On the one hand, I understand the fear of "others"—when I joined the police after spending most of my life in science and academia, I was terrified of everyone. Quickly, I realised how deeply ingrained my unconscious biases were. I was, frankly, disgusted with myself.
The funny thing is, I was now perceived as different - my education level, interests, hobbies, language - everything was different. Good to become a minority to understand. But then, I became the minor minority - I was autistic with ADHD and had to mask as I was no longer surrounded by boffins. The police force was also very poor in terms of diversity. In academia, your nationality did not matter; here, in the police, it did. And I am of mixed heritage...
Needless to say, I was bullied. I then became physically disabled and realised how marginalised are people like me.
What I have learnt in life is humility and that we are all human beings with the same rights and dignity, and we are all lovable.
Human Rights are inalienable no matter where you are from and who you are. Full stop.
So, I guess people who are afraid need to change their perceptions, as these are dangerous—not only to others but also to themselves.
You don't have to like it, but you have to respect it.
Secondly, just as you said, and what I am now collating to remove stiles from Welsh paths (I just moved here from Sussex last year), the behaviour is here already and has nothing to do with the level of access to nature.
I spent almost 10 years in the police, and what I learnt was that public bodies and statutory partners DO NOT use common sense and DO NOT listen. I also learnt that "target hardening' for anti-social behaviours like removing benches does not provide loitering - it only isolates elderly people who no longer can walk as there is nowhere to stop for them to rest. The youth move somewhere else doing the nasty deeds. It's like putting a plaster on catastrophic exsanguination and ticking the box; there, we did what we could. The same is true for stiles in Wales. I guess to prevent offroad bikes - guess what - did not stop them, but now we have damaged banks because they are off-road and thus can ride around the stile... but disabled people cannot use forestry routes - the only routes that are extant - have you ever tried using OS maps for hiking in south wales? dont. Footpaths are gone. But I digress.
Not allowing people to use green and blue spaces is inherently wrong.
It is our right. And it is in the public interest.
People who are a risk to the countryside and forestry are ALREADY doing it, and whether it is permitted or not, they don't care as they are people like this. Whereas peole who care, will not use those spaces.
We need access to land - this year, I gave a speech on the healing of walking and nature based on my professional and personal experience. Or, we can bulldozer all green urban spaces, add a pinch of concrete here and there, prevent access to the green/blue spaces and watch NHS crumbling even more. We are in the XXI Century, and yet we still don't look at well-being holistically, not only in terms of body, mind and spirit, a nota bene concept from thousands of years before Christ and still working for Eastern cultures, but also as a system - want to prevent ASB? don't take benches away. Go to the source. Expensive? Long? Yes, of course, it is - everything that works is...
Very well said! Agreed! To all!
On the one hand, I understand the fear of "others"—when I joined the police after spending most of my life in science and academia, I was terrified of everyone. Quickly, I realised how deeply ingrained my unconscious biases were. I was, frankly, disgusted with myself.
The funny thing is, I was now perceived as different - my education level, interests, hobbies, language - everything was different. Good to become a minority to understand. But then, I became the minor minority - I was autistic with ADHD and had to mask as I was no longer surrounded by boffins. The police force was also very poor in terms of diversity. In academia, your nationality did not matter; here, in the police, it did. And I am of mixed heritage...
Needless to say, I was bullied. I then became physically disabled and realised how marginalised are people like me.
What I have learnt in life is humility and that we are all human beings with the same rights and dignity, and we are all lovable.
Human Rights are inalienable no matter where you are from and who you are. Full stop.
So, I guess people who are afraid need to change their perceptions, as these are dangerous—not only to others but also to themselves.
You don't have to like it, but you have to respect it.
Secondly, just as you said, and what I am now collating to remove stiles from Welsh paths (I just moved here from Sussex last year), the behaviour is here already and has nothing to do with the level of access to nature.
I spent almost 10 years in the police, and what I learnt was that public bodies and statutory partners DO NOT use common sense and DO NOT listen. I also learnt that "target hardening' for anti-social behaviours like removing benches does not provide loitering - it only isolates elderly people who no longer can walk as there is nowhere to stop for them to rest. The youth move somewhere else doing the nasty deeds. It's like putting a plaster on catastrophic exsanguination and ticking the box; there, we did what we could. The same is true for stiles in Wales. I guess to prevent offroad bikes - guess what - did not stop them, but now we have damaged banks because they are off-road and thus can ride around the stile... but disabled people cannot use forestry routes - the only routes that are extant - have you ever tried using OS maps for hiking in south wales? dont. Footpaths are gone. But I digress.
Not allowing people to use green and blue spaces is inherently wrong.
It is our right. And it is in the public interest.
People who are a risk to the countryside and forestry are ALREADY doing it, and whether it is permitted or not, they don't care as they are people like this. Whereas peole who care, will not use those spaces.
We need access to land - this year, I gave a speech on the healing of walking and nature based on my professional and personal experience. Or, we can bulldozer all green urban spaces, add a pinch of concrete here and there, prevent access to the green/blue spaces and watch NHS crumbling even more. We are in the XXI Century, and yet we still don't look at well-being holistically, not only in terms of body, mind and spirit, a nota bene concept from thousands of years before Christ and still working for Eastern cultures, but also as a system - want to prevent ASB? don't take benches away. Go to the source. Expensive? Long? Yes, of course, it is - everything that works is...