Frank Sammut, Sydney, Australia
Nature's answer to birth control
In answer to comments by Gozo Bishop Mario Grech on same-sex civil marriage this is what I have to say.
The issue with a small overcrowded island like Malta should not only be the mathematics and the principle of conditional probability but also the fact that Malta is overpopulated. In the 1950s and 1960s, large numbers of Maltese emigrated to various countries. Australia alone took about 60,000.
Imagine if they all remained in Malta producing children as expected by the Church. Since Malta cannot ship out immigrants as such, condoms or a one-child-per-family policy, as is the case in China, should be encouraged.
Has anyone thought of us and thanked us for the fact that we, homosexuals, are really nature's answer to birth control. We should be given bonuses by the government for not producing more children and putting less stress on the already-exhausted infrastructure, especially in this day and age when the future is so unclear and disastrous for the generations to come. We are running out of space and out of everything.
19 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Joe Xuereb
Aug 12th 2009, 16:50
Frank Sammut is merely stating that a percentage of homosexuals within the wider heterosexual population merely means fewer children being created. Nowhere did he imply that homosexuality should be compulsory. Homosexuality has, for me, an even more important message than the sexual act itself (pity the man who believes that sexual orientation, of any persuasion, is only about the sexual act, thereby short-changing himself something terrible). I should explain. Please stay with me. Or not. I do not do compulsory. I leave that to the terminally insecure, the compulsive proselytizer.
Homosexuality can be a way of showing heterosexual males - let us stick to males, it makes it easier for me and anyone with a deficient attention-span - that there is an alternative to cheering a man in a boxing-ring, slowing killing another, cheering the pathetic winner and down-thumbing the bloodied underdog. I believe this a small price to pay for men to stop being so macho, so alpha and learn to live with dignity and in peace. Smacks of Christian values this. Paradoxically. And a discussion that can take place a million miles away from the bedsheets. Not compulsory. I don't do compulsory. I do coffee, creamed and calm.
J. Schembri
Aug 1st 2009, 05:17
Our economists say that Malta's only resource are its people , that is why we have children's allowance and student stipends.
Malta's economy needs children , hopefully nature will select them to be heterosexual.
Even in Australia people got big cash handouts last year to have children.
If a country does not 'produce' its own children it would be coerced to 'import' immigrants.
Bill Khan
Jul 31st 2009, 21:38
@Adrian Aquilina, point taken on the AIDS being more prevalent in the hetero sexual population. The start of it happened to be among the homosexual population we are told.
The sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise in each every country leading to some very tragic consequences especially on the young.
I hope with time the church will recognise the tragic effects on the young population and act wisely and allow some flexibility.
My comments were made in a more light hearted sense in response to Mr. sammut's rather amusing letter. I fully subscribe to live and let live and respect life.
adrian aquilina
Jul 31st 2009, 20:02
mr khan the largest grouping with aids are hetrosexual and not homosexual and the spread of aids in africa is made worse by the church and its stand on condoms..im not gay but it is not them to blame.you going to blame gays for the rise in sexual desease in malta,overtaking most other countries??its the fault of the church again and lack of government educating..use condoms. sad to hear such a homophobic comment....good letter,like your sense of humour.pity there are so many stupid people in malta who think they can tell others what to do..
Robert Callus
Jul 31st 2009, 17:43
This is ridiculous. I am all out for gay rights but for very different reasons. The reason is that I believe in civil liberties, unlike in a country like China like you mentioned. Apart from this, the problem we have is not over-population but an ageing one.
Tony Gatt
Jul 31st 2009, 16:15
@ Andre Xuereb,
Where's your sense of humour?
Chris Ripard
Jul 31st 2009, 15:55
When no one is left to work and support pensioners, people will be paid to have children (like they already virtually do in Sweden and France). Homosexuals are natures answer to . . . absolutely nothing.
Bill Khan
Jul 31st 2009, 12:54
One biggest population controller, Mr summat you did not mention being gay can contribute to is AIDS. AIDS has contributed to keep the population in Africa very nicely over the years.
There are many practiced options for birth control e.g condoms, contraceptive pills and now available is the 'morning after pill women can take. Pharmacuetical industry i don't think would take it kindly to every one going gay as a method of polulation control.
