Is divorce the answer?

Dr Harry Vassallo (The Sunday Times, January 16) trivialises the issue of the negative aspect of divorce. He tries to make opposition to divorce sound like some outdated religious quirk. He says the issue of divorce has been "welded" to that of abortion in order to make the Maltese public link both together as equally harmful.

The divorce issue can certainly stand alone - the pros and cons of having it legalised should be debated. Arguments should concentrate on whether divorce is a right and what its impact would be on Maltese society.

To have a true debate leading to a responsible decision, different opinions must be heard, discussed and reflected upon. It is as ridiculous to say that someone who has never married cannot argue against divorce, as it is to say that someone who is happily married cannot argue in favour of it.

It is irresponsible to say that those who are anti-divorce are callously indifferent to the problems of those who wish to restart their lives after a marriage gone wrong, without giving serious thought to the many great problems with which we would burden our future generations, should divorce be introduced.

I agree with Dr Vassallo on a number of issues. However, on this subject, he deliberately chooses to avoid examining both sides of the coin. In the book Is Divorce the Answer? the Irish lawyer William Binchy dispassionately analyses the social consequences of the legalisation of divorce. It is a book which I feel should be read by anyone interested in this vital issue. Maybe Dr Vassallo will find the time to read the copy I sent him a few months ago.

I must add that although, as Dr Vassallo pointed out, abortion and divorce are two separate issues, it is also a fact that where divorce was introduced, legalised abortion soon followed.

Both our major parties have avoided taking a stand on divorce. It is a political 'hot potato'. As every election is a neck-and-neck affair, neither party is prepared to risk losing potential voters. I suppose this leaves the pro-divorce voters ripe for the picking.

I have hitherto held Dr Vassallo in high esteem. I sincerely hope that he is not prepared to sacrifice the common good of the Maltese people for his own political advantage.