250 turn out for protest against censorship

C.Zammit

Mar 16th 2010, 12:31

@ Karl Stivala - Just because I believe in God it does not mean that a person is backwards. There is no religion involved in this! Values are Values! We must not loose control and become a free for all country! I am not talking like this because I was brain-washed! Humans should be respected especially women and censorship should not be banned. You know what we should ban? Extreme porn that degrades humans especially women should be banned! It's not doing any good to our world for sure. I am not backwards for sure! Just because I am proud of my values and yes religion and country too it does not mean I am backwards. One other thing good values should be tought to Children.So what do you want to teach our children? So in your opinion we can teach them that porn is ok it's normal, Homosexuals are normal , degrading people is normal! That's what do you want to teach our children. Christ never said anything to harm people or any living thing in the world. Whatever we do like it or not we are in his hands and at the end it his final judgment!

Karl Stivala

Mar 13th 2010, 06:32

i really cant understand why we have to put religion in everything. I agree with banning censorship. We are a growing nation! We have to stop living 50 years behind. Its funny how everything religion says we have to follow. Mr Zammit open your mind a little and try to understand that everything you are saying is simply due to you and many others being brainwashed as children. Just imagine if you were told a tea pot is your god as a child. i bet you would be worshiping it and anything your peers might have told you. Yes there should be a great respect towards women and any other human being however i truely believe that you are talking out of brainwashing/obsession and not out of true moral values. Censorship Should get banned however be it a play or a movie there must be age limits for viewers. Peace

C.Zammit

Mar 2nd 2010, 13:06

@ Kevin Cassar- As you said "As long as it does not damage other people" To start of with Mr.Cassar I read the story in the ir-realta newpaper and it is sick&disgusting! Yes things like this should be banned as they do do damage to peoples brains especially the very young. It's Very degrading to women. We should be teaching the young that women are not sex objects! You say your an intelligent person! So your intelligence is only where it comes to perverted sick stuff? Sick Athiest mentality -mean that we try to eliminate religion from a country in order to do whatever you like. Eliminate religion to try and bring up young people growing up as athiests! You do have the right to read whatever you like of course! But as you said as long as it does not do damage to other people! If he wanted to show the way some maltese man talk about women I think there are different ways it can be done! There is no need for that type of language & blasphemy! You can't disrespect the majority of catholics in this Country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe Xuereb

Mar 1st 2010, 13:37

@ C.Zammit. I have never called you or anyone ignorant. I merely put forward my case and hopefully the unaware (as opposed to ignorant) will take note. Ignorance or lack of awareness is not a crime after all although it can do, it does do, a lot of damage. Of course lack of awareness upgrades itself to ignoramus status the minute obstinate denial sets in. But that has nothing to do with me.
While I'm here, may I say I am happier being an open-ended, humane pervert (your word but read homosexual) than a so-called heterosexual bigot. I made my choice. You made yours. We all do. We make our beds. We lie down on them.

Kevin Cassar

Mar 1st 2010, 11:08

@ C Zammit

Who do I think I am? I think I am an intelligent adult who should have the basic fundamental right to decide for myself what I can read, see or do as long as this does not damage other people. That's all I need and want and it's not the way it is at the moment. I have no problem with you believing whatever you wish, but I do have a problem with you not acknowledging that I have the same right too. Sick atheist mentality?? Care to explain?

C.Zammit

Feb 28th 2010, 12:59

@ Joe Xuereb/Kevin Cassar You seem to know it all! Who do you think you are that what ever you say you think your right? Who does not follow your ideas you call ignorant or make fun of him/her. Malta is a country for families and not for Junks or perverts.Only the few minoriteis are happy with secular states!The media always try to impress by showing how happy these people are!@Joe xuereb-If Malta is not peacefull for you then you must be living in a bubble! Kevin Cassar Malta is not a fundamental state I think you have to get your facts clear. You are free not to beleive in any religion it's up to you! You for sure don't have the right to make fun of the majority of the population who are catholic. If people are catholic no one if forcing them to be. When I done 3 years from my life not going to church no one killed me , insulted me or anything! You just want a free for all country to introduce a sick athiest mentality but that won't happen. Yesterday was At mass at university chaple the attendance of young families was nice!

