A fiftyish friend of mine lost his job
about two years ago. His company, a Majorcan SEM, was declared in a state of
insolvency which was followed by a Dismissal Programm. Many employees lost
their position in the company. After the regulated months of unemployment
benefit, our friend was left without any financial ressource: Being a person
over 35, under 52 and Spanish of origin, he is not entitled to receive any
further subsidy.
During the last eight months, Mr. X (let’s
call him this way so as not to infringe that Law of Data Protection we have
already heard so much about) has spent all his savings while he was looking for
any job anywhere. We live in a country where the unemployment rate exceeds 30%.
Thus, having lost one’s job when one is over fifty means being an early retired
without pension.
Notwithstanding, difficulties sharpened
the inventiveness of Mr. X. A couple of days ago, he prepared some flyers with
his MS-Word. He offered piano lessons at home. The next step was to hand them
out in the streets. Everything seemed to go well until a police officer
intercepted him:
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Excuse me, Sir! It is forbidden to distribute propaganda
in the streets of Palma.
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I did not know it. Is that true?
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I’m afraid yes – answered the local policeman – it is
totally forbidden.
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And, can you busk in the streets then?
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NO. – replied the agent – It is prohibited.
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Could you, please, tell me, what is one supposed to do,
if one does not have enough to eat?
The agent shrugged his shoulders.
Of course, my friend’s disbelief urged him
to get more detailed information. Indeed, the distribution of any written
communication is totally forbidden in the city of Palma, due to a “Public
Occupation Ordinance”, published in the bulletin No. 148 of August 23rd 2003. A
regulation which was planned and approved by people who, unlike Mr. X, have
always had more than enough to eat.
The funniest part of it is that the only
transgression of this regulation which goes “unnoticed” is the one made by the
authors of the regulation themselves. I am referring to that transgression they
do during the elections. (I am sure you have once being given electoral propaganda
in the streets of Palma).
The million dollar question is the
following: What can be the reason of such regulation, which is, in fact, a real
limit to the freedom of expression? May be we should remember the Declaration
of Rights of Man and Citizen: “La libre
communication des pensées et des opinions est un des droits les plus précieux
de l'Homme : tout Citoyen peut donc parler, écrire, imprimer librement, sauf à
répondre de l'abus de cette liberté dans les cas déterminés par la Loi.
My friend and I gently ASK FOR the
abolition of the Public Occupation Ordinance. And that the authors of that
ordinance have to subsidize people like Mr. X with their own financial
resources.
Where are you living? I thought Franco was death!
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