Luqa - Malta
Registered User
Note that these articles range from enthusiasts to politicians to Anti-fireworks people etc. Diverse views and some of them I must say are dumb. I distinct my views from theirs.
_______________________________________________________________________
Red alarm,
Pamela Hansen
Tree roots beneath St John's Co-Cathedral
Will the latest tragedy move the authorities to finally do something about seriously regularising the fireworks sector? Every time we have a similar tragedy we have impressive photographs splashed all over the media and the horrific details of families left with not only the emotional loss but also a financial one. There is no life insurance for the men who work in these death traps.
Followers of this column will know that this subject is brought up every summer in one form or another. The most important aspect is loss of life. I would expect all pro-life promoters to be of one voice calling for immediate action to stop this preventable loss of life.
The second important aspect is egoism. Every summer the whole island is subjected to unbearable noise, practically every day of the week, on some days well into the night, to satisfy the delizzju of a minority.
When I brought the subject up with an MP the other week and said that the politicians were unwilling to take action on the issue, he remarked that the only way to get anything done is to get the festa clubs to agree between themselves.
So why do we have politicians? Are they not elected to take this sort of decision? Rushing to the scene of the tragedy is too late. That is not the support needed.
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (1)
Ian Azzopardi, Mosta.
This is my short contribution after the shocking news of the loss of five men in the Gharghur explosion at the St Helen's fireworks factory.
I am shocked and amazed that yet again we have to witness such a grave loss...all for the love of the traditional fireworks .
I think the government should seriously consider limiting the permits for such a weapon. I watch the television series Dejjem Tieghek Bekky and would ask myself on most Sunday evenings: "Is there a need to (sometimes ad nauseam) mention the perils associated with such a topic?". Eileen, there was never a moment I understood you more than now. How right you were.
My mother just told me that whenever volunteers from her parish come to collect donations for fireworks she politely turns them away. Without knowing, I do exactly the same. I will from today start telling them: "I will not assist you in what could possibly lead to the death your friends."
I will be honest with readers. I enjoy immensely the colourful spectacle of some fireworks displays. But the price we pay for it, with the loss of so many lives over the years, is simply too high and not worth it.
I would like to express my solidarity with the relatives of such a tragedy and promise my heartfelt prayers. So many families will carry with them this loss all through their lives.
A final note to readers: Please follow our example. Do not donate money for such fireworks...if there are no finances for this most dangerous of hobbies, such tragedies would end once and for all.
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (2)
George Gatt, Madliena.
Yet another tragic and avoidable loss of life due to the manufacture of fireworks. Five immediate families and numerous other relatives plunged into grief by the tragic incident of last Wednesday.
And yet, another tragedy averted for the residents living close and not so close to the fireworks complex at Xwieki. This is the third time in the last 20 odd years I have been living here that I have had to witness first hand the destruction and loss of life at this fireworks factory complex. Despite my previous "experience", the force of each of last Wednesday's two explosions was unbelievable. The noise was terrifying, the blast wave was enough to lift off soffit tiles inside a room which had an open window.
The house shook to its foundations. And I do not live next door to the factory complex. I live nearly half a kilometre away from the complex which is built inside a quarry.
The force of the explosions was powerful enough to throw a shoebox-sized piece of masonry into my next door neighbour's garden and smash another piece of masonry with such force against the façade of another neighbour's house to break off part of the façade. Fist-sized pieces of masonry rained down into our property and street with some damage but luckily no injury.
Fireworks factories have no place in residential areas; they are not good neighbours. This is not a matter of who was first as some might argue. This is a matter of public safety and security. Last week's explosions proved that the fireworks complex was not only a threat to its immediate neighbours but also to others further away.
This factory complex must not be allowed to operate again. Are we waiting for a bigger tragedy, the death of an innocent child playing outside, someone walking along the street or even in the relative safety of his home?
Will the highest authorities of this country come visiting then? For what purpose? Death is irreversible. The prevention of death is their responsibility. The safety and security of this county's citizens are their responsibility.
The authorities must act now before the situation repeats itself again because, if the factory complex is allowed to operate again, history will repeat itself.
And then how many more will lose their lives?
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (3)
Sandra Hyzler, Swieqi.