Joe Xuereb

Feb 27th 2010, 10:18

Malta is peaceful. Famous last words.

@ C. Zammit. I don't live in Malta but reading the Maltese papers gives me quite an accurate idea of whether Malta is a peaceful country or not. I imagine it does look peaceful on the surface with people going about their business 'business-as-usual' sort of thing. In spite of a rapidly and visibly changing Malta. I presume that it is your religion that you are protecting. And, all tranquil and placid, you accuse secularism of shaking and stirring your base. C., you are barking up the wrong tree my friend. There are many in Malta suffering from stomach ulcers because their eyes are open to a movement NOT called secularism. C., ask THEM if Malta is peaceful. On the surface yes, as I said. But at stomach level, C.? Tutt'altra storia I very much regret to say. Gilded cages are not unassailable you know. Especially when there are enemies swinging from the top 'staffa' (rung).

http://www.timesofmalta.com/blogs/view/20090509/fr-joe-borg/should-there-be-more-mosques-in-malta

Joe Xuereb

Feb 27th 2010, 03:20

2) I went out of my way to read this rag to see for myself what the fuss was about. It is narrated in the first person by a sad man who knows not himself and disrespects others, men or women(goes with the territory). I could have found distasteful his denigration of the body parts of a woman when she reaches a certain age. But this is first person narrative. It is real life, verismo as in Cavalleria Rusticana, and therefore anything goes. Not very nice but that's first person narrative. Such men abound. The moral here is how men shouldn't be. It is as simple as that. This is the kind of material I used to seek out when I was still in shorts. These days I devote my time to more weighty material. I'm a mature adult.. Who grabs for himself the right to grow. In parole povere (in short), not to stagnate.
Someone cleverly stated that secularism does not work. And religious life works? What, based on one seemingly endless unnatural guilt trip? The total deprivation of one's life experience spent under anaesthetic? THAT needs censoring. Enforced deprivation of one's one throw of the die.

Joe Xuereb

Feb 27th 2010, 03:02

1) Quoting TS Eliot: 'People cannot take much of reality so they live in abject denial' (or words to that effect). Also, 'I think that what happens early on in life is that at a certain age one stands still and stagnates'. Much the same thing really. This last pearl of wisdom meaning that one does not grow old. Early in life one stops welcoming changes and therefore atrophies like a stunted tree-trunk. People are not meant to be stunted, to remain in a state of indoctrinated infantilism. If they accept this as the norm because superficially all seems fine, they are ignoring the turmoil and the dark undercurrents that will surface sooner or later. An honest, mature person will look inward and decide what needs changing, what is painful. There is a solution and I am not suggesting for a minute that one papers the walls of the little room and the turretta (stairwell) with multiple photocopies of 'the infamous piece'. There are other ways that, admittedly, would turn some things on their head.

cont.

Kevin Cassar

Feb 26th 2010, 22:33

@ C Zammit

For your information I am happily married and have been married for 12 years. My wife is the only sexual partner I have ever had and probably ever will. Your last comment shows how ignorant you are of the facts and how you label us as immoral people when most catholics cannot even compare to my moral standards. I suggest you learn the facts before you throw your useless assumptions and accusations. Please show me the evidence you have that wherever secularism was introduced the countries are in a mess. The facts show otherwise whether you accept it or not. The reason is very simple. In the countries where the state is secular, one can still hold the religion one chooses while in fundamental religious states like Malta, if one does not adhere to the state's religion, he is outcast and attacked by people like yourself.

C.Zammit

Feb 26th 2010, 20:05

Malta is peacefull more than other european countries! I think its you who has to read and open his mind! So why don't you go to a country which you think is more peacefull than Malta?? You know why because there is not! Everywhere is filthy with crime & stupid perverts running around! We don't want perverts and sick minded people walking around Malta's street! Secularisim is failing because everywhere it was introduced is in a mess! We do not want that here! Give it a try and ruin Malta NO WAY! Malta is a free democratic country. Kevin Cassar Democrartic and free is one thing and anarchy is another. We want a stable country no a free for all country. Your people can't stand it that someone sticks to his values and does not follow the so called modern trends! No because you can't stand it that some keeps a marriage forever! You can't stand it that you don't have one nigh stands here and there, you can't stand someone who hates pornography. No you want everyone to be a SCUM or else you call him/her names. TO BE FREE YOU DONT HAVE TO BE A SCUM!

