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6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 MARCH 2022 OPINION 2 maltatoday EXECUTIVE EDITOR KURT SANSONE ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Letters to the Editor, MaltaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Letters must be concise, no pen names accepted, include full name and address maltatoday | SUNDAY • 15 SEPTEMBER 2024 The difficult conversations we must have Editorial KARL Gouder was a beautiful person, always with a smile on his face and with a kind word for everyone. It came as no surprise that af- ter his untimely death last week, both friends and foes in politics saluted his memory be- cause he was always respectful even in disa- greement. At 45, he still had a lot to give and was about to take the next step in his political career by contesting the post of secretary general of the Nationalist Party. Karl's loss is hard to stomach but it is also a reminder that a person's outward persona may be hiding tribulations that may not be immediately apparent. The circumstances in which Karl died make it all the more difficult to speak about his de- mise, not least because of the stigma associ- ated with suicide and self-harm. But this is a difficult albeit sensitive conversation that must be had. We prefer to remember Karl for his beauty, his smile, his affectionate manner when deal- ing with people, his yearning to be a better self, his respectful nature even in adversity, his courage to be himself at a time when be- ing gay was anathema in the world of poli- tics. This is the Karl that relatives, his many friends, work colleagues and politicians will always remember. But situations like these must also serve to foster a conversation about loneliness, men- tal health awareness and suicide prevention. We know these are not easy conversations to have but not talking about them only perpet- uates the stigma and makes it even harder for people to seek help. If Karl's death can serve a purpose, may it be one of hope to others who may be passing through a bad patch. This is no consolation for his grieving relatives and friends but it is in line with Karl's selfless attitude – forget- ting himself for the greater good. To those who are having bad thoughts, are feeling lonely, or may not even understand their own feelings there is professional help out there. Many individuals who have expe- rienced suicidal thoughts and sought assis- tance have moved away from a crisis situa- tion or other adversity by adopting coping skills. There is hope and it should not be bur- ied under the weight of silence and stigma. This is where responsible journalism has a role to play. It is never an easy call to make when personal tragedy befalls anybody. It becomes even more complicated when the individual is a public person. Finding the bal- ance between the public's right to know (by virtue of the fact that the individual is a pub- lic person) and the privacy of the individual and his relatives is not easy. We could take the easy road and simply re- port someone's death or misfortune in a ster- ile way; it would respect the public's right to know without giving too much detail, while respecting the family. But it would also allow a lot of blanks that people would fill in with speculation, which in a small community like Malta would have already reached most peo- ple even before the mainstream media gets to report anything. Alternatively, we could report the facts with caution to ensure the truth is dissemi- nated and in the hope that it could serve as an awareness raising experience. We say this in full knowledge that there may be no right answer for all circumstances and conscious that we also have made mistakes. There has been a lot of speculation sur- rounding Karl's death and his family have gone public asking anyone with information about Karl in the days leading up to his de- mise to come forward. The family's appeal is supported by the Nationalist and Labour parties. The police are investigating like they always do in these circumstances and a mag- isterial inquiry is underway. If investigations unearth wrongdoing by third parties that may have pushed Karl to kill himself, the police should prosecute without fear or favour. Nonetheless, this does not exonerate us from having the difficult conversations that are necessary to dispel the stigma, the need- less shame and the silence. This leader extends its condolences to Karl's relatives and friends. Call the mental health helpline 1579 if you are feeling sad, worried or angry and need immediate emotional support or if you are in the middle of a crisis and need practical advice on how to manage the situation, or if you are concerned about family members or friends and wish to explore the situation with a mental health professional. 1579 is a 24-hour national telephone helpline operat- ed by psychology professionals. Quote of the Week "Is there a treatment for hunting addiction? I would go for that." The last words of Simon Camilleri as he was being led out of court to be incarcerated for 20 months for shooting on another hunter and defying a lifetime ban on hunting that had been imposed on him in the past. MaltaToday 10 years ago 7 September 2014 Romanian escort claims she was forced into prostitution AIR Malta's financials may be about to ex- perience renewed turbulence, with the de- parture of trusted government man and air- line CEO Louis Giordimaina under a cloud of €30 million in losses forecast for March 2015. The figure has not been denied by tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis, who on being stepped up from parliamentary secre- tary, has seen the departure of Giordimaina, as well as Air Malta chairman Ray Fenech, and that of Malta Tourism Authority chief Josef Formosa Gauci. Zammit Lewis on Friday did not confirm claims that an em- bittered Giordimaina had been left out of company board meetings. "Mr Giordimaina stepped down from office due to personal reasons as stated in his resig- nation letter. People moving on is a reality that needs to be dealt with by every organisa- tion." "Sometimes people decide to leave govern- ment altogether and on other occasions they decide to stay on in a different role, such as Formosa Gauci did by staying on as a con- sultant in the tourism ministry," the minister said. In October, the airline will be expected to present the latest figures for the year ending March 2014. In March 2013, the second year of Air Mal- ta's five-year restructuring, the airline report- ed an operating loss of €13.7 from €29.7m in 2011." But Zammit Lewis refused to confirm or deny the forecast €30 million losses in 2015 – the year in which the airline should be gear- ing up for breakeven. "This government inherited a company which was in its third year of a restructuring process that had been negotiated with the European Commission by the previous ad- ministration."