>Who made these rules?..
the religious extremists who seem to have way too much power at all levels of Government
these days I guess...
>Will this be imposed on the Cities?
you would be surpised... Its happening in the cities too...
I heard something to the effect that Manly Council (correct me if I'm wrong - I read this
in a Sydney newspaper somewhere a few months ago) already imposed something like this on
bars/clubs in the Manly area and other Sydney councils are talking about it.
(I recently saw an article in a local paper to the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney saying the
council there was considering something similar around Coogee/Maroubra/Bondi).
I've also seen posts on the Brisbane board talking about something similar to this.
The excuses they are giving are ludicrous.
They talk about drunk people in the streets and obviously don't realise that by not
allowing people into venues is actually forcing them to remain on the streets... and
worse ... bored and angry people are a much more likely source of trouble than people
having a good time.
The effect on tourism (and any businesses related to entertainent or tourism) is obvious
- they will suffer - many potential customers will just decide to go somewhere else where
they can go out without such restrictions.
... and what about people who are just out to have an enjoyable night night and decide
the vibe isn't right for them at one venue and wish to check out another? (they will be
stuck there)...
It sounds like we are all made to suffer because religious extremists in the government
decide to use the actions of a few violent idiots as an excuse to prevent people from
going out to any kind of social gathering (where they might (gasp) even talk to a
stranger :))
Of course what governments never seem to do is:
1. do any research into why some people behave violently or look for fights.
The real reasons probably lie in the culture and the way violent people are popularly
often portayed as somehow desirable or even sexy - just look at a typical tv soap opera!
I am not advocating censorship but I think the broader worldwide cultural context does
need to be looked at and perhaps some research into finding alternative (and entertaining
and exciting) media imagery to encourage different kinds of role-models needs to done.
(research needs to be done so it does not just end up becoming an ineffective campaign
that is perceived by people as "politically correct", "goody-two-shoes" or "preachy" but
leads to something genuinely entertaining and effective that people can relate to and
enjoy). (a kind of counter-propaganda presenting a different view of human relationships
perhaps?)
2. look into ways of countering such cultural conditioning
Alcohol (or any other drug) is NOT the root cause.
Though it *can* be a catalyst (as in people might feel temporarely less inhibited in some
way and are not thinking clearly) the fact is that for people to behave violently when
they are drunk they must somehow have a basic belief that it is desirable to do so or an
acceptable way to get what they want.
Not everyone is violent when they have a few drinks, but *some* people are. (not only
should *those* people stay away from alcohol but they should learn to deal with whatever
issues they have that make them want to be violent in the first place)
Perhaps the government should look into therapy for such people, education and finding
ways to counter the cultural idolisation of violence.
Such people should not be used as an excuse to limit the freedom of other people who
never behave in such a way. (even when they are drunk) and NEVER be used as an excuse to
prevent people from being able to enjoy music/entertainment, meet other people, or find
new friends.
Other things that could help:
1. better training for security people in clubs.
...as in hiring people who are good at preventing violence before it starts and good at
being able to pick who is more likely to be violent (you can't tell this by what they are
wearing or their appearance but there are sometimes clues in their behaviour well before
they become violent) and keep an eye on them without being intrusive or preventing the
entry of other people who are just there to enjoy themselves and not harm anyone... they
should be generally friendly to all patrons to help make the vibe friendly as well as
being able to prevent/stop any violence.
Of course good conflict resolution skills are a must for that kind of work! ... and
having some basic medical training like a St Johns Ambulance course would be good too so
they know what to do if someone is hurt.
2. better and more diverse entertainment.
Not everyone has the same tastes in music or entertainment and remember that people who
are having a good time and have healthy social interaction in their life are much less
likely to cause trouble than people who are feeling bored, depressed or angry.
3. Education.
It would certainly help if more people learned to resolve conflicts and see each others'
point of view in such conflicts. (violence almost never actually resolves a conflict - it
usually just makes it worse).
4. Encouraging MORE (not less) places where people can meet and interact with other
people (in more different kinds of ways for people with different tastes/interests.
Encourage a more diverse range of music/entertainment/arts events, interest/hobby
groups/clubs, etc ("something for everyone")
so that less people feel socially isolated.
(so more people find something they really enjoy doing and can become passionate about)
I think people who have found a real passion/interest in their life are much less likely
to be violent. |