“Academic research from the States points out one rather important factor. The children of divorced parents, having seen the trauma that accompanies divorce, are rather unwilling to go through the same procedure themselves. Their trust in marriage was eroded at a young age and they grew up unaware of the virtues of a good, solid and loving relationship. People who have been scalded tend to look for similar victims and mix with those who experienced the same pain; the world very quickly in their eyes seems to be peopled by scarred victims”
With vacation time from writing on the doorstep, I took a look at the index of the articles I have submitted and it is quite clear that so far the year has been dominated – no surprise here – by political issues that are still running.
We had the PN backbench rebellion, a lingering infection given that the government has such a slender majority. This has now been brought back to the front burner with a Bill for the introduction of divorce being presented as a private member’s Bill by one of the government’s own MPs. Sooner or later this particular boil needs to be lanced and the sooner it is, the sooner we can start either forgetting it or, once the mad rush to obtain a divorce is over, settling down to accepting it and its sad legacy. At the moment the impression that is being given is that a very high proportion of our families have been split apart and that young people prefer cohabitation to marriage. Marriage preparation courses, on a voluntary basis, have had little effect it seems. No surprise there, since they cater for believers in the first place.
Academic research from the States points out one rather important factor. The children of divorced parents, having seen the trauma that accompanies divorce, are rather unwilling to go through the same procedure themselves. Their trust in marriage was eroded at a young age and they grew up unaware of the virtues of a good, solid and loving relationship. People who have been scalded tend to look for similar victims and mix with those who experienced the same pain; the world very quickly in their eyes seems to be peopled by scarred victims.
Other young people are following the path of cohabitation simply because they do not want to take on any commitment. It is easier to just walk out and throw the key away. This is an unfortunate aspect of how the world has changed. Loyalty to one’s own beliefs, to long hallowed principles that withstood the test of time, to society in general has vanished. Everything is now transient except the concept of personal gain without any strings attached. Modern society unbelievably still thinks that despite the financial crisis affecting the world, tomorrow never comes.
In this respect it is right for the government to try to apply rules to cohabitation. There are many unanswered questions to such a relationship. What happens to the partner that may, once again, be ditched? There are questions of inheritance, of pensions to be sought, or children who may be left adrift. At the moment, it’s a free for all and considered to be an ideal state of affairs. When the sex is gone, just ditch and invest in somebody else. There are children at school who will tell their teachers that they have more then one father, as the succession of different men coming through their mother’s door seems to be endless. Women tend to suffer more but it seems that they cannot see that. Society has to pay for it all, and society means those of us who are honest, hard-working citizens, with a family we are happy with and proud of. But then that does not bring with it the liberal and progressive stamp of approval does it?
We have also seen a running battle between the conservationists and the developers, a battle that still has far to go. In between these two, lies Mepa, for whom the Prime Minister, maybe in an unguarded moment, took responsibility. Whichever way one looks at Mepa, one fails to see anything to praise. The last thing this sorry organisation wanted was a chairman who explained the very generous pay and perks of office by comparing himself to a Ferrari-type car, prefaced by the admittance that he knew nothing about the duties, obligations, problems and pitfalls of the organisation he was brought out of the blue to lead. This is typical of the many gaffes that have plagued this administration.
One other feature has been the weekly sermons coming over from Gozo. The fact that I agree with most of what is said is neither here nor there. When our Archbishop was asked the reason for this constant reportage, he seemed to imply that it was aimed at a society that is culturally still different from that of Malta. But then, if that is so, why the seeming insistence of the Bishop of Gozo to ensure he is reported every Sunday? It shouldn’t be too difficult for him to circulate what needs to be said within his own island parish.
City Gate square is being dug up. Despite the protests, government is going ahead and realigning the city we inherited from the greatest of European architects. The fact that it is an architect of some fame that is responsible for the design has failed to impress many people including myself. We still await the verdict on a man who has, typically nowadays, sought fame through seemingly outrageous designs. There are those who hail the Pompidou Centre. It is true, but then even Paris Disneyland has its supporters.
Smart City seems to be edging back into the news. The departure of its CEO had raised more than the traditional eyebrows and the rumour mill is still active, whispering that there will be very little apart from real estate for sale or employment; maybe time will tell. The White Rocks controversy has re-ignited memories and the laments of a well-known government supporter over a contract he claims has been left unhonoured. Mind you, not all friends of this administration have been so treated. Perhaps Where’s Everybody might yet run a show on the affair of the White Rocks. It should be an interesting night. But then, the administration still has the final lap to run and by the time the election is upon us, we all will be in a better position to appreciate what benefits the many privatisations and sale of public land has brought to the country.
In the meantime, those who swim, camp or otherwise enjoy themselves at, or in the vicinity of, the White Rocks, should do so with added gusto since the privilege of the free enjoyment of that stretch of shore and sea might not have far to run.