Kristina Chetcuti
Sex and the city
Lately everybody seems to be caught in a condom conundrum. Somehow from an octogenarian Pope you wouldn't expect otherwise, but to hear uptight comments from early 20-somethings is quite another thing altogether.
All is not well in Malta's city of knowledge, the very place which is supposed to be nurturing our future minds. At University last week, the final debate of the student's council (KSU) elections was dominated by one single topic: not by the reform of the tertiary education, not by the stipends or importance of research, nor by the concern of graduate employment given the current economic situation, no sir. The one topic which took centre stage was whether or not there should be a condom vending machine on campus.
Here's the gist of the debate: Matthew Mizzi, one of the debaters, said that while he 'personally' agreed with having a condom vending machine on campus he could not agree 'in principle' because he would not be representing all students.
His contender, Karl Grech, said that his party would only consider a condom machine on campus after widespread consultation and after the go-ahead from the government and from KSU's social policy body.
Right. The go-ahead from the government? For a condom machine? Hmmm. While we're at it, how about considering a national referendum on the issue? Unfortunately, both Grech and Mizzi sound like cagey politicians: not wanting to take a stand in case they lose votes.
I wish I could say this news story merits loud guffaws but in reality its reflection of our main student body doesn't raise much of a smile.
It is sad indeed that in 2009 the bright young minds of our island are being uptight and supposedly uncomfortable about having a bunch of condoms at hand. What a load of pretense! As leaders of young people they should be promoting safe sex at every opportunity. I would love to know how many students there are 'in principle' who take offence at the sight of such a vending machine?
I think in Malta we like to pretend to ignore the presence of condoms. Take pharmacies, they are always hidden somewhere behind the counter. We've all been in a pharmacy and heard our neighbouring customer ask for condoms. Why is it that here anything related to sex - we're talking about means to make it safer here - has to be hushed, whispered and tucked away safely in the bottom drawer?
Well. We got the answer on Monday, when The Times carried an opinion piece by self-declared Nationalist 'Catholic politician' Charlo Bonnici, who said: "By giving in to such a demand [the installation of a condom machine on campus], we may also be sending out the message that having sex outside the commitment of marriage is now acceptable and that the State is also giving its blessing."
Since when has the State started giving its blessing or non-blessing on our personal lives? What a truly sanctimonious opinion. May I point out that, erm, condoms are not porn. You don't see a condom machine and go: "Gosh! I really have to have some sex now."
Just as no one will rub their hands in glee and go "Hurrah! We've been given permission!" and then sue the State if things don't go as planned.
And here's an interesting point: The Church opposes the use of any artificial means of contraception which would interfere with the transmission of life within any act of marriage. So if one truly wants to be a total 'Catholic politician' one of course would have to stay away from vending machines even if married.
I think it's about time that we no longer shy away from the fact that in our society everybody, whatever the job and the status, uses condoms. It has nothing to do with promoting promiscuity - it is simply because at the end of the day we are practical. And our intellectual future minds at our University city should really swot hard to catch up with the rest of the society.
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Joe Zammit
Apr 13th 2009, 16:51
Evil is negative. The good is positive. The night is negative, LIGHT is positive and when there is light, darkness disappears automatically. Thinking on good and sound ideas automatically eliminates trash. What is good is to be looked for. What is evil, like a condom machine, is to be discarded. Thank God, the great majority of our university students are serious and DO NOT WANT RUBBISH!
Matthew Mizzi
Apr 13th 2009, 09:30
@Kristina Chetcuti
Unfortunately, the 'facts' you mention in your article are mistaken.
For a start, the campus debate between Carl and myself was not dominated by the issue of condom machines. We discussed the issue after we were questioned on it by one of the journalists present.
We do not only have a stand on health Had this been so then why did we (just one of the two teams contesting) present more than 70 ideas and proposals in our manifesto?
This already gives me the impression that you weren't even present at a debate which you then decided to write about. I'm also under the impression that you relied on third parties or sources for your information.
True. I have nothing against installing a condom machine on campus, but we as a team believe that there's a more pressing need for a pharmacy close to campus. We believe that University students' health needs aren't being properly addressed.
Had you confirmed your sources, then you would have been able to write an even better piece .
