I don’t believe there is one saint in heaven who doesn’t rejoice when his or her feast is being celebrated in different localities in Malta.

Yet I don’t believe there is one saint in heaven who doesn’t weep buckets of tears knowing that people die all due to unnecessary dangerous activities meant to give the feast major importance.

Since 1995, numerous people have died in firework explosions. People don’t seem to realise that it’s not bands, drinking and fireworks that make a feast but sincere devotion towards their patron saint.

The five people who died during the recent fireworks tragedy brought nothing but desolation and unbearable grief to their family and friends. I for one cannot stop weeping for the youngest one who died – one Carmel Farrugia, a 22-year-old good-looking young man whose world was his oyster until this “activity” condemned him to an early grave.

A young man whom I’ve known since he was a tiny tot, always smart, always cheerful, always ready with a smile on his face. Why are we permitting these people to die by allowing them to “play” with fire?

If abolishing fireworks means losing a few votes, isn’t it better than losing lives? Haven’t enough people died for the government and the church to put a stop to these lethal weapons called fireworks? How much does the death toll have to rise before somebody has the guts to do away with fireworks altogether?

Sure, one can die just crossing the street or by flying in an aeroplane but this is different. It might be that there is no other way to go to the other side of the street unless by crossing; it might be impossible to go to another country without flying by aeroplane but there is no doubt that fireworks are an unnecessary evil. We are weeping for those who die because they seem to think that a feast without fireworks is not a feast at all.

In loving memory of Carmel Farrugia, aged 22.

Valerie Borg

VALLETTA