Certainly Malta is stricken by the latest fireworks factory tragedy. We always are immediately after these frequent blow-ups, then the hype tends to subside. We continuously legislate and regulate how and where work and pastimes are performed and yet, the fireworks sector steals lives every single year.
There are obviously many passionate enough to be ready to risk life and limb, leaving their dear ones on tenterhooks as they play Russian roulette. The questionable environment in which this art is performed does not give them the upper hand in the game.
We grieve for the men lost in this tragedy, we always do, but we cannot stop here because there is another strand of the issue that must be urgently dealt with once and for all. Admittedly there are many drawn to living dangerously and prepared to compromise their own safety, but that one's activity impinges on the security of others is just not acceptable.
The fact that the tragedy on Wednesday did not take the lives of others within the radius of the impact appears itself to have been an accident.
The residents of Madliena had long been drawing attention to the fact that this fireworks factory was too close to residential areas. This was certainly not the way how they wished it to move.
Before we hear of the next blast I urge that the appropriate action be taken by all concerned to ensure that these explosives are handled appropriately.
My deepest sympathy to those bereaved.
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (4)
John Spiteri, Pietà.
On Thursday morning, we woke up still in shock following the tragedy of the fireworks factory.
Yet throughout the day, one could hear the loud noise of fireworks from various parts of the island.
Do these fanatics realise the pain that must have been felt by the families and friends of the victims with every bang heard? Couldn't the committees of the local festas, or the respective parish priests, have at least postponed these useless bangs for a day or two as a sign of respect for the victims and their families?
I am not related to any of the victims, yet I felt anger and frustration with every loud bang.
It seems that all the talk about our Christian love and solidarity is simply just talk, because we never practice what we preach.
____________________________________________________________
Kalkara society replies to fireworks permit objections
The president and secretary of a circle that organises Kalkara's St Joseph feast yesterday filed a judicial protest against a resident and a company claiming they "capriciously" tried to disrupt the feast.
Mario Attard and Duncan Brincat, as president and secretary of the Circolo San Giuseppe - Filarmonika Sagra Familja, filed the protest in the First Hall of the Civil Court against Kalkara resident Lawrence Attard and ELA Limited, that runs a neighbouring scrap yard.
In a judicial protest filed on Monday, Mr Attard and ELA asked the court to order the Police Commissioner to withdraw a permit allowing fireworks to be launched from nearby fields.
In their protest, Mr Attard and the company explained that last year, when the fireworks were let off, fragments fell in the scrap yard and caused a fire. Thousand of liri of damage was caused to the scrap yard and to Mr Attard's residence. Now, this year the Police Commissioner had granted a permit to allow the fireworks to be launched again from the fields.
Mr Attard and the company called on the Police Commissioner to immediately withdraw the permit and ensure their safety and that of their property.
The society, which said it was responsible for organising the St Joseph feast celebrations that included fireworks, argued that it had already told the police it would be letting off the fireworks from a site that was far from the property belonging to Mr Attard and to the company.
Moreover, the society said it had all the necessary permits. Therefore, Mr Attard and ELA had no reason to fear anything. The society added that it was insured against anything that may happen.
Therefore, it continued, Mr Attard and the company were capriciously trying to disrupt the feast it organised and held them liable in damages.
Lawyers John Bonello and Cedric Mifsud signed the protest.
____________________________________________________________
Fireworks and hunting
Edward Farrugia, Zejtun.
I would like to know if the Prime Minister is going to ban fireworks from the feasts for this season as he did with spring hunting.
____________________________________________________________
A disgusting explosion
Harry Vassallo
The Times report on the explosions at the Birkirkara fireworks factory allowed readers to piece together a horrifying ordeal for at least some of the victims. While the series of explosions continued, the police prevented anybody approaching the scene. Some people said they could hear cries for help. As night drew on the police suspended all operations until first light.
Death might not have been the quick affair a risk taker might boldly accept. The first explosion took place at about 5 p.m. and recovery of the unidentifiable bodies took place from 5.30 a.m. the next morning. If the cries for help were not imagined, death was nasty, brutish and long. The Times allowed this awful scene to unfold in readers' minds without describing it specifically.
A tabloid would have certainly expanded on the gruesome possibilities; The Times was dignified and laconic, a matter of style. Perhaps in this case it would have served its public better by letting its hair down. Respect for the victims' families, respect for their anxiety and anguish should not become an excuse for us to paint the nightmare a palatable grey.