Kevin Cassar

Feb 26th 2010, 18:46

@ C Zammit

People who do not want what you call "RUBBISH" are free to choose. We do not impose anything on anybody unlike what people like you do. If you believe that secularism will "die" then you are living in a bubble, because statistics show that it is on the rise everywhere in the world while all religions except Islam are on the way down. I wonder how you got the impression that secularism has failed when it has never been given a chance in this country, while the countries where it is accepted are statistically the most pleasant and peaceful places to live (check out the statistics for yourself if you don't believe me). The days of the crusades and the inquisition are over and yet we are still here and here to stay. There is nothing you or anyone can do to try to eliminate our right to think for ourselves. Being in a majority does not make you right and even if you were right, we'd still have the right to be wrong. I don't expect you to understand this since you have clearly stated that you only do what daddy tells you.

C.Zammit

Feb 26th 2010, 17:42

http://www.leganord.org/
Here is the website for the people who do not know who the lega nord are. But they are right in many of their issues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lega_Nord

Franco Rizzo

Feb 26th 2010, 16:57

@ C Zammit.

A repeat of World War 2? You mean the burning and execution of these same "minorities", right?

C.Zammit

Feb 26th 2010, 15:44

@ Kevin Cassar. (1) I will not leave! (2) If you have the right to fight for your rights so do I and the majority of the Maltese people who don't want this sort of RUBBISH!! Since you came up with this idea of fighting for your rights you can do so but please remeber that THE STRONGEST ALWAYS WINS!!! Secularisim will one day DIE as it's not working & created more problems! Up to now It's the majority who is winning against you minorities! So your the one who has to put up with us not the other way around. Once again you are free to leave. If you want you can go to the Netherlands but beware the right-wing party will soon be in power in a coalition Goverment with a christian democrat party if you heard the news latley. With these two parties there will be many changes to the good same as its happening In Italy with the Forza Italia and the Great Lega Nord. People are having enough of minorities & thanks to so called open minded people like you I am fearing that we can have a repeat of what happend in world war2

Franco Rizzo

Feb 26th 2010, 15:07

@ Chris Fenech
True a petition is a very good idea. But we all have to remember that not only marches, demonstrations and petitions are the ONLY valid ideas. There are other means that should be
exploited to their fullest potential.

E.Schembri

Feb 26th 2010, 15:06

Why is everyone blaming the church for censorship. Is this mob really rallying for freedom of speech, or is it simply a anti-church movement!?
Censorship has nothing to do with the church, but is a means for the authorities to protect society from the rubbish printed in that 'article'. Why does this mob want to shock us? huh? ..so then we continue to grumbled that some 14 years olds have abused or mutilated some other kid, just as happened in other countries that have allowed the 'modern' artist to 'shock' their citizens?
When you shock society, you get shocking news stories!
So please, if you want to see such rubbish, go on-line in your little private room and waste your life away!
It is the duty of the authorities to protect the public from these 'shocks' .
On the other hand, we already are a free country, otherwise most rubbish 'freedom' ideas showing up on this blog would be censored too!
Well done to Malta for making this protest a flop!

Kevin Cassar

Feb 26th 2010, 13:09

@ C Zammit

Your ramble is typical of those who argue that since it's ok with them then it's all good. We've got news for you - this country is as much ours as it is yours and we are here to stay and will fight for our rights till the end. If you can't bear us, take your own hint and leave.

Chris Fenech

Feb 26th 2010, 11:46

I think that signing a petition and presenting it together with the 5 proposals put forward by the Front Against Censorship to the parliamentarians, is a very good idea. It should be carried out, so that the real number of people against the present anachronistic laws can be known officially by the authorities.

C.Zammit

Feb 26th 2010, 11:32

@ R Muscat - If you are so fed up this protest have been planned a long time ago. What I mean to say is that you had a long time to plan you leave from work or do other arrangments! If you are so fed up you would have gone. Usless now! If there is a petition it will fail too lets say they will gather a thousand signatures if they manage. I am 28 years old & don't feel that in Malta there is no fredoom of speech. It should be done through a referendum type so it will be more honest! I do not trust such petitions!!! THE LAW IS THE LAW AND OBEY IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT LEAVE AND DON'T TRY TO RUIN MALTA. GET LOST TO ALL OF YOU !!!

