A life worth living

Defying nature (which, it should be remembered, never forgives) and its unchangeable laws has been a trait that man has always cherished. Icarus thought that he could defy the sun and its heat but eventually met a sad end.

Some years ago, cattle, which are herbivores animals, were fed scarpie-infected meat products. Scarpie is a fatal illness affecting sheep and goats. This, some scientists believe, could possibly have led to the mad cow disease, which had a devastating effect, resulting in the culling of millions of head of cattle.

Decades ago, China decreed a one-child policy, which has now been revoked. This strategy resulted in reducing the fertility rate considerably but created a gender imbalance because female babies were often aborted since having boys was preferred.

(Why were feminist voices not raised worldwide against this abomination?)

This policy caused a labour shortage given the increasing proportion of the population who were older adults. There were also too few young people to provide for the retirement and healthcare of the older population.

In tiny Malta too, since the 1980s, we have had a low fertility rate with few young people and the consequent dependence today on foreign workers to do some of the work which our missing youth do not do. Rather than showing hostility towards these foreign workers, we should be grateful to them for filling the void which we, in our shortsightedness, have caused to come about.

This should lead us to reflect that, in creating nature, God, in His infinite wisdom and goodness, has given us laws, even moral ones, which are eternal and are intended to make our life on earth dignified and worth living, having been made in ‘His own image’. Straying away from them can only lead to much misery and unhappiness.

Jacqueline Calleja – Naxxar

Valletta patrimony

What has happened to this niche on the corner of Sapper Lane and Sapper Street, in the Hastings Gardens area of Valletta?

I have sent photos and warnings to the Valletta council, Heritage Malta and the Restoration Directorate several times over the last few years but only received one reply two years ago saying the council would “look into it”.

Has it been taken down by the developer of the building for restoration as is required or has it been lost forever, as I had warned?

Rupert Grech – Valletta