And yet yes, this is what Hamilton's like.

"And so, in Hamilton right now, we're not only focusing on piddling
issues, but based on some of the online 'discussion' I've seen, we're
clearly out of our depths to even address these with any degree of competency."

LMAO. So true. At times it feels like my old high school debate club.

This was an email sent to me by a friend. The italicized quote is from an editorial published here this week. Yesterday something cropped up that may not quite have fallen into the category of which I spoke, but reinforced how aspects of Hamilton strike me in terms of 'What's Worthy of Discussion' and 'How We Discuss'. 

Graham Crawford, he of HIStory & HERitage proprietorship, of lambasting political poster notoriety, of incisive and insightful articles and editorials in The Spec, urbanicity and Raise the Hammer fame, mainstay of the 'Dissidents (Hamilton Chapter)' facebook group, was on Laura Babcock's 'Chats From The Lair' show this week. This fact was noted on The Hamiltonian. After which, commenting began...leaving me prompted to write this piece. 

Graham is an engaging man. I know him, we've had some long conversations upstairs in his store on James Street North. He was invited onto Ms Babcock's show because he has a strong voice in the city and he's in a position to say what he wants without fear of recriminations. He might have made for an equally engaging guest, but it didn't pan out that way. (No, this had nothing to do with his vocal problems, rendering him almost laryngitic. It had to do with- Well, it was a wasted opportunity, in my mind.)

Allow me to cut to the chase. (I know you're all probably nodding enthusiastically. LOL)

The 'Five thousand dollar advice' bit of ensuing conversation over at The Hamiltonian is a red herring. (For the record, I'm willing to bet that Graham wasn't particularly interested in disseminating said advice verbatim on the fly, especially on Ms Babcock's show, and that what he did offer was merely the framing of what he'd have spoken to City Manager Chris Murray about had he been given the opportunity.) This actually isn't what irked me so much, though it is another example of a lack of perspicacity in the city...as well as yet further striding towards more conflation. 


No, I think that what's most sad is a) how much emphasis was placed by Ms Babcock and Mr. Leiberman on this streetscape campaign and whether what Graham does with his in-window posters is 'hurtful', and b) how 'remarkable' it seems to be to have such a dissident voice in Hamilton. 

Yes, I understand that these posters have become a touchstone for some in the city. That Graham is articulating things in ways that some admire. And this type of critical statement about our politicians has been with us for a very long time. All fine and good. But to me, if you were going to have on your show this clear voice that consistently strives to make Hamilton better (not that he's always right; I countered a recent argument of his here), I'd have thunk that you'd get the 'poster-imp' aspect of his oeuvre out of the way and get to the meat of the matter: discussing some salient issues. After all, this arena is what Graham purports to have a better handle on than most. Sure, I also get that this 'interview' is entertainment, that its format is 'footloose and fancy-free', and that the personality of the guest is paramount on the delivery list. But you've got him there, in front of a mic; why not make the most of the moment?

As to my other assertion... I guess it comes down to my sense of there having been too much fixation on stuff that just doesn't matter in the long run. 'Peggygate'. 'GO vs LRT'. 'Domestic chickens'. I'm not saying that Graham shouldn't do what he wants to do. He has the inclination, he has the compulsion...he has the resources? More power to him. 

The problem for me isn't what Graham does. It's how it's contextualized by others. (And yes, I am referring to the posters, not his more 'serious' media commentary.) In a strange way, this distortion actually seems to run contrary to what Graham believes in, which is far greater levels of engagement and involvement and investment in what unfolds locally, on the parts of us all. I don't happen to think that getting lost up our own asses is a foundation of his belief system about how to make Hamilton better. 

I applaud –to varying degrees– what Graham attempts to do in each of his endeavours. I just think that we need to pay some mind to what the song says: 

`

M Adrian Brassington