A columnist recently lamented that people are not reading newspapers, "most of them roundly declare that they refuse to be upset by what they read", adding that he, the author, "disapproves of this ostrich-like attitude".
Frankly, I am not in the least surprised that things have come to this. There was a time when reading one's "daily" at breakfast or for much longer on Sundays was a pleasure and a time for relaxation. Not anymore. The media have been hijacked by columnists, opinion-makers and I don't know who else. And the vast majority of these have for the past years done their level best to insult, denigrate, belittle anything that is Maltese, be it the family, traditional values, our history and, most of all, our religion.
They have used bullying tactics, sarcasm, venom, poison, vicious lies - you name it and they have applied it to us Maltese. We have been variously accused of being liars, thieves, blasphemers, wife beaters, child abusers, racists, murderers. We are told we are lazy. We eat too much. We drink too much. The list is endless. Even our right to decide through the democratic use of the referendum on such controversial issues as divorce, euthanasia, abortion or same-sex marriage is being slowly eroded through a persistent campaign in the media. Their agenda is clear for all to see.
Even our legislators are being subjected to subtle, and at times not so subtle, bullying in this regard. And if anyone of us, the great unwashed, as some like to call everybody else except their arrogant untouchable selves, as much as raise even the feeblest protest then we are immediately crushed under a barrage of abuse, name calling and vicious accusations. We become medieval minded, backward, uncouth, Taliban, crusaders. No holds barred. They pick on your grammar, spelling syntax, your family, your friends, your business. Anything and everything, as long as you are beaten into a submission of silence.
And most editors are happy to oblige. A case in point: I listened closely to the reading of the Advent pastoral letter by the Bishops and I thought it was brilliant. The teaching is clear, to the point and actual. But, no, it cannot be. A couple of pea-brained correspondents log onto just one phrase, "You cannot serve both God and money", turn it on its head, take it completely out of context, and weave some garbage, any garbage, as long as the Church is put in bad light. In the process they have revealed that they do not possess the most elementary knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.
These people have been so blinded by their arrogance and self-importance that they are sinking fast into their own mire of self-delusion. They have become silly, shallow, childish (there I am giving them some of their own medicine and, my goodness, it feels good!) and have lost all semblance of credibility.
I mean, how better to describe our arch atheist when he writes about electric chairs instead of the Holy Cross had the Lord Jesus, blessed be his holy name, been executed in our era? Get a life, will you!