R Muscat

Feb 26th 2010, 11:04

How foolish of those antiquated modern day inquisitors to think that 250 is a small number, I for one could not make it due to work commitments and like me there are thousands who disagree with this medevial type of censorship and stifling of our freedom of expression.

The organisers should organise a petition then we will see the true numbers of those who are against censorship.

C.Zammit

Feb 26th 2010, 10:55

@ Joe E Galea - If you want dirt you know where to find it and keep it to your self you & the minority if 250 who are against censorship. As usual! Same old faces ! Get a Life and leave the maltese people live. If people where so fed up with censorship the proteset would have been on a larger scale! Attendence shows it all! Get a life and stop acting like babies who just want to shock! Porno is bad & harder measures should be taken. There is a difference between Porn & a sex Scene in a movie! Sex scene is accepted but porn should be banned as it degrades women.

Joe E Galea

Feb 26th 2010, 08:12

@Ganninu Saliba: You are soooooo pathetic. Did we see any PN MP's. At leat the PL sent its representatives, but where were the PN's? Or else the PN MP's didn't find time to attend since they are busy fighting between themselves.

@Colin Stanley: What you think is not what everyone thinks. You can obviously keep supporting your narrow minded, holy wannabees PN's who at the moment are just consumed with their internal wars.

Schembri Ray

Feb 26th 2010, 07:57

Everyone has the right to say what he feels, but if that has an influence on others it's a no no no. Certain persons must be careful what to say if they influence others by what they say.

Denis Catania

Feb 26th 2010, 07:11

A Maltese man was arrested and convicted for saying that the president makes a better gardener. That same man warned the media from the courthouse steps, that you will be next. It seems that man might be right. Maybe the media should have backed up that man in the name of freedom of speech.

Emelia Caruana

Feb 26th 2010, 01:45

I wish I was there but could not be all the power to you people who speak for FREEDOM I salute you where were the rest of the Maltese people should have been 250 thousand. I suppose they were thinking as they use to say to me daily I spoke with nothing ever gets done or listened in MALTA well if all got off there bums joined these AMAZING 250 PEOPLE things will change called PEOPLE POWER seeing the law makers called the GOVERNMENT were elected by the people you must tell them what you want after all GOVERNMENT is suppose to be working for the PEOPLE and CHURCH is not the GOVERNMENT

Kevin Cassar

Feb 25th 2010, 17:51

@ Vincent Scerri

Jekk l-ideja tieghi ta xi tfisser il kelma libertinagg hija tajba, din tghid li din hi tip ta liberta li tghazel li tinjora morali jew religjon. Il morali u r-religjon mhumiex ta kulhadd l istess u allura min jiddeciedi? Il morali hi suggettiva ghalkemm jezistu sitwazzjonijiet fejn din tkun komuni ghal kulhadd. Din tkun meta il hsara li ssir tkun fuq persuna jew persuni ohra minghajr il kunsens taghhom. Ghal dawn il kazi tidhol il ligi u mhux ic censura.

Jesús Soto

Feb 25th 2010, 16:51

Freedom of expression (what never kills but can serve to truth) doesn't need the guidance of no one. It's just about transmitter and recipient without the "help" of subjective, elevated and clever rulers. If I don't like your message or I don't enjoy your art (books, films, commercials... for spreading doubts) be sure I won't consume your stuff again.

Anthony Mizzi

Feb 25th 2010, 16:02

@David Borg

Did you stand at City Gate doing a Head Count of those attending?

At least there was QUALITY id not quantity , in those attending the Protest, and those youths and participants are to be admired for standing up for their fellow student in the hour of need and giving him the due support.

Their enthusiasm should be encouraged and not silenced.



“To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men” - Abraham Lincoln

Joe Xuereb

Feb 25th 2010, 14:18

Right is Might.
To anyone who believes that there is strength in numbers, I have bad news. This only applies in the physical sense. But we are about much more than tits 'n' ass and all things nice.
250 may not seem much. But these are people who are debunking the religious stranglehold that grips Malta. By going public I imagine they have, potentially, much to lose. Malta being the Vatican in the Mediterranean that it is. So, 250 is a huge number symbolically Messrsr. Smug. In fact I would go as far as to say that even one such protestor would be a majority. OK Messrs. Smug?!
A salutary comparison would be.......only 150, or 15, turned out for Gay Pride. Smug would say, what's the big deal? They only number ...... why don't they just stay in the closet? But the same argument - I am a reasonable man - as above applies.