We need to share the relatives' trauma; we need our own. The last thing we need is to have the horror sanitised. We need to be scarred, to remember this event, the extravagant human sacrifice, next time we take our children to watch a fireworks display.
Some years ago the nasty side of summer festa fun touched a friend of mine. His son had spent a morning playing with festabang leftovers with a group of his friends. He blew his right hand to bits. In the years that followed, his schooling suffered because he had to undergo a series of surgical reconstruction operations. I was involved in bringing his case to the attention of a visiting hand surgeon who was a close friend. It meant that I had an almost first-hand experience of the aftermath of a fireworks accident.
Two years later the story was not yet over. The boy's ambitions to become a computer wizard had suffered a probably fatal interruption. The extraordinary success of surgery was limited to giving him the use of a mutilated hand; his thumb was no longer fixed in parallel to his finger. Still it remained a claw compared to the long tapering fingers of his left hand. He kept it bandaged and hidden away far longer than the medical reasons required.
Just as that story drew to a close, I read of another boy injured in an identical incident. Did he lose an eye? I simply did not want to know. Other readers may have been shocked or moved to pity. I was disgusted.
The friend who had drawn me into the first case had sued for damages. The process only added to my disgust and to his. After a few years he simply withdrew his case having become convinced that there was no effective remedy available. The licence to let off the fireworks had been issued to a paper company and the insurance covering the event was hardly worth the scraps it was written on. Nobody in authority had bothered to ensure compensation for potential victims by checking out the bona fide of the licence holders. Elaborate rules and regulations were simply a mockery.
I scrutinised the report of the latest disaster with special interest. Another friend of mine had his fields a stone's throw away from the scene. Had he survived? It was with immense relief that I learnt of Joe Colombo's narrow escape. A bonsai pomegranate tree adorns my backyard, a souvenir of my visit there some years ago when he asked for help in dealing with an extraordinary situation.
The government had taken over part of his fields to make up a road to the fireworks factory without so much as a by-your-leave. There had been no President's declaration in the Government Gazette, no offer to treat. Indeed, no compensation offered at all. There was no Mepa permit applied for. One day no road, next day it was there in squeaky new concrete.
The obvious recourse would have been to the local opposition candidate or candidates to kick up an unholy fuss about abuse of power. There was no such remedy. If the government did not deliver, the votes would go to the opposition. If the government bulldozed through the law to please them, the opposition would be punished if it opened its mouth to complain. Only the Greens could be relied upon to defend the rule of law regardless of electoral flak.
Time and again the political conjuncture on fireworks issues follows just such a pattern. Why do the police insist that the licence to let off the Munxar fireworks is within the law when a simple measurement shows that it is not? Why do they not show more concern for the fact that, year after year, the Sannat government primary school is littered with live petard remnants? Because when the worst happens we have a few days' mourning and then we all forget?
Some Rabat farmers are desperate because the Dingli fireworks crew has applied for a permit to set up a fireworks factory by their fields. The mundane task of growing potatoes becomes a high-risk occupation. They are up for the same wrestle with the law benders which we have witnessed time and again all over the country. The farmers are just a few, the fireworks crew with the village festa carousers are many. The farmers are weightless on the electoral scales. Ask the man in Zejtun who no longer dares barbecue a steak in his father's fields ever since the fireworks factory mushroomed next door. No remedies anywhere.
These are just a few of the cases brought to my attention over the years. I have not followed the stories of relatives affected by the almost annual fireworks tragedies. Who does? Perhaps newspaper editors feel they would be prying if they explored the aftermath of the awful spectacles they report. Besides, it is hardly earthshaking news to tell of emotional trauma over months and years, financial hardships, social and educational handicaps. And who could be quite sure whether the consequential damage was truly linked to the original tragedy?
A fireworks factory explosion is not an accident like many others. It is an accident no longer waiting to happen. To turn up on the scene to comfort the mourners is not an act of charity or a creditable display of public solidarity as it may be in other instances. It tends to legitimise a pathological situation. It sedates the public drawing it to pathos and averting any escape to anger and disgust.
