artist named Emanuel Alaniz and it is called "No Child is Born a Criminal." I really like this artists work, and I especially like this piece in particular because it is really strong. It really makes you think. I personally think about the things that mold a childs mind on his way to manhood, things like the media, family, friends, school, community, surroundings.

Peer pressure is another thing that comes to mind when I see this picture. Is this young man being coerced into doing what he is doing? Does he really want to do what he is doing? Does he really want to be what he is about to become?

I have heard the saying about how it takes a village to raise a child, and I truly believe that, but there are other things that should not be so influential in his upbringing e.g. the media, violent video games. There is certain propaganda out there programming minds in the hopes that they can be wrapped up by the system, so they can in the end, be just another number in the system.