Joe Fenech

Feb 25th 2010, 13:54

Frans Attard

Man can't be free when he's afraid to express himself!

John Inguanez

Feb 25th 2010, 13:48

@ Graffiti/Pulse/Move

the national protest attended by 250 people ... hahaha

Gaffarena Joseph

Feb 25th 2010, 12:50

Disfatta mill kbar,il poplu wera bi car li ma jridtc hammallagni kif inkiteb f dik il harga tal gazzetta.
Jien nifhem li l axkAr ta censura ghandu jkun hemm , imma mhux fejn tidhol pornografija fil pubbliku,bhall ma esprima l attur.
.Ma nistax nifhem kif certu nies kienu minn ta quddiem f din il protesta,
Id daqq ta tnabar hassejt li kien ghaddej xi hadd ikkundanat ghall mewt fi zmien ir rumani.
Hsibtu li se jkollkom eluf ta nies ghall din il protesta, imma il poplu malti wera , li mhux se jahli hin prezzjuz .
Vera li hawn nies mhux kuntenti bil pozizjoni u hajja li ghandom,Mhux ta b xejn li fil parlament ma jikbrux fjuri.Ahjar naghmlu censura fuq il kwalita ta xandir medjokru li hakem l istazzjon nazzjonali taghna.

colin stanley

Feb 25th 2010, 12:37

If you want to do away with censorship, it should be a ban on everything, so freedom of expression for everyone,to say what one feels on any subject,even how one feels about other foreign people, for example. without being called names or taken to court. .thanks to the politicians who went to the protest, for showing your true colours, now people will know who NOT to vote for next time.

Jurgen Grech

Feb 25th 2010, 12:27

Joe Fenech:

Watch your mouth! Not all university students are spineless babies! There's much more important things going on in life than protesting against cencorship in a country where freedom of speech is not opposed afterall! We're in 2010, not 1970...Malta is a free country and everybody has the right to his opinion. Does that mean we can start writing obscenities on newspapers with the excuse that this is ART!? Everything is ART nowadays! No! No way! This is still a christian country, with values and morals! If you're interested in this kind of art, go online and satisfy your needs as much as you like. But i think some things should remain private! The public image should never be tainted with such rubbish!

As regards to the condom machine...please note there are almost 10,000 university students and more than 9,500 know their way to the nearest pharmacy so they don't really care about it! As always, some minorities get all the press' attention however!

Christian Sciberras

Feb 25th 2010, 11:12

Joe Fenech - If that were true, there wouldn't be a single being on Malta to have a cent in his/her pocket - other then myself, of course, I'd own everyone's riches. But then again, isn't this everyone's wish? So what happens when you get "free men" fighting to get what they want?

Sounds like the ever-democratic barbaric villages in the dark ages.

These people are literally inventing a cause for their own profits (ie, free advertising).

Speaking about the controversial story, let it b known that I'm not against the story, I'm against the editor, writing a story and publishing it himself.

If it were actually worth it, I'd sue the editor for being uncompetitive (and then people yell at Microsoft).
Freedom doesn't mean imposing what you want (YOUR freedom) on others. There's a difference between distributing an article under a concensus with a correct warning VS shoving it in people faces practically saying "read THIS, this is what YOU do", which is what Ir-Realta was all about.

D Cardona

Feb 25th 2010, 10:37

Di Zgur Protesta ? ghax qisu funeral ghalija hehe

Robert Louis Fenech

Feb 25th 2010, 10:31

cont... (I apologise for the long delay) To continue from where I left off, I doubt anyone sees these organisations making life hell for the students. Rather, it is KSU who is making life intolerable for all the critical groups, such as by removing Graffitti's vote in the KPS and kicking them out of their office at the Student House, assigning it to SDM who, as yet, have never even touched it.
The fact that fewer people than expected turned up just means that this issue isn't over yet, and we'll keep fighting for true freedom of expression. As a Catholic with Catholic morals, I cannot stand it that we still don't have separation of church and state in this country, a principle the French Revolution espoused over 200 years ago. Truly, we are living in a backwards country. Vilification of state religion? The fact we even have a state religion is already disgusting.
I hope some of you commentors grow up a bit and realise that although you want to live in the Middle Ages, don't ruin modern times for the rest of us. Get out of here then, this place isnt for you. You're wrong. We're right.