I feel no need to mourn the dead. I have been mourning them in anticipation for years already. I am mourning next year's victims. I am in mourning for the rule of law which is supposed to defend the freedom and safety not only of minuscule minorities but also of single persons: the explosion victims, their relatives as well as fireworks factory neighbours who are victims at every explosion and every day in between. I am mourning for democracy, which sinks to its ultimate, perverse impotence when extreme bipolar politics reduces it to an empty ritual that ignores the value of human life.
Dr Vassallo is chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika - the Green party.
____________________________________________________________
Dangerous fireworks practices
Perit Fortunato Said, B. Arch (Hons), A&CE, Kappara.
Now that we are in the festa season, there will be fireworks. We have just had a tragedy at St Helen's Fireworks Factory.
I am the sort of person who would go to watch a fireworks display as this is one of our Maltese artistic expressions and one in which some of our good craftsmen excel.
We were recently having our usual evening stroll in Sliema. Inadvertently we came up on a relatively dark stretch of the Strand pavement, and almost tripped over some Catherine wheels that were being put up. The men just left them there on the ground while attending to other work. There were children with their parents (among whom you would find the occasional smoker puffing away). Can you imagine the mayhem a careless toss of a cigarette butt would cause if it ignited the fireworks lying on the ground?
At the very least, one would have expected the area to be cordoned off and a person tasked to watch over the works. It did not help either that the area was in darkness since some of the street lights were not working. Nothing could be done as we could not see where the responsible persons were.
When we returned, sure enough, the fireworks were set up on poles, ready for setting off on the appointed day. They were set in between a line of trees at the edge of the pavement. The trees branches were within inches of the fireworks.
I believe that at this time of the year, tree leaves are like tinder, ready to be set on fire at the least spark! I hope the organisers will have a fire engine standing by because it will take nothing short of a miracle if the trees aren't burnt to a cinder together with the fireworks!
We were recently driving through a very busy Hamrun Street, which as usual had double-parked cars on both sides in front of some establishments. As we turned towards Blata l-Bajda, the street was blocked off - by fireworks. There was no warning sign or protective barrier. The fireworks were just there, with people and intrepid motorists on motorbikes playing slalom between them!
I am a strong believer in traditions and keeping them alive, but at least some common sense should prevail. Maybe the Police, when issuing permits for letting off of fireworks, should be mindful of these issues and lay down some common sense guidelines.
____________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
Red alarm,
Pamela Hansen
Tree roots beneath St John's Co-Cathedral
Will the latest tragedy move the authorities to finally do something about seriously regularising the fireworks sector? Every time we have a similar tragedy we have impressive photographs splashed all over the media and the horrific details of families left with not only the emotional loss but also a financial one. There is no life insurance for the men who work in these death traps.
Followers of this column will know that this subject is brought up every summer in one form or another. The most important aspect is loss of life. I would expect all pro-life promoters to be of one voice calling for immediate action to stop this preventable loss of life.
The second important aspect is egoism. Every summer the whole island is subjected to unbearable noise, practically every day of the week, on some days well into the night, to satisfy the delizzju of a minority.
When I brought the subject up with an MP the other week and said that the politicians were unwilling to take action on the issue, he remarked that the only way to get anything done is to get the festa clubs to agree between themselves.
So why do we have politicians? Are they not elected to take this sort of decision? Rushing to the scene of the tragedy is too late. That is not the support needed.
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (1)
Ian Azzopardi, Mosta.
This is my short contribution after the shocking news of the loss of five men in the Gharghur explosion at the St Helen's fireworks factory.
I am shocked and amazed that yet again we have to witness such a grave loss...all for the love of the traditional fireworks .
I think the government should seriously consider limiting the permits for such a weapon. I watch the television series Dejjem Tieghek Bekky and would ask myself on most Sunday evenings: "Is there a need to (sometimes ad nauseam) mention the perils associated with such a topic?". Eileen, there was never a moment I understood you more than now. How right you were.
My mother just told me that whenever volunteers from her parish come to collect donations for fireworks she politely turns them away. Without knowing, I do exactly the same. I will from today start telling them: "I will not assist you in what could possibly lead to the death your friends."
I will be honest with readers. I enjoy immensely the colourful spectacle of some fireworks displays. But the price we pay for it, with the loss of so many lives over the years, is simply too high and not worth it.
I would like to express my solidarity with the relatives of such a tragedy and promise my heartfelt prayers. So many families will carry with them this loss all through their lives.
