Charles Xuereb and Thomas Zerafa (September 15 and 22) provide examples of how both the British and the French replaced crusading grandmasters’ coats of arms with their own. Conquerors, owners, rules, had every right to do so. I don’t see what the fuss is about.

I don’t see either the point of removing the George Cross from our flag. Some claim the eight-pointed cross of the crusaders should be on our flag instead. Would putting both crosses on our flag satisfy these whingers?

We claim the eight-pointed cross is Maltese. When the crusaders (who ran here a benign dictatorship and pirate base) ran away, they formally left us nothing.

Fortunately for us, they couldn’t take their magnificent immovable property with them, and we also grabbed their cross, made it our own, and created an industry selling gold and silver crosses. We’ve heard ad nauseam about the circumstances and significance of the unfortunate Sette Giugno episode, when a handful of protesting Maltese were killed by British troops – we have a monument and a public holiday to commemorate the event.

Am I wrong in noting no such monument, or public holiday, to commemorate the circa 10,000 (or was it closer to 20,000?) Maltese who died from starvation or conflict in only two years of French rule?

Perhaps those who exalt the positives of these two years, and are full of conspiracy theories about the causes of such a brief but disastrous historical period, should also spend some energy lobbying for a monument and public holiday commemorating the ending of this French interlude, besides campaigning for removing the George Cross.