Arrogant bullying shows lack of care
HOT TOPIC: Informal traders hounded out of Walmer
WE all recognise and buy into the rule of law. Without it, we open the doors to anarchy. However, law is a means to an end, not an end in itself. It is to be applied with humanity and compassion, and with the singular purpose of building a sustainable living environment for all. Blind application of law is an act of abdication, a failure to apply responsible reasoning to a challenge. If we use law as the first and final answer, we avoid the need to apply our minds to a solution.
The traders who have been operating on the corner of Main Road and 8th Avenue, in Walmer, have been doing so for years, quietly and unobtrusively, in sync with the local community, offering a comfortable and friendly alternative to the expensive upmarket retail that surrounds them. Their little trading area has been a living part of the ambience and cultural synchronicity surrounding the old Town Hall, across the road, and a permanent and completely accepted part of our Walmer community.
Over the weekend, they were unceremoniously removed and their wares confiscated and taken to Motherwell, from where they will have to collect them at own expense, once they have proven they have secured the appropriate permits. The rule of law, in its mighty glory, applied without fear or favour, majestically upholding the stated qualities of our new metro government of a suburban bliss. Except that something is still horribly missing from this democratic picture:
ý Many of these traders have absolutely no idea where or how to secure these permits, yet we are quite satisfied it is adequate for us to threaten them to get it done, without lifting a finger to assist. When they do make it to an official, they are led from pillar to post, sent from one building to the next, without hope of resolution. But still we stand by and let them inevitably fail. And then it’s back to trading without permits – it’s just easier than to keep doing the same thing again and again, expecting a different result!
ý In this weekend’s case, I am informed a number of them had gone where they were told (to the Department of Health!) and had received, in good faith therefore, incorrect permits. But in our “accountable community”, this is still their fault, of course.
ý Where people do not have the tools or the capacity to get something done, how can we hold them solely accountable for getting it done? It is akin to “ordering a goldfish to climb a tree”, and kicking it out of the goldfish bowl when it fails (with apologies to Albert Einstein).
ý In forcibly removing these long-term traders from these open spaces, absolutely no effort or consideration has been provided for an alternative space, to ensure continuity of the open opportunity environment we promised. This is no less folly than our efforts to disconnect illegal electricity connections while no legal ports are available.
ý Instead of working with a group of people who have over time brought a fresh and lively ambience to these areas, instead of recognising and building on the eclectic opportunity of “flea-market” style trading, we turn to technical application of law at the cost of our own humanity and the joie de vivre of our suburb.
ý I was informed, on query, that the traders had been warned to obtain permits and have had more than three months to comply. A little less confident was the response to the query, “What have we done to assist them in this endeavour, given the nature of the informal trading environment there?”
It does not take much for a local government to help its communities, other than intent and energy, two characteristics I expected in bucket-loads from August 2016. What has happened to us? Where is our simple expression of care and opportunity?
Can we not think beyond the superficial technicality, the easy answer that washes our hands – have we lost the courage to seek real solutions that recognise and address the needs of our whole community?
A proposal for a real, sustainable solution. First, let’s agree on the principles:
1 Permits and regulation is a good thing, and we all accept the need. This provides for a safe and secure city.
2 The traders concerned have grave difficulty securing the permits, for many real reasons. Arms-length instruction without attention to assistance and support obviously sets them up to fail, and is an abject demonstration of lazy, arrogant off-handedness. Instead of throwing accountability around as a weapon, let’s attempt a little care.
3 Our job as government is to facilitate doing business in our city, opportunity for all. These people, whoever they are and from wherever they come, take nobody’s job, nor steal space or resources. If we build a platform with them, rather than stomping on their initiative and entrepreneurship, we will all benefit.
4 Leadership with vision leads to government with purpose. Mindless application of law demonstrates only mindless bureaucracy. Second, let’s just do it: 1 Meet with those affected as a partner and facilitator, with the view to ensuring the purpose of regulation and balance is bought into as a joint exercise between traders and metro.
2 Guarantee that there will be no further evictions or bureaucratic interference until the issue of inclusivity of this essential ingredient of our city’s trading life is re-defined in eclectic terms that promote all reasonably and fairly. The status quo of those removed must be restored immediately and their goods returned forthwith (read with point 3).
3 Bring the permit officials to the places of trading (those that are viable – read with point 4) and provide real and meaningful assistance in the procurement of the permits. Some traders are marginally literate, but all are hard-working, honest, friendly and value-adding members of our communities.
4 Delegate research, consultation and recommendation obligations to the ward committees, who have been inducted already to 2021, and should advise their councillors accordingly. Permit the individual ward councillors to work out plans with these traders within a specific metro framework, which is not that difficult or time-consuming.
We all want law and order. There are many ways to secure it. Arrogant and off-hand bullying, and a refusal to participate in solution-finding, is the worst form of arrogance and demonstrates an incomprehensible lack of care.