G. Debono has taken D. Casha to task for expressing his honest opinion (October 21).

It would surely come as no surprise to Mr Debono that we Maltese are no longer voting with our politicians' heads but with our own.

Mr Casha was deluded into believing that this legislature's frenzied activity into aligning our laws with those of the EU would result in a firearms law substantially similar to EU directive 477/91, thus ensuring harmonisation and, indeed, ensuring equal opportunities for Maltese enthusiasts.

Mr Casha waited along the bastions, probably since 1987, no less enthusiastically than our forefathers did 60 years ago.

Dr Tonio Borg decides to launch his White (or should it be called Black?) Paper and out of the blue and for no justifiable reason whatsoever torpedoes Mr Casha's SS Ohio just as she comes limping into sight off Grand Harbour.

Mr Casha is justifiably upset. He will use his vote as he deems fit. So will a significant number of Maltese in the gun owners' lobby as will other Maltese not prone to a hysterical fit as soon as the word 'gun' is mentioned.

This is not blackmail. It is simply democracy at work.