Saving Gozo

I fully agree with Fr Charles Cini that the beautiful island of Gozo is being vandalised by the greedy developers (June 4).

How could the authorities allow the environment in Gozo to be ruined and destroyed? Tourists and locals don’t want to see concrete jungles but are in search of harmony, history and natural environment. I appeal to the politicians, the Church, business people and Gozitans to save their island from uglification before it is too late.

Francis Vella – Mosta

Solitary confinement

Prisoner in solitary confinement. Photo: Shutterstock.com

The University of Malta’s Faculty of Social Well-being, through its dean, Andrew Azzopardi, is publicly calling for the total abolishment of solitary confinement in prison.

In a different context, independent lawmaker Marlene Farrugia caught many by surprise last month when she presented a bill in parliament calling for the decriminalisation of abortion.

The Nationalist Party has declared itself against decriminalisation and the Labour movement implied it wants a debate in society rather than a vote in parliament. Whatever, it has sparked a conversation that is long overdue.

Perhaps equally long overdue is a debate in society or a conversation on whether solitary confinement should be retained as a legitimate and disciplinary form of punishment or abolished because, in this day and age, it amounts to sheer torture and in direct conflict with the notion of reformation, correction, rehabilitation and restorative justice. I, personally, am all against solitary confinement.

However, it would be very interesting to find out what the majority of Maltese think about the subject, although I heavily suspect that most will opt for its retention.

Mark Said – Msida

Seedless gripe

To whom do I complain about not having received a packet of government seeds?

Please don’t tell me it’s the same people who didn’t send me any vouchers last year – because that government department no longer exists. This year’s voucher senders are a completely different entity.

There seems to be a list of Maltese residents, somewhere, that I am not on.

Sadly, it’s not the register for payers of Maltese income tax.

Revel Barker – Għajnsielem

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