Marisa Micallef's defence of the brouhaha raised over the wording of a “silly” (sic) poster was very disappointing (TMIS, 2 July).

First of all, comparing this minor matter with the vulgarity of Grace Borg’s outburst in a totally different context at the airport is misplaced. Neither was it justified for Marisa Micallef to resort to cheap insults by referring to Claire Bonello as a person who is “a bit too prone to attracting attention to herself, rather than to causes” just because she is a fellow newspaper columnist who might hold different views to herself and who has the courage to speak her mind.

As she was short of counter-arguments, Ms Micallef resorted to the ruse, much loved by government apparatchiks, of denigrating the person she is trying to criticise. She thus associated Claire (and, by extension, those who exhibited their concern about Malta’s future at the rally) with “… middle class people… whose families made very good money by knocking down townhouses” and so on. This is a truly squalid and specious argument. One would have expected better from Ms Micallef. We have had enough of this kind of innuendo being used in an attempt to discredit opposition to the government’s intention to extend the development zone.

The following must be made clear :

1) Ms Micallef tells us that all the talk is now about one “silly” (sic) poster rather than of “the real problems our environment faces”. This is not so at all. In addition to the government’s failed attempt at intimidation, the government hoped that it would deflect attention from the real problem of the threat to our environment by creating a huge fuss over the poster; but the ploy didn’t succeed. The determination of the organisers of the rally and their supporters to oppose anything that is in favour of the few, and which goes against the interests of Malta, remains undiminished.

2) Up until now, our government has totally disregarded the widespread opposition to extension of the development zone. It is therefore pathetic to see how the only way to make the government to sit up and take notice is to exhibit a strongly worded poster, such as Claire’s, to expose the true nature of what is being opposed. May we have more of such posters if they deliver as well as this one did.

3) Had the fuss over the poster not arisen, the rally would have been yet another demonstration simply ignored by a government that does not listen to the people. This indifference indicates that our government remains intent on bulldozing the extension of the development zone through, no matter what the wish of the majority dictates. If this is so, it smacks of totalitarianism, it is not democracy.

4) Ms Micallef couldn’t resist taking a swipe at Claire over the incident, which earned her a slap in the face from a certain pillar of Maltese society. Irrespective of the merits or otherwise of Claire’s remark, to respond to a verbal comment with physical violence is barbaric. It is doubly barbaric when the victim is a woman. This kind of bullying cannot be tolerated, let alone encouraged in a so-called civilised country. Ms Micallef has done just this.

Unlike Ms Micallef’s usual contributions to journalism, this article was in appalling bad taste. It will take a long time for Ms Micallef to redeem her reputation.

G. G. Debono

SLIEMA