Letters | Sunday, 25 January 2009

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Malta too, united behind its president

We have just witnessed the 44th President of the most powerful nation in the world, The United States of America, installed in lieu of President George W. Bush. The crowd attending the ceremony started filing into the plaza six hours earlier, a crowd of over two million people, comprising both Republicans as well as Democrats. A crowd united behind their new President, an African American President. A dignified crowd of, not only dignitaries, but mostly ordinary people who wished to show faith in their new President.
What moved me most of all was when they joined in singing their national anthem. The accent in both President Obama’s speech was that there is no difference between white and black Americans, no difference between Republicans and Democrats, but only one category of people – American people.
Immediately the ceremony was over President Obama led his predecessor to the waiting helicopter. A very large sign of respect, which the CNN commentator described as unprecedented.
After this I thought: why can’t we, a minuscule nation of 400,000 people, emulate this great nation in respect, in unity behind our new President George Abela, also a historic personality, and almost unprecedented in the short life of our republic, coming as he is from the other side of the political spectrum?
Why cannot we hold his inaugural ceremony in a public place where large crowds can gather to take part in this historical new page in our history? I would like to see thousands gather, waving not party flags, but the flag of Malta and its George Cross to remind the world that we stood steadfast against evil. Why cannot we hold each other’s hand, red, blue or green, and sing our national anthem to show the world that we too can be united behind our President?
How I wish we too could for once be sons and daughters of Malta. This way, the way forward would be smoother.

George P Zammit
Mosta

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