Is this the time?

In the ancient Christian antiquity, St Anthony the Abbot said: a time is coming when people will go mad and, when they meet someone who is not mad, they will turn to him and say: “you are out of your mind”, just because he is not like them.

Is this the time, the one we are living now, to which St Anthony is referring to?

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap – Marsa

COVID-19 also rides on selfishness

This week’s ‘Ask Charmaine’ feature (March 24) is illustrated by a picture of people arriving in Malta, with no social distance and one person’s mask below the face, nose and mouth exposed.

One wonders how our borders are being managed.

Isn’t it time we got serious with local COVID selfishness?

I listened to an epidemiologist (Radio 3 Scienza) assert that the new variants are not only more contagious but 20 to 30 per cent more lethal.

Yet, we have locals going around eschewing their masks in public and minimising these variants as “not as bad”.

This irresponsible attitude when it comes to a civic sense and following rules unfortunately epitomises this country and is at the root of why we are in such a mess.

Generally.

Why is it so difficult to understand that all our rights are protected when everyone’s responsibilities are accepted?

Anna Micallef – Sliema

Smokers and masks

What was Kevin Hodkin (March 25) implying by saying that I “conveniently” forgot to mention smokers when I wrote that joggers should be made to wear masks or a visor?

If it were up to me smoking would be banned completely, everywhere but that was not the subject of my letter.

Joseph Galea – Sliema

From the online comments board

Plans for Ta' Qali national park

This is design gone mad. There is no need for a flyover. It is possible to design pedestrian spaces with cycle paths on single surfaces, especially where so much space is available. It can be made perfectly safe for both pedestrian and cyclists. – R. Jones

Money down the drain. A bicycle flyover from nowhere to nowhere. Just to please building contractors. Just like the Gozo tunnel. A useless (super-expensive) hole in the ground to save a few minutes on the Gozo to Malta journey. – S. Camilleri

While Ta’ Qali does need a facelift and one appreciates the work that has gone into this, in my humble opinion, less concrete and less of a hard edged ‘industrialised’ look would be much more appropriate. Also, while a bicycle lane is a must, I cannot really understand the need for it to be on another concrete flyover. This design, to my mind, is trying to impose too many artificial and stifling controls over what should be a natural flowing park area for a ‘family audience’. I am sure that further constructive consultations with all stakeholders can improve on what is being proposed for a better final result. – Toni Farrugia

The roofless theatre in Valletta has received every sort of criticism, now our brave boy from Dingli, Mr Tarmac and Concrete, is proposing another roofless theatre and yet another flyover. Aħna aħna jew m’aħniex! – Patrick Sciberras

More and more concrete... more and more building... instead of all the pretty pictures, how about rerouting all the traffic which passes through Ta’ Qali through tunnels... and open up the area as a pedestrian, green, open space full of trees? There would be no need for fancy overpasses and no need for that monstrosity being built next to Ta’ Qali stadium. Is it too much to ask? An open space with trees? Are we so poor as a nation? – Joseph Markham

Letters to the editor should be sent to editor@timesofmalta.com. Please include your full name, address and ID card number. The editor may disclose personal information to any person or entity seeking legal action on the basis of a published letter.