No offence to supreme dignity

In my blog, which sees the light of day on the electronic version of The Times (www.timesofmalta.com/blogs/view/20100125/andrew-borg-cardona/marriage-lines) I expressed some thoughts on something the President had said when speaking at a conference on the family organised by the Social Policy Ministry.

I don't want to insult your intelligence and internet prowess by repeating the points I made, as all you need to do is surf on over (which is why I provided the link, duh) and read me, after which you can agree, or not, and comment, calling me all manner of names and such if you are thus moved. You know, like you do on this column, if you're doing it electronically.

Now there's an idea, a slogan for the commentariat, "Commenters do it electronically". It would match the "Surfers do it standing up" that used to be emblazoned on wannabe Californians' T-shirts.

The Malta Gay Rights Movement were a bit more exercised by the President's speech than I was, understandably. What worried me was the fact that - in the context of the relevant constitutional conventions - the government's policy was being expressed before a proper debate had been developed.

What worried the MGRM, and I'm not a million miles away from them on this, either, was that the concepts expressed cannot be but anathema to the community the movement represents. That, however, is a debate that I'm not choosing to ventilate here, preferring instead to worry out loud at the level of sheer intolerance and quasi-bigoted smugness of many comments following the report on the MGRM's statement protesting at the speech.

Here is one, chosen virtually at random, and cut-n-pasted tale quale: "Dear MGRM. Stop your irresponsible and arrogant imposition on our true values. The less we hear from you the better. We want values and not libertinaġġ or promoscuity. Or is the president narrow minded also?!? Then all of Malta is narrow minded. Mr President almost all of Malta is behind you. You are truly the light of true and honest citizens of this beautiful country. We are always behind you in promoting true family values."

Leaving aside the spelling and syntax, am I the only one who is shocked at the way someone who presumably classes himself as a devout Christian dismisses, almost out of hand, his brothers and sisters?

"The less we hear from you the better," writes this paragon, a charitable and tolerant soul to the core.

Here's another one: "Why these activists think it's intolerant because our opinion is different than theirs? We are living in a free country, deal with it!"

Here I can't let the straight translation from Maltese go unremarked: he thinks in Maltese and then substitutes Maltese words with English ones.

Be that as it may be, the attitude is clear: this country is free but only if you agree with me, if not, "deal with it". In other words, shut up and carry on being classified as untermensch, praying forgiveness for my spelling.

There was more, plenty more and, having watched five minutes of Xarabank last Friday (that's yesterday week) when the baying masses were discussing (yeah, right, discussing) censorship and obscenity and sundry related notions, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that the fundamentalists are out in force.

I don't know what it is about this country but suddenly we've taken yet another lurch towards intolerance and conservatism of the deepest kind. We used to be a relatively contented "live and let live" bunch, when the 1960s and 1970s finally caught up with us (it was about 1989, I think) and, by and large, you could do pretty much what you liked as long as you didn't scare the horses or abuse the vulnerable.

Now, for pity's sake, you can't put a play on unless you have the blessing of someone who has arrogated to herself the authority to determine your moral compass, you can't distribute a newspaper unless the Rector feels safe that he won't be prosecuted and you can't put a mannequin in the window without clothes (at least not in Mosta). As for civilised debate, forget it: long live pre-conceived ideas and the received wisdom; if you don't agree, deal with it.

Oh well, is it surprising, really?

This is a country where a poster campaign in bus shelters encourages youths who are sexually active (are there any other sort?) to protect themselves. Now that's a really nifty idea, but the problem is that the dreaded condom finds itself nowhere in the picture: a bicycle helmet is used instead.

Which is about as useful as putting a condom on a protruding branch in preventing STDs or unwanted pregnancies.

imbocca@gmail.com, www.timesofmalta.com/blogs