A final note to readers: Please follow our example. Do not donate money for such fireworks...if there are no finances for this most dangerous of hobbies, such tragedies would end once and for all.
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (2)
George Gatt, Madliena.
Yet another tragic and avoidable loss of life due to the manufacture of fireworks. Five immediate families and numerous other relatives plunged into grief by the tragic incident of last Wednesday.
And yet, another tragedy averted for the residents living close and not so close to the fireworks complex at Xwieki. This is the third time in the last 20 odd years I have been living here that I have had to witness first hand the destruction and loss of life at this fireworks factory complex. Despite my previous "experience", the force of each of last Wednesday's two explosions was unbelievable. The noise was terrifying, the blast wave was enough to lift off soffit tiles inside a room which had an open window.
The house shook to its foundations. And I do not live next door to the factory complex. I live nearly half a kilometre away from the complex which is built inside a quarry.
The force of the explosions was powerful enough to throw a shoebox-sized piece of masonry into my next door neighbour's garden and smash another piece of masonry with such force against the façade of another neighbour's house to break off part of the façade. Fist-sized pieces of masonry rained down into our property and street with some damage but luckily no injury.
Fireworks factories have no place in residential areas; they are not good neighbours. This is not a matter of who was first as some might argue. This is a matter of public safety and security. Last week's explosions proved that the fireworks complex was not only a threat to its immediate neighbours but also to others further away.
This factory complex must not be allowed to operate again. Are we waiting for a bigger tragedy, the death of an innocent child playing outside, someone walking along the street or even in the relative safety of his home?
Will the highest authorities of this country come visiting then? For what purpose? Death is irreversible. The prevention of death is their responsibility. The safety and security of this county's citizens are their responsibility.
The authorities must act now before the situation repeats itself again because, if the factory complex is allowed to operate again, history will repeat itself.
And then how many more will lose their lives?
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (3)
Sandra Hyzler, Swieqi.
Certainly Malta is stricken by the latest fireworks factory tragedy. We always are immediately after these frequent blow-ups, then the hype tends to subside. We continuously legislate and regulate how and where work and pastimes are performed and yet, the fireworks sector steals lives every single year.
There are obviously many passionate enough to be ready to risk life and limb, leaving their dear ones on tenterhooks as they play Russian roulette. The questionable environment in which this art is performed does not give them the upper hand in the game.
We grieve for the men lost in this tragedy, we always do, but we cannot stop here because there is another strand of the issue that must be urgently dealt with once and for all. Admittedly there are many drawn to living dangerously and prepared to compromise their own safety, but that one's activity impinges on the security of others is just not acceptable.
The fact that the tragedy on Wednesday did not take the lives of others within the radius of the impact appears itself to have been an accident.
The residents of Madliena had long been drawing attention to the fact that this fireworks factory was too close to residential areas. This was certainly not the way how they wished it to move.
Before we hear of the next blast I urge that the appropriate action be taken by all concerned to ensure that these explosives are handled appropriately.
My deepest sympathy to those bereaved.
____________________________________________________________
The most dangerous of hobbies (4)
John Spiteri, Pietà.
On Thursday morning, we woke up still in shock following the tragedy of the fireworks factory.
Yet throughout the day, one could hear the loud noise of fireworks from various parts of the island.
Do these fanatics realise the pain that must have been felt by the families and friends of the victims with every bang heard? Couldn't the committees of the local festas, or the respective parish priests, have at least postponed these useless bangs for a day or two as a sign of respect for the victims and their families?
I am not related to any of the victims, yet I felt anger and frustration with every loud bang.
It seems that all the talk about our Christian love and solidarity is simply just talk, because we never practice what we preach.
____________________________________________________________
Kalkara society replies to fireworks permit objections
The president and secretary of a circle that organises Kalkara's St Joseph feast yesterday filed a judicial protest against a resident and a company claiming they "capriciously" tried to disrupt the feast.
Mario Attard and Duncan Brincat, as president and secretary of the Circolo San Giuseppe - Filarmonika Sagra Familja, filed the protest in the First Hall of the Civil Court against Kalkara resident Lawrence Attard and ELA Limited, that runs a neighbouring scrap yard.
In a judicial protest filed on Monday, Mr Attard and ELA asked the court to order the Police Commissioner to withdraw a permit allowing fireworks to be launched from nearby fields.