Joe Xuereb
Apr 13th 2009, 02:34
Sex with near-strangers (or even with someone very familiar) always presents a hazard. Two entities in close proximity will exchange and mix their microbes which cover the skin surface in their millions. It is a hazard. It is the nature of the beast. In exactly the same way that crossing the road is a hazard. Or eating too much (or too little) of this or that. Nothing whatsoever to do with religion. Prescribing and limiting the sexual act to a very narrow repertory of 'time and place' when even any hint of lust (as if!) is, according to the likes of Joe Zammit, frowned upon, is a non-starter, impractical, unenforceable. It serves no purpose other than to pile on the guilt and makes nervous wrecks of people are want to exercise and participate in this most basic of human interaction. Educate the people fairly and squarely. It is the most and the least that can be done. Tampering with the natural order (and viewed like this, homosexuality is very much within the natural order) will produce disastrous results.
On no account must religion be brought into play. Not without dire consequences. So, education is the key here.
Joseph Ellul
Apr 13th 2009, 00:20
There should be a vending machine in all goverment buildings. This machine should include ,2 types of diet drinks, cold of course, hot coffee and tea with options for all the frills that come with them, Condoms, IUD's and the morning after pill. Due to the high risk of pilfering,especially the cold drinks, I suggest that a CCT camera be installed near these machines. When all of this is done than the Maltese people can go back to the government buidings and become productive again.
Rene Cilia
Apr 12th 2009, 18:17
I for one would be against the introduction of such a machine no matter what...i've bandaged too many s.t.d.-infected individuals (at a respite-providing venture abroad) to allow something that lets one in every ten persons catch such diseases, while giving the impression that all'll be well, without feeling guilty (per WHO, condoms are 90% safe...and what about the other ten? When you envision the kind of diseases we're talking about here along the lines of the disfigurement and pain incurred, 1 in 10's not a small number at all).
I ceasing to think of the human person in "departments" but holistically, we'd realise that there are more important health and safety issues on campus which should come before on our list of priorities as: lack of first-aiders or a venture where one can resort to in cases of slight emergency (ACT having proposed resurrecting the dormant clinic in students' house in the light of this)-slippery corridors-excessively heated halls-unsuitable desks, if any-places that are inaccessible to physically-challenged individuals, as in the JC library, a fact that i discovered on my visits there and found appalling, it having been pointed out to me by students themselves).
think about it...
Thomas Abdilla
Apr 12th 2009, 16:27
As a university student I really feel ashamed at the importance that this blessed issue is being given. As the author of the article has rightly said, there are much more pressing matters that should be tackled such as promoting research, redesigning the teaching practices, and aligning curricula allowing students to gain all the skills needed for their future job and providing a basis for further development of one's expertise.
I think that one of the major concerns of the student representatives and lecturers should be to work at blowing away the thick cloud of apathy that hangs over a place were truly there should be a passion for learning and an uncontainable enthusiasm for self-development.
A final note on KSU - I don't know whether there is a minimum turn-out threshold for a democratic election to be valid, but I think that this year's result at least should confirm that students do not feel represented by this body that is mostly viewed as a political training camp for budding wannabe-MPs refining their Machiavellian proficiencies.
Happy arguments this Easter (taken from The Economist)
robert zammit
Feb 4th 2011, 11:32
Yeah! Yeah!
Mario Zerafa
Apr 12th 2009, 15:49
The debate was not dominated by one single topic. There were other important issues concerning the students which were discussed throughout the debate. The condom machine on campus was only discussed for a short period of time during the debate.
Joe Zammit
Apr 12th 2009, 13:36
God's law if for everyone: old and young, man and woman, yesterday, today and tomorrow. The great majority of Maltese and Gozitans, young and old, are Catholic and follow the teaching of the Catholic Church. Her teaching is infallible and beneficial to all of us, young and old. Poor fellows are those who discard this sound teaching. Following evil is detrimental to the evil-doer. Christ founded his Church for all people, young and old, because all people, young and old, have the date of death written on their heads.
Charlò Bonnici was right in his arguments. No one has contradicted him and the majority follows his line of thought. Poor Kristina still lacks maturity. Her childish ideas are just bla, bla, bla.
M.Degiorgio
Apr 12th 2009, 11:50
I agree 100%, very well put. To put it simpler I would just qualify us as the biggest hypocrite nation of today's the western world and quite backwards as well.