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[chatondesse]

So beautifully expressed by darkstardeity I just had to repost:

An analogyImagine this, if you will: It has been decided, without your consultation or consent, that a group of people are going to be allowed to stay in your home for a week. They are going to be using your facilities, including the bathroom and kitchen which were already stretched dealing with

Comments

[ozgenre]

I agree :) - but someone creditably asked me...

What about Mardi Gras? It shuts down major throroughfares for a day, gives little $ back in returns, spreads propoganda which can be seen as confronting to some, burst into synchonised dancing and song acompanied with very loud music at the drop of a hat, embraces (and by lifestyle, inadvertently promotes) the use of illicit substances.

I agree, it's not to the scale (or the hubris) of this - but at least someone put thought into a comparison to ask me :)

[chatondesse]

I can see the potential parallel *nods* - though I would draw a distinction - Mardi Gras being an annual community event (always held on a weekend for that matter), as opposed to a large organisationally run event, that out of the three recently held in this city, just happens to have been the least considerate of the locals - you'd think TPTB would get better at organising these things with practise...

If we're going to start complaining about such events and their potential to inconvenience residents, we should also include the ANZAC Day parade, New Years Eve celebrations, and most every sporting event held at Moore Park...

[ozgenre]

See, that's the way I see it too. Community (though one argues that the Roman Catholic Chruch is such). A weekend celebration and not disruptive to the weekday trevails of the populace, I agree. Also, Mardi Gras doesn't have thousands of people jamming sidewalks and chanting/singing at the drop of a (papal) hat, nor does it stand outside legitimate businesses (see sithmagician's post) and try to disrupt their businesses just because they don't agree with them.

I agree - TPTB have dropped a large public-preception ball on this one.

[darkstardeity]

The other major difference is that Mardi Gras and other celebrations (and even sporting events to some extent) have sprung up from within Sydney - they are celebrations of the residents here. They are part of the life and flavour and culture of the city, regardless about how you might feel about a particular event. WYD, APEC etc have been imposed upon us from outside - indeed, the majority of us have been actively excluded from participating - and our city is merely a convenient "venue". Perhaps that's what you guys meant by community, but I think the difference needs to be spelled out.