Photo credit: M. Ciavardini
I do not speak Spanish and do not really know the message of the brightly colored graffiti I see on a wall while speeding through Isla Mujeres, Mexico on a golf cart. While I ponder the artwork, I gain a new appreciation of symbols. I see the purple awareness ribbon. I learn that one of the many meanings of a purple ribbon is to bring awareness of domestic violence. My less-than-learned Spanish skills lead me to believe the saying next to the ribbon means that any man who hits a woman is not really a man.
A symbol, some language, a message, some clarity—all thanks to some graffiti.
—Lori Tripoli