Sunday by tradition is the day where, together with my better half, we visit my parents and hers. My father still prepares light, tasty snacks to complement the flow of spirit in glasses on Sunday morning before lunch. Sunday morning is for all family members’ conversation and updates.
Cruising from my adoptive place of residence to my home town Ħamrun we passed people going in or out of large and small churches, clubs, cafés, houses or simply strolling along the main roads. It is a feast of different people. One may wonder what is going on in their minds and in their lives on Sunday morning but, unless people are given the opportunity to air their views, it will just have to remain a wild guess.
This is my attempt to look into their minds.
Workers may be concerned about their future; an anxious mother waits patiently for her son to return home after a Saturday night-out; an elderly person waits by the phone to hear from Mater Dei Hospital about his hip bone replacement operation; a couple in love discuss their loans and mortgages to buy their house; a low-skilled, low-paid worker wonders how will he manage to make ends meet at the end of the month. Alleged corruption on the national level and real or perceived injustices of all sorts are only a few daily realities and issues people, families and society in general may be worried about from time to time.
On my way to Ħamrun, zapping from one radio stations to another I realise on Sunday morning the variety is extensive, ranging from one-man shows, to politics, to talk shows, to music of all genres.
On this particular Sunday, while the leaders of the political parties were emphasising and making their point, another radio station was playing Xemx (Sun) by the late Dominic Grech. One may elect to listen to good music or continue to listen to our political leaders. It is a choice both for listeners and politicians too.
The leaders of both political parties deliver their Sunday sermons to their faithful supporters in different localities. The hosts of the Sunday activities put leading questions to the political party leaders, questions that are far from pertinent or of true significance to the people on our streets.
As if this were not enough, the proceedings are also transmitted on the parties’ radio stations to capture a larger audience while the evening eight o’clock news on the national television station reports extensively the same repeated arguments and statements by our political leaders. And the newspapers on Monday broadly report again the same message of the political party leaders. The message is the same of the Sunday before and the one before that.
On one side you listen to the Prime Minister speaking of his party’s capabilities to take the necessary measures and actions at the right time and God forbid should the Maltese people decide to ever change gold for silver. While, on the other hand, the leader of the Labour Party constantly insists his party will work to make Malta the best among the countries of the European Union without indicating the road map leading us forward.
People must have got tired of one-man shows every Sunday. This is in no way helping the political class gain any brownie points. Politicians are losing their credentials and credibility as they fail to understand they need to listen much more than they speak.
My trade union work brings me in constant contact with various politicians of both parties and I know too well they are fully committed to their work but, unless they give the people an opportunity to speak and air their views, they would be missing the whole point in politics.
People may switch channels on their radio and choose a music channel if their daily concerns are not addressed. Xemx is certainly far more inspiring and a good example to follow.
gvella@uhm.org.mt
The author is general secretary of the Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin.