I am one who believes that journalism and broadcasting should be celebrating as many positives that happen around us as possible notwithstanding the constant tragedies and the sad moments that our communities experience.
As a matter of fact I estimate that consumers of the media are equally satisfied with narratives that have a good ending as much as they do if stories are heartrending and have a tragic finale. However these last 12 months have seen one misfortune after another unfold in Malta and Gozo especially when it comes to young people.
As the song ‘Autumn Leaves’ of Ed Sheeran goes, young people seem to ‘float down, like Autumn leaves’
For example when I visited the Y.O.U.R.S. section of the Corradino Correctional Facility some months back, as part of a research I am undertaking, it was so upsetting to hear one story after another of youths who have lost all hope, young people who feel they almost ‘have to’ live rather than feel they should strive to achieve any of the goals you would expect people their age to have.
We have got to know about young people these last months’ dying in car accidents, collapsing because of over doses, committing suicide and getting injured as they were clubbing. The truth is that in this country of ours we only seem to react to an accident that has happened only if there is voluble public outcry. Yet again with the same intensity it all starts, it all seems to die down very quickly. I’ve had enough of politicians from both sides of the political spectrum calling for inquiries and all you get out of that investigation is the name of the retired magistrate or judge who would be overseeing it. No results seem to come through, no one takes blame and it very soon goes quiet because that is the type of nation we are, ‘tutto fumo niente arrosto’.
For example this week we put to rest another young person, Johanna Boni. This young passionate lady who loved motorbikes and had such enthusiasm to chase her dreams and to share her life with the people she loved got run over and squashed under the double wheel of a truck. Naturally I will not point any fingers especially at the driver of the other vehicle as only God knows what a terrible moment this is for him. On the other hand, we just cannot keep ignoring the fact that streets are slaughtering people; commuters, bikers, pedestrians and drivers alike.
It is about the incompetent, undisciplined, ignorant and silly drivers I am talking about here, who are many unfortunately.
It is about the ones who drive recklessly thinking they are on a five lane Australian freeway as they chat, talk and send SMSs on their mobiles thinking that their cars will let them know if someone is crossing the street at the time they are checking what’s on for dinner!
It is about police officers and enforcement agencies that are overwhelmed and outnumbered compared to the traffic volume, the irregularities that happen and the lack of respect that drivers have towards them.
It is about a signage system that is simply ridiculous, chaotic and disorganized.
It is about a public transport system that creates traffic and confusion with those massive buses that need to squeeze into our road network.
Now let us be clear about something here.
People might get hurt and injured but when a 27 year old dies, squashed under the wheels of a massive concrete mixer truck I think we need to look at what is happening. God forbid, if that was a relative of mine I would take legal action against the Government and the people in charge of traffic ‘management’.
The whole system has collapsed.
When people die it’s not only serious, it is catastrophic. It’s not simply an accident because somewhere along the way someone made a mistake. When people die it’s because there are massive short-comings in a structure that did not prevent an incompetency or an accident to happen, hence we failed. Organisms are successful when they are able to react effectively in the moment of crises and pressure and not when everything is working smoothly.
Johanna died and had a touching funeral and we will get a couple of columns like these for the next few days. But the truth is that it’s her partner Daryl, her friends, relatives and parents who have to try and give meaning to their life now that she is gone. I, like many other columnists, journalists and citizens will get on with my life until the next motorcycle fatality we will report and talk about. In the meantime our inquiries will lead to nothing, our politicians will sit on the fence and our policy makers will keep scratching their heads trying to sort it out. In other words not only would Johanna’s death be untimely but it would have served for nothing, the same way the death of Matthew on New Year’s Day in Gozo and so many others.
Sorry but I disagree with all those who say that this was Johanna’s destiny, written in the stars. Johanna’s destiny was to live. Johanna could have continued pursuing her dreams, caring for her pets, running around with her motorbike, going to work, struggling with trying to make sense of her life, engaging, loving and being loved by the people around her - just like any other young person. She had a right to life that was taken away from her. There are people who have a duty to ensure that the moment ‘I’ go out with my car or motorbike or bicycle or van or whatever I would be able to return home safely because that is why we pay taxes, that is why we invest so much in enforcement and public order. We have failed Johanna because this was not the case. We have failed her family and our communities.
I will not subscribe to the fact that people are calling Johanna’s death, ‘accidental’. It was murder and someone needs to be put on trial before the people and face his, her or their incompetence. It is utterly shameful that in this Country no one is liable because we are and will always be the Republic of ‘passing the buck’.