Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1234806
SITTING down for a Cabinet meeting must be an exhilarat- ing experience. All the more so if you're not even supposed to be there. A group of elected men and some women, who express their opinion most of the time based on the interests of their constit- uents, with some exceptions, are taking decisions with far-reach- ing consequences. It has always been like this, and far from some uplifting reunion of wise men and women who come together to decide matters beyon the self-interested groups that control them. No one, it seems, apart from three individ- uals, have spoken out against the mistaken decision to extend the spring hunting season amid this COVID-19 crisis. Minister Clint Camilleri, who has 'illegally' signed the opening of the season, must have been a very happy man. He is today Malta's young Gozo minister, an architect by profession and a pas- sionate bird trapper who never misses a chance to stand up for his cohort of hunters and trap- pers. To him, the interests of his constituents to be able to shoot in spring is far more important than the fight against COVID-19. Robert Abela has obviously en- tertained the age-old political standpoint that hunting and trap- ping is part of our cultural herit- age, and that it's here to stay. If we are expecting him to eradicate an outdated cultural tradition of gunning down birds, we should not hold our breath, and the sta- tus quo is set to remain firmly in place on that front, at least for the time being. Even though today he enjoys a 60% trust rating, as seen in our MaltaToday survey, the tragedy is that we have gone back in time. Back at the Cabinet, ministers and junior ministers did not need much time to agree that the mi- grant crisis required tough action. With Italy closing its ports to mi- grants and the European Union abandoning ship, Malta was left all alone. So I have taken down my Eu- ropean flag, and I intend to burn it. I am not joking. I was once a prominent IVA campaigner, who stood next to the likes of David Casa and Simon Busuttil; now I have come to dislike the hypoc- risy and falsity of the European Union. Here we are, on the front line of a migrant crisis, propelled by the chaos of Libya, and Europe looks on unperturbed while we are left alone. We only count when it comes to small private banks and their Azeri clients, 'rule of law', and tax avoidance schemes... we are sent MEP delegations, and human rights ambassadors to give us a firm slap on the wrist, but there is no real Europeanisa- tion: there is no European politi- cal effort to share the burden. It is very clear that we cannot be the only ones to shoulder this burden. That should be under- standable. We have the added possibility that migrants at sea could be COVID-19 carriers, which presents many real chal- lenges. But we also have an obligation to help people in distress, peo- ple in need, human beings who would otherwise die at sea. In the background of all this is a Europe unfazed by the crisis and our de- cision to block our ports. What happens next, it appears, is of no consequence to us or them. That decision has been applaud- ed by the thousands of Maltese and Gozitan social media users who spout hatred and venom on migrants, and a motley group of fascists and right-wingers who find a safe haven in the two polit- ical parties and are tolerated and welcomed as 'Labourites' or 'Na- tionalists'. We are in this situation because we have weak political leaders. It seems to be okay to welcome the scuttling of boats that save mi- grants at sea. Even Malta's very own social welfare agency boss Alfred Grixti said migrant rescue boats should be "sunk" and left to their own devices. "The NGO vessels are operating illegally in Maltese waters... first impound them, then scuttle them!" Grixti was photographed with prominent leaders both past and present, among them Pope Fran- cis and Archbishop Emeritus Paul Cremona. In one of these snaps, he can even be seen lifting the statue of St Dominic in Valletta. This is old Labour vintage. I do not need to be the one to say that Grixti's shocking comments on migration make his position un- tenable. Will he be asked to leave? Probably not. Very unlikely. But the media should be on the side of what is right. We are not here to be popular or to be liked. We are not up for election or to suck up to constituents. We have to keep the flag of reason flying at all times. To remind Prime Minister Robert Abela to show reason and compassion, strength and determination, intolerance to racism and an iron fist with the Europe we no longer recognise. On a personal level, I am at peace with myself, content to be part of a media group that stands up for what is right even though I know we are in a minority. Even if most Maltese, citizens whose ge- netic roots span from North Af- rica, Sicily, Spain and the Sahel... want to see migrants returned to their 'home', at gunpoint if nec- essary. I am happy not to share a place of worship with those who make it their mission to launch hateful tirades towards people who are desperate and have nowhere to go. I am not a Catholic, I am not a believer, and I have no religion, but I embrace human life and the rights of all people to live as equals and to have an opportunity to live a decent life. I like to think that I am a social democrat with some lofty, left-wing sentiments in my personal ideological arsenal. The moral code of many in to- day's society seems to start and stop at whatever suits their per- sonal lifestyle best. COVID-19 has brought many of us closer to our immediate family, made us appreciate the short moments, our homes, our memories, our belief that things will get better. Those people on the boat out at sea have nothing. They do not even have hope. We can close our ports, deny them entry, refuse to give them food and medicine. That is our choice. But before taking these fateful steps, I suggest everyone takes a short break and make peace with their conscience and their God. A happy Easter to all our read- ers. 5 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 APRIL 2020 OPINION Saviour Balzan @saviourbalzan Make peace with your conscience and your gods Alfred Grixti