Richard Galea

Feb 25th 2010, 09:38

For my love to the People's Republic......I regret that I did not join Evarist Batolo......in the march to freedom.

Unfortunately the PL lacks the VISION to give hope.....and the COURAGE to speak up...

Traditionally the MLP was always the base of the social pyramid and should act accordingly.

Never liked the idea of MLP changing its name to PL............By far it would have been more aspiring to be called PARTIT REPUBLICAN........Unfortunately the local 'Political Inertia' is massive due to a "Religious -Political-Money spinning Compromise"..........only when this evil compromise is eradicated, can Malta move forward..........and the PL is not doing that at the moment.


Richard Galea.

Richard Galea.

John Galea

Feb 25th 2010, 08:50

Does that mean we will see a return to cigarette advertisments?

M.P. Meli

Feb 25th 2010, 08:40

@Alex Ellul
Censorship a necessity for a healthy society? Says who? Who determines what is 'healthy'? Who, if I may ask, is in such a priviliged position? How did this person achieve such position? Due to what? (These are all very important considerations Mr. Ellul if you are deeming that such a person is to act as father figure to all adults residing in Malta!
Is this a 'healthy' society or sterile and totalitarian one? It is incredible that in this day and age and in a country that wants to call itself 'European' comments like these are still heard!
Also, soft porn magazines at bus stops are such a ridiculous consideration! If you followed what was said at the protest, the protest concerned censorship of material destined to adults, not children!

joe Vella

Feb 25th 2010, 08:22

Let me from the onset make it clear, I believe in more constructive opines in our system of censor.
That I believe!
But, when I read that some of these people want an 'open ticket' to attack the church, and/or any institution. It is all a matter of wording, objective criticism is healthy and needed, other vendetta criticism is not.
I feel Owen Bonnici has a future in politics, but to support a front which to me is calling for no limit to 'hate against the establishment' under the excuse of 'No Censorship' do not augur well.
A couple in front that I saw in the gathering who are well known as presenters, there is not much to say other it is a personal vendetta they have had and want the opportunity to destroy, namely our system and creed.

Albert Buttigieg

Feb 25th 2010, 07:25

"called for an amendment to the law removing the powers of the Broadcasting Authority to censor adult programmes aired after 9 p.m". So does this imply that with public funds we will be airing 'incest acts', pedophiles's view or all sorts of abuses and aggression?

"artisically crtiticise the official religion'. meaning? Trying to ridicule the sentiments of the majority in the name of 'art'? I think that all Christians on this island who are happy to be Christians, next come election, should discern well to which candidate they are going to vote. I will be voting candidates who share my values both in their public and 'private' lifes! I am sure i am not alone...more than a mere 250 !

Ramon Casha

Feb 25th 2010, 05:43

@K.Pullicino: Religion is brought in by the laws in question. For example, denying the divinity of Jesus is blasphemy by church standards, and blasphemy is punishable by law. Yet I am an atheist - I do not believe in any gods hence I do not believe that Jesus was one. Technically, I could face a prison term of up to 6 months if I speak publicly about such views.

I don't think that I would be arraigned for it, but then again, I didn't think that an editor would be facing the criminal court for publishing a passage containing vulgar words either.

Vincent Scerri

Feb 25th 2010, 04:15

Jiena nemmen mija fil mija fil liberta' tal-kelma imma mhux fil-libertinagg tal-kelma.

L.Zammit

Feb 24th 2010, 23:08

rather than censorship, i would classify material (rating) like movies. i am sure that not everyone is capable to digest uncensored stuff on a mature level. education is the key, hence
we are able to think in a way to make the right judgement and to digest what we read without being influenced. one has to keep in made the impact of freedom of expression.
on the other hand i would like to give an example why censorship is needed to a certain point. i would like to refer to a book entitled 'Horrid Henry' (a book written for children) whose website is: http://www.horridhenry.co.uk/competition.asp
in this case I wonder if freedom of expression was beneficial to the target audience i.e. children. I invite you to have a look at the website and judge about it yourself.
(Note to the editor: Should you deem that the book named and the website are not to published, i do understand - i leave it up to you. many thanks)

David Borg

Feb 24th 2010, 22:28

250 people is quite a large majority.

