Kindly allow me to reply to the letter ‘Censoring Correspondents’ by Eddy Privitera (21 November, 2007). In this letter, the correspondent claimed that in a particular section of the local press, letters which had been sent for publication were left pending for weeks, if not for months, on end, with the vast majority of such letters remaining unpublished.
Apart from the fact that any editor can consider certain articles or letters to be not fit for publication the more so should they be considered defamatory, one can note that the correspondent’s letters are often frequently published in the socialist media whereas, always in the left-wing press, one hardly ever encounters any articles or letters arguing against MLP policies. It is evident that socialist quarters are implementing opinion censorship in their press but the correspondent has never protested against this.
The MLP has a well-known track record of suppressing dissenting viewpoints, so much so that as from 12 June, 1971, up to 9 May, 1987, only socialist state-controlled broadcasting existed in Malta, these being Xandir Malta (of Run Rabbit Run, and Bongu Malta Socjalista fame) and a couple of Radju Malta frequencies. No pluralism in broadcasting was ever tolerated by former prime ministers Dom Mintoff and Karmenu Mifsud Bonnici. This was when the then head of Xandir Malta, Toni Pellegrini, boasted that he had developed a habit of throwing the Nationalist party’s press releases in the waste paper basket. At the time, Mintoff used to refer to Pellegrini as “that frog”.
Neither Eddy Privitera nor Alfred Sant, then president of the MLP, ever dissented against socialist media manipulation and only the PN eventually presented and passed a bill launching pluralism in broadcasting, with the MLP voting against this in parliament. The MLP, subsequently in Opposition, said that pluralism in broadcasting would cause division amongst the Maltese.

Edward Torpiano
Floriana

Regarding your article ‘Man dies after ambulance delayed by Mater Dei migration’ penned by Julia Farrugia, if you do your investigations you can find that a man critically injured (actually in danger of death) last week (22 November) needed to wait more than 40 minutes for an ambulance (20 minutes more were needed to put him carefully in the ambulance).
A pool of blood could be clearly seen on the street before it got dark. The poor man must have lost a lot of blood and surely needed assistance that could only be given in the hospital. 
The ironic part of it was that the accident happened in front of Mater Dei. I have videos taken by a sophisticated mobile to witness this. I don’t know if it was pointed out to the responsible authorities whether some measures are going to be taken to facilitate the goings in and out of ambulances during rush hours.
Would the Health Ministry be accountable for a loss life? These people are putting many peoples’ lives at risk to gather more votes by trying to get the hospital running in the shortest time possible.
 
Maurice Saliba
Msida

I refer to the article ‘Supergrass drug pusher put in juvenile detention ‘for his own safety’’ (7 November, 2007).
I am reacting to the news about Godfrey Ellul. My emotions went from elation to anger to disgust and sadness all in one day. How I enjoyed reading your article. I laughed so much, I nearly fell off my chair.
After seven years of marriage to this man, I am thrilled to see him getting his just deserts. He ‘pulled the wool over my eyes’ all right. I was a stupid young woman in those days and believed every lie he dished out. Nothing was mentioned about his compulsive gambling, but I can assure you this was devastating to me and our marriage at the time.
I am so glad I got out when I did.

Sally Ellul
Via email