Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1272935
3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 26 JULY 2020 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications Kittie 'litter' Let me preface this letter by stating that I am a lover of animals, and ap- preciate the health benefits and emo- tional properties of domestic pets. But I am concerned that the actions of feeders in certain parts of our towns are encouraging stray animals, and contributing to deleterious con- ditions around certain unkempt areas of our towns. I do not want to rain on the efforts of those whose contribu- tions to the well-being of these ani- mals allows these creatures a proper living as it were, that is, by providing them with food. But in certain cases, cat colonies overtake undeveloped pockets in towns and villages. Some- how their prolonged sojourn in these areas contributes to a deleterious environment, and of course, the un- bearable stench of urine, as well as that of discarded food. So it is not the act of kindness that I find a nuisance: it is the detritus from such an activity. I wish certain people would consider whether such feed- ing of strays is indeed an act of good neighbourliness. Emanuel Borg Zabbar COVID party I was not surprised to hear of the rising number of coronavirus cases after mass events such as week- end-party held inside a St Julian's hotel were allowed to be held. What I cannot understand is why small business owners like myself, who lost considerable revenues under the COVID-19 lockdown, had no incen- tive to take out commercial loans (I literally work for my wage and a small portion of re-invested profit), is back at work in a dampened economic en- vironment with customers forced to mask up, handwash and stand apart in a shop, must take the necessary COVID-19 precautions, yet business- es such as party organisers and club owners have the go-ahead for mass events with no precautions at all. This is a farce. The COVID pre- cautions are there to serve as a sem- blance of serious health measures being visited upon small business owners who are unable to take a stand, while hotels and their acolytes (mass event organisers) get to go about their business, COVID or no COVID. We small business owners are setting the example, and being made an example of serious health precautions. Big business is being given a free hand in making money as it sees fit. This is the serious problem of de- cency and fairness that exists in this country. This is what makes us po- litically unable to understand what is important for everyone to realise. There is no fairness and we are ex- pected to play ball with the powers- that-be. This is the real virus us Mal- tese have to contend with. Joseph Caruana St Julian's Abortion double-barrier I refer to the commentary pub- lished by Liza Caruana Finkel re- garding how COVID 19 has created a double barrier for women in Malta to access abortion, reported last Sunday. If every article on abortion attracts two piles of letters, one appreciating the insights and the other-from read- ers who insist that women are not capable of making the right reproduc- tive choices for themselves rejecting them, please add this letter to the former pile. Prof. Isabel Stabile FRCOG., Ph.D.