David Borg

Feb 24th 2010, 22:24

250 people is a very large majority indeed.

Joe Xuereb

Feb 24th 2010, 22:05

@ John Grech. 'sit down around a table and discuss what's to be done'. As long as what's done is what YOU say, naturally.
Just because the turnout was 'only'(?) 250 does not mean the majority are against. And even if they were, so what?!
Malta has a feeble identity simply because of its top-heavy investment in religion: a kind of putting all one's eggs in one basket sort of thing. Talk about setting oneself up to fail in the long term!
It's fair to assume that a stance against laxity in censorship has religious/Christian values as its basis. This laxity is seen as a visible enemy weakening one's belief-system. But here's the rub.
Barking up the wrong tree could be one's undoing (not forgetting that witnessing censorship-laxity isn't compulsory). The 'all-eggs-in-one-basket' syndrome is here at work yet again. Pursuance of scapecoats to honour one's Christian values, one could be unaware of an enemy within, one that does not share one's Christian values. Paradoxically, such blindness could be instrumental in obliterating the very thing one is clamouring to preserve. So, spreading one's eggs over multiple-baskets could be a wise move. Remember, laxity does not chase one. Merely food for thought.

Matt Bonanno

Feb 24th 2010, 21:45

@Kevin Decelis

Such as?

Frans Attard

Feb 24th 2010, 21:41

Joe Fenech ghadek kemm ghidilhom erbgha kelmiet sbieh lill-istudenti. Prosit. Veru temmen fil-liberta ta' l-individwu.
Jekk mhux ipokresijja din, l-ipokresijja kif tkun?

Andre schembri

Feb 24th 2010, 21:06

@ALL ... its apparent that the protest didn't have the best turn out possible ... however there still are 3000 members in the "Front Kontra Ic-Censura" page on facebook ... there are far more issues to consider like bad timing , lack of publicity during last week and apathy etc

Joe Fenech

Feb 24th 2010, 20:54

M.G. Farrugia:

HOw naive is that? Do you think ANYONE in history fought battles for others? Of course li 'ghax jaqbel lilhom'. But in a democratic society, EVERYONE has a right to live the way he wants.

Joe Fenech

Feb 24th 2010, 20:52

Moses Mula, Maria Vella:

How right you both are!

Given the time, it is very hard for working people to go. Nevertheless, I would have expected all the university students to be there. Grow up and show some bravery you bunch of spineless babies or is it just a condom machine that makes you open your mouth?!!!!!!!

A big well done to Evarist Bartolo, Lou Bondi and the others who were present!

Alex Ellul

Feb 24th 2010, 20:50

The truth is that the great majority do not want to do away with censorship. its a basic necessity for a healthy society. would we like to have soft porn magazines displayed in news stalls in public places such as airports, bus stations, public squares ect? the majority don't.

Kevin Decelis

Feb 24th 2010, 20:49

The whole idea of protesting physically in the streets of Valletta is a bit daft. I agree with many of their issues but I would never go to a protest. It's not a question of cowardice... it's just that I think that there are other much more effective ways to make your voice heard in bloody 2010. Thus, having 250 or 250,000 people turning up for such a protest doesn't mean a single thing.

Joe Fenech

Feb 24th 2010, 20:48

c.camilleri

Real democracy is not about giving a voice to masses or the strongest... It's about giving everyone a voice. No one is imposing things on you, however you are imposing things on free-spirited people who want to have choices in life and not live under the heavy weight of Middle Ages bigotry.

Alex Ellul

Feb 24th 2010, 20:48

Moses Mula (1 hour, 30 minutes ago)
Talk about an unchristian fundamentalist aetheistic rotten comment. I believe that, since you are against any form of censorship, you will not be offended by this comment, and I trust that the moderator will not censor it.

