Life is sacred

Archbishop Charles Scicluna, President George Vella, President Emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the Nationalist Party and a good number of NGOs have all opposed the proposed bill that would allow abortion if a mother’s health is at risk.

Many have described this as introducing abortion through the back door.

Prime Minister Robert Abela’s move to introduce abortion in Malta, for which he has no mandate, caused an outcry from people of goodwill who strongly believe that life is sacred, and no one has the right to terminate it.

The prime minister believes that, since he has a comfortable majority, thanks to him and his colleagues’ way of bribing the electorate, he can do what he likes.

Robert Abela has no right to introduce abortion in Malta. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

However, since abortion is not a political issue, people from all walks of life, immaterial of their political beliefs, have come out in full force condemning this bill, which they rightly believe is an exercise to introduce abortion in Malta.

 However, immaterial of what Abela and his ilk say, he has no right to introduce such a law in Malta. Abela should do away with his stubbornness and refrain from pushing forward this law.

I humbly invite whoever believes in the sanctity of life to meditate on the following verses taken from ‘Innocents’,  better known as (The) Coventry Carol – a 15th century Christmas hymn:

“Herod, the King, in his raging, charged he hath this day, his man of might, in his own sight all young children to slain.” No further words are required.

Emily Barbaro-Sant – Mosta

Numbers must come down

I thought I’d never see it. But it was there: a clever individual hinting that Malta’s tourist arrivals numbers need to go down not up. Eventually, John Guillaumier’s letter (November 26) said as much.

The old Roman adage “Conosci te ipsum” (know thyself) is, it seems, continuously ignored by our national decision-makers.

In tourism, in building and ‘development’ (for which read environmental destruction and uglification), in the ever increasing number of cars on our roads, in the number of foreigners being allowed to come to work and/or live and/or holiday here.

In these and, indeed, other sectors numbers must, on this island 17 miles by nine, let us all remember, absolutely come down and not keep endlessly going up. The true meaning of the term ‘sustainability’ also means and includes knowing where to stop and reverse.

Not to accept this is to admit that one simply does not know how to be economically creative and wise. We have our national economic development policy all wrong. Who is to blame? The politicians or their economic advisors (paid or otherwise)?

John Consiglio – Birkirkara

Contrary to agreement with EU

The bill to amend the Criminal Code which would allow doctors to carry out an abortion is contrary to what, in 2002, Eddie Fenech Adami insisted upon, and obtained, when negotiating Malta’s EU accession. Namely that Malta will never be forced to introduce abortion.

Now we have a government that intends to break this agreement. A true gentleman would proceed to withdraw, or, at least, clarify the ‘health’ aspect of the proposed bill.

Anthony Saliba – St Paul’s Bay

Well done Liam

Well done to the young Gozitan boy Liam Daly for swimming from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr ix-Xini to raise awareness about plastic pollution of the sea. Society needs young people like him. Keep up the good work Liam.                           

Francis Vella – Mosta