In their protest, Mr Attard and the company explained that last year, when the fireworks were let off, fragments fell in the scrap yard and caused a fire. Thousand of liri of damage was caused to the scrap yard and to Mr Attard's residence. Now, this year the Police Commissioner had granted a permit to allow the fireworks to be launched again from the fields.
Mr Attard and the company called on the Police Commissioner to immediately withdraw the permit and ensure their safety and that of their property.
The society, which said it was responsible for organising the St Joseph feast celebrations that included fireworks, argued that it had already told the police it would be letting off the fireworks from a site that was far from the property belonging to Mr Attard and to the company.
Moreover, the society said it had all the necessary permits. Therefore, Mr Attard and ELA had no reason to fear anything. The society added that it was insured against anything that may happen.
Therefore, it continued, Mr Attard and the company were capriciously trying to disrupt the feast it organised and held them liable in damages.
Lawyers John Bonello and Cedric Mifsud signed the protest.
____________________________________________________________
Fireworks and hunting
Edward Farrugia, Zejtun.
I would like to know if the Prime Minister is going to ban fireworks from the feasts for this season as he did with spring hunting.
____________________________________________________________
A disgusting explosion
Harry Vassallo
The Times report on the explosions at the Birkirkara fireworks factory allowed readers to piece together a horrifying ordeal for at least some of the victims. While the series of explosions continued, the police prevented anybody approaching the scene. Some people said they could hear cries for help. As night drew on the police suspended all operations until first light.
Death might not have been the quick affair a risk taker might boldly accept. The first explosion took place at about 5 p.m. and recovery of the unidentifiable bodies took place from 5.30 a.m. the next morning. If the cries for help were not imagined, death was nasty, brutish and long. The Times allowed this awful scene to unfold in readers' minds without describing it specifically.
A tabloid would have certainly expanded on the gruesome possibilities; The Times was dignified and laconic, a matter of style. Perhaps in this case it would have served its public better by letting its hair down. Respect for the victims' families, respect for their anxiety and anguish should not become an excuse for us to paint the nightmare a palatable grey.
We need to share the relatives' trauma; we need our own. The last thing we need is to have the horror sanitised. We need to be scarred, to remember this event, the extravagant human sacrifice, next time we take our children to watch a fireworks display.
Some years ago the nasty side of summer festa fun touched a friend of mine. His son had spent a morning playing with festabang leftovers with a group of his friends. He blew his right hand to bits. In the years that followed, his schooling suffered because he had to undergo a series of surgical reconstruction operations. I was involved in bringing his case to the attention of a visiting hand surgeon who was a close friend. It meant that I had an almost first-hand experience of the aftermath of a fireworks accident.
Two years later the story was not yet over. The boy's ambitions to become a computer wizard had suffered a probably fatal interruption. The extraordinary success of surgery was limited to giving him the use of a mutilated hand; his thumb was no longer fixed in parallel to his finger. Still it remained a claw compared to the long tapering fingers of his left hand. He kept it bandaged and hidden away far longer than the medical reasons required.
Just as that story drew to a close, I read of another boy injured in an identical incident. Did he lose an eye? I simply did not want to know. Other readers may have been shocked or moved to pity. I was disgusted.
The friend who had drawn me into the first case had sued for damages. The process only added to my disgust and to his. After a few years he simply withdrew his case having become convinced that there was no effective remedy available. The licence to let off the fireworks had been issued to a paper company and the insurance covering the event was hardly worth the scraps it was written on. Nobody in authority had bothered to ensure compensation for potential victims by checking out the bona fide of the licence holders. Elaborate rules and regulations were simply a mockery.
I scrutinised the report of the latest disaster with special interest. Another friend of mine had his fields a stone's throw away from the scene. Had he survived? It was with immense relief that I learnt of Joe Colombo's narrow escape. A bonsai pomegranate tree adorns my backyard, a souvenir of my visit there some years ago when he asked for help in dealing with an extraordinary situation.
The government had taken over part of his fields to make up a road to the fireworks factory without so much as a by-your-leave. There had been no President's declaration in the Government Gazette, no offer to treat. Indeed, no compensation offered at all. There was no Mepa permit applied for. One day no road, next day it was there in squeaky new concrete.
