I have a strong urge to start trolling the Facebook timelines of all those currently stating “enough is enough!” in response to the protests, to check whether they were equally vocal with their objections on October 16, 2017 and the days that followed, or whether, as is most likely, they continued posting photos of their dogs and their lunch while going on with “business as usual”.
Their condemnation of the protests, urging the police to do their job and stop the protestors, whining about the oh-so-tragic consequence of not being able to take their children to Valletta to do their Christmas shopping, and their shock at a minister being pelted with an egg leaves me flabbergasted and brings to the fore just how skewed this nation’s priorities have become. In fact, their selfish complaints about how the protests are upsetting the Christmas spirit display anything but the spirit they are so vehemently trying to defend, and are actually an indication of the extent to which they have become enmeshed in a Stockholm Syndrome pathology with their abusers whom they continue to support.
Where were their cries of 'enough is enough!' when corruption was exposed at the highest levels of our institutions?
Where were they in their defence of democracy when a journalist was brutally blown up? Did they then express their disdain at the failure of the police commissioner to act promptly? Where were their cries of “enough is enough!” when corruption was exposed at the highest levels of our institutions? How come I do not hear them defend the rights (and life) of the 16-year-old young woman Eve Borg Bonello who is receiving death threats?
Is it possible that they are too brainwashed to realise that their children stand to benefit much more from the actions of the protesters who are fighting for justice, than from an evening of shopping that only adds to their materialistic collection of junk which likely won’t even last till next summer? Don’t they realise that when the culture of impunity from breaches of human rights by the state flourishes, such impunity diffuses to breaches of ALL human rights in all sectors of society? Unfortunately, they will only realise the gravity when one of THEIR rights is breached, or the rights of someone they care for. Maybe it will be because of their gender, their physical abilities, their level of education, their employment conditions, their financial capabilities, the colour of their skin, the language they speak, their place of residence, their marital status, their ability to work, their reproductive ability, their need to strike, or their expression of an opinion. Maybe they or someone they love will need to enter court and experience unjust delays and frustrations, or are wrongly accused, or treated unfairly. At some point in our life, we will all experience a breach of one of our rights. The breach I experience will be different from the breach you experience, but it will be a breach nonetheless. I guarantee you that when that moment arrives, you will plead to others to understand your plight and to join your cause. You will be grateful that some individuals will put aside their own needs for a while, and support you by fighting your battle by your side. You will not be so worried about Christmas shopping then.
Yes, Minister Bonnici had an egg thrown at him as a show of disrespect, for that’s the message that needed to be sent to him. Respect, after all, has to be earned not demanded. He had plenty of opportunities to earn that respect by simply doing the right thing. He is, after all, the Minister of Justice. He still has that opportunity actually, by standing up for what is right and insisting that the prime minister resigns. After all, I can confirm that a few hours after the egg incident, he was sitting at a table next to me, sipping a capuccino, in a fresh and clean suit. He gained a lot of exposure and, this country being what it is, somehow raised his profile through the incident. He will still be able to go Christmas shopping. Daphne Caruana Galizia, on the other hand, is underground. Her family and friends will be grieving her loss this Christmas, as they have for the last two Christmases while they waited patiently for justice to be served.
The only Grinch this Christmas season is the one hanging on to power at Castille. It is at him you should be directing your cries of “enough is enough”. Only he can fix this situation. Own your power and force him to resign, instead of continuing to lick the hand that slaps you.