Your proposal certainly will reduce population but also kill lot more people thruough AIDS.
Back to the laboratory i am afraid for you!
Bernard Galea
Jul 31st 2009, 12:34
I would also ask the moderator / web editor to attach a note to the end of messages when they edit them, to make it clear to everyone that the message has been edited.
The editing of my previous message makes me sound like a mong
Rolan Borg
Jul 31st 2009, 12:20
Mr.sammut's letter letter is wrong on so many levels. i couldnt believe what i was reading. i still think it's a joke. even 6 year-olds can come up with better arguments.
M Vella
Jul 31st 2009, 11:49
Mr. Frank Sammut - here's a big ''missek tisthi'' for insulting the Maltese Gay Community, their present and future families and children, your own parents, the plight of Chinese families and what not, in whichever order you wish. As a gay person I find your letter totally appalling and shocking.
With your contribution to the Gay Rights cause in Malta you need a a social and soul education Mr. Sammut first , let alone ask for a bonus or not being a ''breeder''. Or do you simply want to shoot us all in the foot, yourself included?
Ronald Cauchi
Jul 31st 2009, 11:32
Does nobody on this island have a sense of humour?
William P Flynn
Jul 31st 2009, 11:28
I support Gay Rights in every way shape and form and hope one day that homosexuals will achieve equal footing and rights pari passu with heterosexuals.
However I cannot agree that homosexuality is nature's way of birth control. When the habitat, resources, water and food can't keep up with population growth, nature is far more ruthless. We see this in quadruped animal populations that diminish drastically when humans, a biped type of animal, encroaches on their environment, food source and habitat.
Humans, through scientific and prophylactic means, achieved control over their reproductive rate and they use it with effectiveness. This has meant a better quality of life and better women's health.
However religious organisations still keep a stranglehold on poor, ignorant nations or those trapped by religiously based political parties. The Philippines is one such country where catholic bishops equate birth control pills with abortion, thereby indirectly contributing to 500,000 real, backyard, deadly abortions a year.
If ever there was a country the contraceptive pill was made for it has to be the Philippines.
Andrew Camilleri
Jul 31st 2009, 11:01
This is the most amusing bit of twaddle I've heard for some time. Are you serious, Mr Sammut, or just playing the fool?
Bernard Galea
Jul 31st 2009, 10:43
Mr Sammut, you're clearly out to sabotage the Maltese gay rights movemen! Stick to the Opera House and Bondi beach
André Xuereb
Jul 31st 2009, 10:25
Mr Gatt: I think one should think twice before handing out misleading and potentially dangerous advice. These are not matters that should be left to anecdotes.
Ms P M Graham
Jul 31st 2009, 10:23
Is this letter serious?
Do you know what they do with unwanted pregnancies/children in China?
Frank Sammut, wrote: "Has anyone thought of us and thanked us for the fact that we, homosexuals, are really nature's answer to birth control. We should be given bonuses by the government for not producing more children......... etc"
What a ludicrous statement!! Do you actually see a statement like this being beneficial to the Gay rights cause in Malta?
joe grima Brussels
Jul 31st 2009, 10:07
My dear Mr Sammut.
In answer to comments by yourself....
1. Living in Australia, how can you comment about what the Maltese should do? Your problem of overpopulation is solved! Which space are you running out of in Australia?
2. As it is today, Malta has an aging population. What will your 'condoms and one-child-per-family' solve?
3. '..the future is so unclear and disastrous for the generations to come.' What generations are to come out of YOUR ideas expressed here?????
4. Is 'nature's answer to birth control' the extinction of the human race? And we should thank you for that?
5. 'we are running out of space and out of everything'. It seems that the Maltese of the '50s and '60 were more intelligent. They did not run out of space, ideas,....but found a solution! They just used common sense, which, judging by your comments, doesn't seem to be THAT common!
6. We need the 'bonuses' for our children, who are rather expensive, you know!
If you have lost faith in the human race, we haven't.
Tony Gatt
Jul 31st 2009, 10:05
When I lived in Ireland in the early 60's the contraceptive pill was not available because of the church's prohibition to Catholics for its use.
My wife's doctor's advice was that an aspirin tablet would do just as well.
When she asked how that worked he said "When your husband is at home (my career was at sea) stick that between your knees and hold it there!"
Cheap and efficient!