Yes, I know that begging is illegal and that having beggars on the street is not the ideal situation to aspire to. I also realise that not all those who wind up begging are actually in the dire straits they claim to be in.

However, having put the obvious out of the way, it is impossible not to be dismayed by the uncharitable, sometimes downright cruel, attitude shown by so many Maltese when faced with (foreign) beggars.

This week, photos showing a woman begging for alms in two different locations surfaced on social media. I found the reactions to these photos shocking.

Many clamoured for the authorities to take action against this woman – because, you know, we’re typically such a law-abiding nation, aren’t we? I’d love these self-appointed vigilantes to show the same zeal towards other forms of illegal acts.

I wouldn’t mind the authorities being badgered to step in everytime some form of littering takes place, for example. But no, it’s only when someone asks us to put our hands in our pockets that we turn all goody-goody. What price that infamous survey proclaiming the Maltese to be the most generous nation in the world, huh?

Comments on Facebook and on Twitter got very creative.

“She’s wearing Chanel shoes.”

“She’s taking our money.”

“Gangs.”

“Get them out of Malta.”

These are the same people who preach for us to keep the Christ in Christmas. Yet, they fail to actually put this into practice. The bigger shame is seeing some sections of the media encourage this attitude, preferring to focus on the illegality of begging instead of using their platform to raise awareness about social poverty.

Happy Christmas, indeed.