Robert Louis Fenech

Feb 24th 2010, 20:46

@ John Grech: Do you have any idea what's happening? We (the Front Against Censorship and its member organisations) have been trying to get people to sit down around a table to discuss the issue for months. Unfortunately, noone has accepted. This is why we actually needed to take to the streets. and do something so public and open. banging on the drums is the opnly way to get anyone's attention in this place.
All we get in this country is people beating around the bush; to get a simple example, KSU will not take any position on the matter, saying that they cannot speak on behalf of all the students. Ok then, please resign right now KSU, what is the use if you can't take any position? Only after long pressure has KSU accepted to take the matter to the KPS.
Also, are you a University student? Are PULSE, MOVE and Graffitti really making life intolerable for any of us? cont...

J Axiaq

Feb 24th 2010, 20:43

Cans mmur ma kellix! Jin se nitkellem bil vot zgur ghax l ipokrezija tal-politikanti marditni. Bhalma qal Vella Gera ... Pajjiz tal.... !!

E. Ciantar

Feb 24th 2010, 20:34

For the amount of fuss made when the University paper Realta case arose, and considering there were countless TV shows about it at that time, this is a really poor turnout. The public is entitled to draw its conclusions from this manifestation. It is likely that the Courts will also consider this event in assessing the public sentiment about censorship (which I believe is different from "Liberta' tal-Espressjoni"). To be fair, it seems that for all the coverage given on Labour media, the turnout must be very disappointing to the organisers.

John Grech

Feb 24th 2010, 20:14

Laws should be revised, granted, no one can argue with that.
Law is a living creature and always needs to expand and update itself to the times in which it is being applied.
HOWEVER
A "National" Protest against Censorship with a Hidden agenda then that's a new matter. You see what happened here is that 2 PL puppies fighting for attention by their leader: Pulse and Move and Graffiti ganged up at university making everyone else's life intolerable trying to attack any form of authority for no reason whatsoever all to try and look as though they are safeguarding the student's right. Today you got the answer of how many people believe in your cause gentlemen.
Discussing the problem and working on something to get things done is a way forward.
Creating a protest by banging on drums and chanting the same old thing with the creme de la creme of the members of those 3 organisations not so much...
Come on boys let's grow up stop watching woodstock and dreaming of changing the world at a bang of a drum sit down around a table and discuss what's to be done

c.camilleri

Feb 24th 2010, 20:08

And these few people want to dictate to the majority. Do they really believe in democracy. They now know that the Maltese are not behind them and still hold close their moral values.

adrian aquilina

Feb 24th 2010, 20:04

some people were working like me and couldn't go..yes the turnout shows what a backward society we have.k.pullicino, having a protest does not show things are ok..it is ok to say how you feel about things and to paint, write stories,songs etc about anything you want...politics and religion are not untouchable....its depressing to think how far behind thinking is in malta..

K. Pullicino

Feb 24th 2010, 20:00

@Moses Mula: It's the anti-censorship guys that have brought in religion and it's comments like yours that show why we need to keep a moderate and reasonable amount of censorship. Already, the Maltese are being called fundamentalists and all sorts of names for being level-headed; let alone if we were to let free reign on what everyone does.

If you find a problem with a religion or any other issue, you can voice your concerns already as long as you are constructive in your arguments. Being destructive in your arguments and hiding behind the title of "artist" is simply unacceptable if we truly want to be democratic.

Anthony Mizzi

Feb 24th 2010, 19:59

The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.


- OSCAR WILDE 1856-1900, British Author, Wit

M.G. Farrugia

Feb 24th 2010, 19:51

Dawk li hadu sehem hafna minnhom ippartecipaw ghax jaqbel lilhom u xejn aktar.

Gianninu Saliba

Feb 24th 2010, 19:43

What only two socialist MPs attended? Well, I am not surprised, the rest still advocate Mintoff's style of democracy and freedom of expression.

K. Pullicino

Feb 24th 2010, 19:14

If you hold a protest, you're proving to everyone that censorship laws in the country are adequate and are there only to ensure a certain degree of order and respect (something more essential than the right to say what you want).

Moses Mula

Feb 24th 2010, 19:13

Only250 in protest against censorship? Talk about a christian fundamentalist rotten country.

Maria Vella

Feb 24th 2010, 19:12

Wow only 250 people are against censorship on this island. Judging from all the comments, I would have thought there were much more. But then we are all the usual cowards arent we?