I am astounded to hear that the mayor has approved the petition for the apprentice’s guild. No less than the chairmain of the merchant council himself, Mr Gembeard, proposed this petition in the last gathering.
Indeed, the brigands in the plains of Bree form a real problem and jeopardise the trade in the area. That is why Mr Gembeard proposed the apprentice’s guild, where outlaws can renounce their former lives and sign a contract to reintegrate in society and earn a wage. Yet I am skeptical about the intentions of the dwarf. Usually, he is not THAT generous, and although I cannot exactly fingerpoint concrete cases of misschief by the chairman, there is something off. On various occasions in previous council meetings, he didn’t inspire confidence at all. Remember the moment where he wanted to spend treasury money for defence work by the dwarves! Is there a more obvious way to inject hard-earned Bree-coins into the dwarf economy at our cost, stripping us of our means while we could recreate labour in our streets instead and reinvest in our own economy?
It is in a similar vein that I suspect Mr Gembeard to have particular interests in the apprentice’s guild, but which have not yet come to light. But also about the other council members, I wonder where their minds are. What a ridiculous idea to want to lodge them next to jail. I was the first to propose security risks. That’s like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse! Or think about the possible intimidation for those former criminals, by clearly threatening them for any new wrongdoing. I fear that this act would rather provoke them and cause new crimes.
But as much as I am concerned about security, prevention of crime and prosperity of Bree, let me show my true colors: It is mainly about the well-being of these men that I am so worried about. The voices in the council seem to consider the apprentice’s guild as the most opportunistic way to consolidate trade in town, but none gave the impression really to care about successful integration of these folks. I really get the impression they just want to use them.
When I was young, I too have lived on the streets for a while, and that life is hard. The rich people, they think it is all about effort and passion to set up businesses, but there are real hurdles to overcome when you are a beggar. Very often, you don’t get opportunities to learn and you cannot assess your own abilities properly. You may feel lonely and also angry because in some way, society rejects you and says you are not good enough.
I will come up any moment for the poor and plead for their case. They must be protected at all cost, and initiatives must be taken to improve their lives. At first sight, the apprentice’s guild seems to be in line with that objective, and as the mayor has approved the petition, we have started up a marvelous project.
But further details must be filled in. It is still not completely clear where those new residents will be housed, who will manage the guild and who will be the mentors. We also need to sit around the table for how the project will be financed and how the organization itself as well as the relations with the participants and all the civilians can be durably maintained. It is for all the potential of the project that I voted yes, but with all these uncertainties and with lack of guarantees for the participants, I did so tentatively.
To top it all off, it would really be something for the council to leave it at this and not return on the subject. Maybe I should make a petition for that?
