Christmas is a cappuccino of warmth and froth. A time like no other, rich in emotions and sentimental values. That day which marks a pivotal time towards the end of the year where one is driven to recollect memories of the recent past, nodding happily at the good moments, feeling cross at the not so good ones and laying on the table prospects for the New Year.
Many close friends of mine tell me that they see me as a people’s person, and in all humility I must admit I tend to agree with them. Perhaps that is why I feel at ease with myself during the Christmas festive season. Christmas, with its verve and infectious charm, lightens up the air and makes way for more opportunities to be with people.
Fear has a way of tying our stomach up in knots, paralysing our thinking and make us panic. Fear, and its cousin worry, can capture our hearts when we see ourselves caught in a vortex of disaster beyond our control. During this Christmas 2008 the entire world is caught in the grip of the whirlwind that has vacuumed the economics of strong countries and torn apart the dreams and aspirations of many who are feeling threatened by such a financial/economic crises.
In this respect allow me to share with you a few words said by Franklin Delano Roosevelt “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” – nameless, unreasoning unjustified terror which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat in advance. I take courage in reminding myself that the word retreat is one that our government is familiar with.
Dr Gonzi’s leadership to date has been an unwavering ray of hope and courage in these bleak days for the global economy. Fear can grip us; choke all faith out of our hearts. Fear also drives the economic depression. Fear causes companies to contract and people to stop buying. It causes runs on banks and panics on stock markets. Fear constitutes a large part of the measures we face. For certain, the projects policies laid down and/or implemented by our government are such that will ease the burden and fears caused by crisis.
Christmas is for giving. At Christmas time many of us are concerned with the problem of trying to buy the right gifts for our families and friends. What will we get and for whom? Sad to say that every one of us has untold riches to share with others but we usually fail to discover them. On this note every Nationalist government has always had at heart the needs of the different sectors of our society, devising plans of action to address the many issues that our society at large is faced with. Reaching out is something that our government does out of obligation, but out of a conscious decision to render our quality of life intrinsically more valuable.
Another vantage of the politics we live is the element of consistency. Malta in the EU has never been used as the ace in a pack of cards; rather a reality that today is giving us a range of opportunities and satisfactions for the well being of our country as a nation and to each and every one of us. As an MEP, my personal policy has always been that of striving hard to negotiate what is the best interest for Malta and the Maltese society.
I must add that I did my utmost to focus on the Christmas spirit, and not mention anything negative at a time like this. However I must condemn the barbaric act of the incident that occurred in Mqabba last Saturday. Shooting at a party club is terrible, even more so knowing that people were inside.
I visited Sylvana Callus in hospital on Sunday, and I would like to send her a get well soon message, together with all the others affected by this atrocity. Although this incident has left an uncomfortable mark on me, I will do my best to have a merry Christmas; while wishing all of you a merrier one!
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP
[email protected]
www.davidcasa.eu