In today’s world, talk about the right to choose seems to have taken the place of the right to do anything else. People seem to want the choice to do anything they please – from choosing to die to choosing to work, from choosing to be single, even when committed and choosing to dump a party whose promises fall short of satisfying all individual needs. “Choice” has certainly become a buzz word.
Undoubtedly, one can only agree that having a choice gives one greater freedom. Prisoners may have all the comforts in the world, but not having the choice to walk out of their jail is what might make them swear to themselves never to return there, once their term is over. Poverty, absolute and relative, affects a person’s personal freedom because that person will not be able to make choices on many things in life. On the other hand, being disabled and not being able to go anywhere you like for lack of accessibility; being stopped from entering a place of entertainment simply because your skin is black; having to negate your gender because otherwise your boss would throw you out of work means that your choices are either limited or inexistent.
It is good that our society has come a long way in giving people many more choices than they had years ago. However, as we mark this achievement we should also question whether some of these choices are also having a negative impact. This is one of the reason, for example, why I do not agree with abortion. Having the right to do whatever you want with your body has been the main argument put forward by those who promote abortion. But objectors like me believe that such a ‘right’ robs another human being from the right to life. Simply because the unborn baby cannot protest does not change anything. Added to this, today we hear of petty reasons why abortions are carried out. Has life become so cheap?
What made me tackle this subject in today’s piece is, however, a totally different subject, but one that is also tied to children’s rights. In the past few weeks we have been bombarded with the news that now our children will be able to attend summer school from early in the morning to late in the evening so that their parents are able to go to work. Providing parents with such a choice was definitely needed. The lack of such a facility has prevented many – mostly women – from going out to work, throwing years of study and experience out of the window.
On the other hand, this development, if abused, will deny our children their right to enjoy summer away from the premises they had to frequent daily for whole months. Do they have a choice not to stay there for a whole day if they so wish? Do they have a choice between staying in a stuffy classroom and enjoying some open space? It will all boil down to how much this newly-acquired choice for parents is balanced out with the child’s right to enjoy a decent summer break. Even though many are not in the habit of consulting their children before deciding for them, it would be good for parents to ask them how they feel about such a prospect. Talk it over with them and even be ready to tweak the arrangement to accommodate them if need be. This would be giving children a right to choose.
What an orchestration
Our Prime Minister has once again travelled the 8,000 kilometre distance between Malta and China to sign a memorandum of understanding with China. At the same time, he made sure to orchestrate the whole thing to settle an outstanding issue: Sai Mizzi’s financial package. To be able to do this he needed to be very selective over which members of the media he invited to accompany him. It is evident that he wasn’t comfortable inviting inquisitive journalists but just wanted those who were willing to accommodate the government. Reporters from this newspaper, as well as from the PN’s media, were not invited. I know that this sounds absurd but the uninvited media should take it as a compliment. It means that this government feared they would be doing their work properly without any need for some string-pulling. And watching the whole mise-en-scéne it was evident that the ‘gurus’ at Castille had planned the whole thing and Mrs Mizzi’s emotional outburst was probably part of the whole affair.
I can imagine the PM staffers telling her that this would appeal to the people’s sentiments and somehow make them forget that she, a Minister’s wife, was hand-picked to pocket thousands of euros a month to do a job for which she did not have to compete with anyone. I do not recall reading or hearing any of the accompanying reporters asking her there and then for a copy of the contract or other documentation that could prove the critics wrong. I am sure she has them in China but they seem to have just taken her word for it. It’s excellent for the government but a pity for this country. This is how democracy in the country is eroded. Will we keep seeing such situations without lifting a finger?
Charlo’ Bonnici is a Nationalist Member of Parliament.