Golden passports

Some of us seem to revel in accumulating a reputation for lack of values, increasing materialism and even anti-Western sympathies. 

As if “greylisting” (“by those who envy us”) were not enough, some of our MEPs vote against abolishing “golden EU passports” and one of these politicians is also reported to have (in the European Parliament) blamed the Ukraine war on NATO (apparently the same politician who advised us to vote against EU membership).

Some of us may still be labouring under the 1970s’ and 1980s’ mentality when some local “professors of democracy” (as they boasted of themselves) insisted that our “enemies” were America and Europe and our bosom “friends” were North Korea, China, Iran, etc. (global club of despotic dictatorships). 

By the way, has our National Audit Office been permitted to inform parliament, and us plebs, as to how all (not some of it) the money from the sale of Maltese EU golden passports has been divided up into the various “investments”?

ALBERT CILIA-VINCENTI – Attard

Heartless killing

A woman reacts as she stands outside destroyed apartment blocks in Kyiv. Photo: Aris Messinis/AFP

We are horrified and repulsed by the visual cruelty of the war that we are witnessing. We, in the West, have mobilised our lives to reach out to the victims of this savagery. It is the senseless death of innocent children and people who are defenceless against the strength of another, who decides that their lives are worthless. They are torn to pieces, heartlessly taken unawares from their homes, streets, wherever and brazenly slaughtered. How beastly can humans be?

We are all in agreement that this is evil and should be stopped by every possible means.

With the exception of Malta, all these countries in the West have enacted laws to allow this same butchery to innocent babies in their mothers’ wombs.

Is this not incongruent and lacking integrity?

May we never succumb to pressure to follow them.

Margaret Bianchi – Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq

Serving the country eminently

I refer to the excellent letter by Philip Farrugia Randon on the late former president Ċensu Tabone.

I would have liked to submit a congratulatory comment but was impeded by lack of internet skills. I just could not access the system.

Besides all that was said by Farrugia Randon, Tabone was the surgeon of the ophthalmic patient whose cure was declared to be miraculous. It was one of the miracles accepted by Rome in the sanctification of Dun Ġorġ.

Tabone was also involved in the work to eradicate trachoma from Middle East countries.

He is also reputed to having outwitted Dom Mintoff in his strenuous attempts to become president of Malta.

And his experience and example when the first Fascist bombs fell on St Elmo are exemplary. He was medical officer at the fort at the time.

The Tabone family has served our country eminently. The subtle suggestion in Farrugia Randon’s letter is the least the country can do.

George Boffa – New South Wales, Australia

The simple solution

Seeing that the question of abortion is on the agenda, I think it’s vital for the pro-choicers to meet the rest of the world half-way because if we want our rights, our lives and our identities to be accepted and recognised, then we have to accept other people’s rights and lives too. And that begins with the right of unborn babies to live.

John Azzopardi – Żabbar

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