Mater Dei Hospital’s superintendent, Frank Bartolo, asked how one could even contemplate closing “the only major artery leading to the hospital?”
He warned that permitting the closure of the Regional Road so that fireworks can be let off for the Msida feast, could have dangerous consequences.
Who does he think he is, making such responsible comments? How dare he point out the obvious and provoke the ire of a band club president? Does he not know that civic responsibility has no meaning here? Who cares if people die because of the selfish and arrogant behaviour of fireworks enthusiasts?
How can he expect people like the San Guzepp Melita Band president, Vince Azzopardi, to honour their saint without disrupting the whole country and endangering lives?
Mr Azzopardi has decreed that the road “would continue being closed for the feast as long as I am alive... Don’t you dare come to Msida. I’m serious... If you don’t like it, don’t pass through Msida.”
So all of you out there, that had any misguided notion that it is the police and the government who decide on these matters, can wake up now.
The police official response when asked about this by The Times was that they were still processing two requests for closure of roads to let-off fireworks for the Msida feast in a fortnight’s time.
Obsession plays havoc with rationality. That was made obvious by Mr Azzopardi’s statement that ambulances would still be able to get through.
Anyone who has been stuck in the traffic chaos caused by the Msida feast will know that a bicycle will have difficulty getting through, let alone an ambulance.
I sent emails to the police and the Justice and Health Ministers asking whether the Republic of Msida was to get its way. The Justice Ministry advised me that Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici is abroad, I got no response from Health Minister John Dalli, and the CMRU (the police) asked me to specify Dr Bartolo’s comments.
I emailed the Times article to the latter, but got no other response.
This country is ruled by a bunch of bullies who are only interested in their own pleasure with no regard for anybody else. This of course is done behind the paraventu of fervent Catholicism.
I read with interest Gozo Bishop Mario Grech’s lament that “the original target for a European community built on the Christian values of solidarity, reciprocal forgiveness and reconciliation is disappearing”.
I think that first of all if Bishop Grech wants to talk about values, we should start on our own patch. The Church seems to have blinkers on when it comes to values. It seems to regard social justice as only pertaining to marriage and contraception.
“Europe pretends to be a community of values, but at the same time it is denying universal and absolute values such as God’s presence, protection of life from conception, a family built on an indissoluble marriage, and social justice,” he said.
I am troubled by generalisations like “denying universal and absolute values such as God’s presence”. What does he mean? That all Europe has become atheist? And why amalgamate that with broken marriages and the use of contraception?
If the Church in Malta and Gozo really wants to get back to our Christian values it can start by emphasising “Love thy neighbour”. Solidarity means not only thinking of one’s own gratification, but also thinking of how one’s actions are affecting the rest of the community.
As long as the Church in Malta and Gozo tacitly condones the excesses at religious festas, it is on shaky ground pointing the finger at European lack of Christian values.
Okay, so the Curia came out with a damning report on the negative effects of fireworks and other festa excesses a few years ago. But has anything changed? Not only has it not changed things have got worse.
The Sacro Cuor Feast, which I have praised in the past for not being as loud as the Stella Maris blitz (triggering the wrath of the MLP’s Michael Falzon) and St Julian’s, was louder and lasted longer than ever last week.
We all know what to expect from the Msida feast, and if Stella Maris and the rest are going to be competing with the Sacro Cour barrage, God help us.
How is that for recognising His presence?

Can’t walk and chew gum
Ah, the poor red mini bus drivers are being victimised and bullied. Just because they want to earn more money by cramming school children into their vans, the police are chasing them.
It was recently revealed that the majority do not have seat belts and the minibus cooperative chairman Charles Mercieca believes parents are upset because they mistakenly think this is illegal.
No Mr Mercieca, the parents are upset because it is unsafe for their children to be transported in vans with no seatbelts.
Anyway, because parents are insisting their children travel in vans fitted with seatbelts, the cooperative is being pushed into doing something about it.
“We are doing something about it not because we are operating illegally but because we do not want to lose market share,” Mr Mercieca was quoted as saying. Yes, well we all know where their priorities lie.
He complained that the police and local wardens who regularly stopped them for surprise inspections were discriminating against minibus owners.
“Why only us? The authorities are discriminating against us and even using bullying tactics,” said Mr Mercieca.
This is so revealing. These people are so unused to enforcement that they see it as bullying.
However, if the allegation of discrimination is correct, the police and wardens should be as diligent with other school transport providers.
Then again, maybe the police are more vigilant with the red mini bus drivers because they are the ones with a bad safety record.
When writing on the subject last month, I had argued that drivers transporting children should be specially trained; Mr Mercieca has just proved my point. “Drivers are obliged to tell children to wear the seatbelts, they then had to concentrate on driving and not on whether children kept their seatbelts on,” he complained. They obviously cannot walk and chew gum let alone drive children to school and back safely!
negative effects of fireworks and other festa excesses a few years ago. But has anything changed? Not only has it not changed things have got worse.
The Sacro Cuor Feast, which I have praised in the past for not being as loud as the Stella Maris blitz (triggering the wrath of the MLP’s Michael Falzon) and St Julian’s, was louder and lasted longer than ever last week.
We all know what to expect from the Msida feast, and if Stella Maris and the rest are going to be competing with the Sacro Cour barrage, God help us.
How is that for recognising His presence?

Can’t walk and chew gum
Ah, the poor red mini bus drivers are being victimised and bullied.
Just because they want to earn more money by cramming school children into their vans, the police are chasing them.
It was recently revealed that the majority do not have seat belts and the minibus cooperative chairman Charles Mercieca believes parents are upset because they mistakenly think this is illegal.
No Mr Mercieca, the parents are upset because it is unsafe for their children to be transported in vans with no seatbelts.
Anyway, because parents are insisting their children travel in vans fitted with seatbelts, the cooperative is being pushed into doing something about it.
“We are doing something about it not because we are operating illegally but because we do not want to lose market share,” Mr Mercieca was quoted as saying.
Yes, well we all know where their priorities lie.
He complained that the police and local wardens who regularly stopped them for surprise inspections were discriminating against minibus owners.
“Why only us? The authorities are discriminating against us and even using bullying tactics,” said Mr Mercieca.
This is so revealing.
These people are so unused to enforcement that they see it as bullying.
However, if the allegation of discrimination is correct, the police and wardens should be as diligent with other school transport providers.
Then again, maybe the police are more vigilant with the red mini bus drivers because they are the ones with a bad safety record.
When writing on the subject last month, I had argued that drivers transporting children should be specially trained; Mr Mercieca has just proved my point.
“Drivers are obliged to tell children to wear the seatbelts, they then had to concentrate on driving and not on whether children kept their seatbelts on,” he complained.
They obviously cannot walk and chew gum let alone drive children to school and back safely!

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