With much pomp and fanfare, the political parties recently announced that it was time to talk about divorce and its potential introduction into Maltese society.

But the debate has stopped there. For a couple of weeks, we saw an obscene billboard and we heard a few mutterings from the PN and the PL on the matter – but nothing concrete. To put it bluntly, our political leaders have merely managed to ‘tell us’ (like we needed them to) that it is time to talk about divorce… full stop… period.

What is the use in that? The general public was building up a head of steam prior to these political ‘announcements’, and there were rustlings about a referendum on the matter.

But have we talked about practicalities? Has the Children’s Commissioner been approached to begin a study of where the children should feature in all of this? Have we talked about its possible implementation in law? Have we talked about alimony and maintenance payments? Have we talked about parameters for divorce?

The answer is a categorical no. We are not going to go into the merits of whether this should be decided by referendum, legal notice a new set of laws etc. What we are contesting is the usual presumptuous, pompous and means to an end attitude that the political parties take when there is a matter that can be politicized.

Make no mistake – the only reasons why both parties have not yet made one meaningful political statement about the matter are simple; they both want to gain votes and neither of them wants to lose any.

This attitude is absolutely deplorable. All the while, there are thousands of people who sit at home in misery, waiting for any news of a possible chance to legally (!) start afresh. Of course there are thousands of couples who are, for want of a better term, living in sin. They do not want ‘permission’ to sleep in their new partner’s bed. What they want is legal state recognition of their relationship status… they want to open joint accounts as a new couple, some want to be acknowledged as being divorced… the list goes on and on.

Many might argue that the reasoning of people seeking a divorce is selfish. This might be so in some cases; but what about wives who are beaten? What about spouses who are cheated on day and night by their husband or wife? What about those who suffer the worst abuse of all – psychological abuse?

And most importantly… what about the children? It is only children of such couples that really know what the true cost of living in a dead or dysfunctional family means. What will the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader tell those children who go to bed covering their ears every night, so as not to hear the screaming and shouting? What will they tell those kids whose only dream is to live with mummy or daddy without having to put up with torrents of abuse and unhealthy behavior? The worst of it all is that it is those children, the ones put through such torment for year after year that become the most damaged. Most will not marry. Most lose touch with empathy and emotion, becoming hard and bitter. That is the reality of life. That is the warped reality which the real victims – children – must put up with day after day.

The parties must put their money where their mouth is, instead of being empty vessels that produce so much noise.