The obvious recourse would have been to the local opposition candidate or candidates to kick up an unholy fuss about abuse of power. There was no such remedy. If the government did not deliver, the votes would go to the opposition. If the government bulldozed through the law to please them, the opposition would be punished if it opened its mouth to complain. Only the Greens could be relied upon to defend the rule of law regardless of electoral flak.
Time and again the political conjuncture on fireworks issues follows just such a pattern. Why do the police insist that the licence to let off the Munxar fireworks is within the law when a simple measurement shows that it is not? Why do they not show more concern for the fact that, year after year, the Sannat government primary school is littered with live petard remnants? Because when the worst happens we have a few days' mourning and then we all forget?
Some Rabat farmers are desperate because the Dingli fireworks crew has applied for a permit to set up a fireworks factory by their fields. The mundane task of growing potatoes becomes a high-risk occupation. They are up for the same wrestle with the law benders which we have witnessed time and again all over the country. The farmers are just a few, the fireworks crew with the village festa carousers are many. The farmers are weightless on the electoral scales. Ask the man in Zejtun who no longer dares barbecue a steak in his father's fields ever since the fireworks factory mushroomed next door. No remedies anywhere.
These are just a few of the cases brought to my attention over the years. I have not followed the stories of relatives affected by the almost annual fireworks tragedies. Who does? Perhaps newspaper editors feel they would be prying if they explored the aftermath of the awful spectacles they report. Besides, it is hardly earthshaking news to tell of emotional trauma over months and years, financial hardships, social and educational handicaps. And who could be quite sure whether the consequential damage was truly linked to the original tragedy?
A fireworks factory explosion is not an accident like many others. It is an accident no longer waiting to happen. To turn up on the scene to comfort the mourners is not an act of charity or a creditable display of public solidarity as it may be in other instances. It tends to legitimise a pathological situation. It sedates the public drawing it to pathos and averting any escape to anger and disgust.
I feel no need to mourn the dead. I have been mourning them in anticipation for years already. I am mourning next year's victims. I am in mourning for the rule of law which is supposed to defend the freedom and safety not only of minuscule minorities but also of single persons: the explosion victims, their relatives as well as fireworks factory neighbours who are victims at every explosion and every day in between. I am mourning for democracy, which sinks to its ultimate, perverse impotence when extreme bipolar politics reduces it to an empty ritual that ignores the value of human life.
Dr Vassallo is chairman of Alternattiva Demokratika - the Green party.
____________________________________________________________
Dangerous fireworks practices
Perit Fortunato Said, B. Arch (Hons), A&CE, Kappara.
Now that we are in the festa season, there will be fireworks. We have just had a tragedy at St Helen's Fireworks Factory.
I am the sort of person who would go to watch a fireworks display as this is one of our Maltese artistic expressions and one in which some of our good craftsmen excel.
We were recently having our usual evening stroll in Sliema. Inadvertently we came up on a relatively dark stretch of the Strand pavement, and almost tripped over some Catherine wheels that were being put up. The men just left them there on the ground while attending to other work. There were children with their parents (among whom you would find the occasional smoker puffing away). Can you imagine the mayhem a careless toss of a cigarette butt would cause if it ignited the fireworks lying on the ground?
At the very least, one would have expected the area to be cordoned off and a person tasked to watch over the works. It did not help either that the area was in darkness since some of the street lights were not working. Nothing could be done as we could not see where the responsible persons were.
When we returned, sure enough, the fireworks were set up on poles, ready for setting off on the appointed day. They were set in between a line of trees at the edge of the pavement. The trees branches were within inches of the fireworks.
I believe that at this time of the year, tree leaves are like tinder, ready to be set on fire at the least spark! I hope the organisers will have a fire engine standing by because it will take nothing short of a miracle if the trees aren't burnt to a cinder together with the fireworks!
We were recently driving through a very busy Hamrun Street, which as usual had double-parked cars on both sides in front of some establishments. As we turned towards Blata l-Bajda, the street was blocked off - by fireworks. There was no warning sign or protective barrier. The fireworks were just there, with people and intrepid motorists on motorbikes playing slalom between them!
I am a strong believer in traditions and keeping them alive, but at least some common sense should prevail. Maybe the Police, when issuing permits for letting off of fireworks, should be mindful of these issues and lay down some common sense guidelines.
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