Naturally the talent of Destiny is there for all to hear. 

Destiny might have the X-Factor, but in my eyes she is not ‘the’ national unifying factor as some would think and it would be silly to put the onus of such a matter on her shoulders. This most talented artist has instilled in many of us emotions and I wish her well.  I hope that her beautiful voice will keep mesmerizing the audiences she performs for.

The need for art in society is surefire. If anything, the pandemic has censored the artists to such a degree that it has taken away the wind from their sails and not only crippled the industry, but has ruined the morale of most artists. It would have been great if we would have taken the cue from the sinking RMS Titanic in 1912 and allowed our musicians, like the ship’s string ensemble, to accompany us in the face of calamity with such tune as ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’ – but about this on another day.

Let me be clear here. All of this doesn’t make me a fan of this smarmy festival. From where I stand, it sucks and to be completely honest whether it is Destiny (or any other singer for that matter), winning or coming second from last does not affect me in any way. This competition is shady, whereby voting is anything but fair (at least that is what we would say when we used to rank very low).

In a Facebook post a couple of days ago, I ‘dared’ say (which I reiterate) that I don’t like the Eurovision Song Contest - period. It is an over-rated event, with a gummy style. We all must agree at least on this, that 70% of the songs that make it to these ‘finals’ are simply woozy. Oh, you can only imagine how all hell broke loose when I wrote that it is so pathetic that the Eurovision Song Contest seems to have become ‘our moment of national pride’, and we have completely forgotten that this is just a concert whereby 95% of the songs will be overlooked 10 seconds after the last note is played. How sad, this country gets so easily alienated and delirious thinking that if we win this competition it would compare to the biggest achievements we have accomplished over the years.

This issue annoys me because this event simply gives a false sense of ‘national unity’ and is a distraction from the real beef that is tearing us apart. 

Let’s admit that we fight and disagree on everything in this country, even the most obvious and we want to believe that this puerile festival brings us together. Bollocks.

Listen to this.

We disagree that the acts of corruption witnessed during these last years were real and that the people accused of these blunders were simply taking care of their own interests and nothing else;

We disagree that our political parties agree on practically everything, but make it seem as if the shade of blue or red makes them any different from each other, which isn’t the case;

We disagree that the common good is of no interest;

We disagree that our values are going up in smoke;    

We disagree on who has the ‘best’ Madonna;

We disagree on what political leaders are saying even if they are stating the same things most of the time;

We disagree on whether people who are in distress in the middle of the Mediterranean and risk drowning should be rescued;

We disagree if solitary confinement cracks your mind and soul through and through;

We disagree if people being locked up in prison for ever and ever is wrong;

We disagree that people who are ‘criminals’ are also victims;

We disagree that older people should not be placed in Institutions conveniently for society and their families as the first port of call;

We disagree about some stupid plants placed in the middle of an important space in our capital city;

We disagree that people from other religions should have their own places of worship;

We disagree about not having towers in the middle of Malta protruding phallically and in the meantime mess up our skyline;

We disagree on the way we are eating up our fields to make way for tarmac and ‘developers’;

We disagree about the importance of securing our national heritage;

We disagree that this neo-liberal mentality is bringing us at the precipice.

In these fleeting moments when we create the occasional pseudo-heroes we seem to stimulate this false sense of ‘national pride’, the healers, the second coming in the making. This is all fabricated because once the euphoria wears off, we’re back to being hard-hearted, self-seeking and vicious. 

Hence, ‘national pride’ made up of a 1-day wonder.

You know when ‘national pride’ is down-home?

True ‘national pride’ is when we rid ourselves of the incestual pro-colonial mindset we have settled in; it is the moment we choose to disengage from corrupt practices; when we do not back-stab our colleagues; call a spade-a-spade; speak our minds and stop behaving like puppets on a string; when we give our day’s work and commit to the common good. 

True ‘national pride’ is when everyone has full access to the educational system.

True ‘national pride’ is when we do not abandon young people like Liam Debono and take no responsibility for his fitful actions when still a minor.

True ‘national pride’ is when we embrace difference whether its sexual, ethnic, nationality or other.

True ‘national pride’ is when the glass ceiling for women is there no more.

True ‘national pride’ is when we admit in international fora when we have made mistakes rather than try to shy away from our booboos. 

True ‘national pride’ is when we work together to make our country a better place to live in; free from hatred and detestation; free from mistrustfulness and envy; free from poverty, social exclusion and inequity; free from discrimination and favoritism; free from nepotism.  It’s when people can speak and engage with each other notwithstanding they disagree; when we take care of our valleys, our fauna and our heritage. 

True ‘national pride’ is when we don’t assassinate our ‘prophets’ and when the echoes of such a murder resonate in the corridors of power.

True ‘national pride’ is when we call out injustice and tackle it. It is when we work so that peace abounds, when we think generously and honestly and play a part in advancing the social wellbeing of our community. 

True ‘national pride’ is when we combat loneliness, take care of older people, give voice to young children and space to young people.

If we can do that, then we would have cause to be proud of ourselves all the time and it won’t be a 1-day wonder

I feel honored not because of a tune we call a national anthem or stupidly wave a flag because we’re participating in a fatuous festival - but when we leave no one by the curb, when we don’t bully the weak ones in our Piazza, when we don’t abuse women, children and older people, when we provide services of the best quality to the most needy, when our welfare takes on the weak and puny and reaches out to the ones left behind, when we rediscover our passion for doing the right thing, supporting each other in the community, when we revive the values we have lost, when morality is no longer a foregone conclusion.

That, to me, is pride .