A salutary lesson in people power

They say what kills love off, in the end, is not hatred, but rather, indifference. As we say in Maltese, x’jimpurtani? (what do I care?). When you no longer care whether the person you are with comes home, or couldn’t be bothered to know what they are up to, then that is like turning off the oxygen to a relationship. It withers, shrivels up and dies.

The same could be said for causes and issues. Without passion (either for or against) there is no point really. And that is what those who are promoting the No vote in the upcoming spring hunting referendum are up against.

For, you can try and argue and debate against someone who does not share your point of view, perhaps convincing them to see your side of things, but it is much more difficult to stir up interest where there is none. Apathy is the unknown quantity which will determine how the referendum will pan out, and it will be reaching out to people who frankly could not care less about spring hunting which is going to be the biggest challenge.

Apathy is the unknown quantity which will determine how the referendum will pan out

In stark contrast this week, we had quite a remarkable example of the opposite of apathy. The shocking news that the head of fostering services John Rolé was going to be removed from Appogg created a wave of popular support and galvanized common people into action in a way which I have rarely seen happen in this country. A petition which went online at 11:30pm on 19th January collected 890 signatures in less than 24 hours. When one bears in mind that fostering is a specialized area and probably does not directly affect the general population, but only a specific sector of society, that kind of support is nothing short of mind-blowing.

Faced by the swelling voice of popular opinion as the news spread like wildfire on the social media, backed by the scrutiny and questions of the independent media, the minister concerned, Michael Farrugia, had to backpedal furiously on the decision and Mr Rolé’s job was saved. It was a salutary lesson in people power (and no ladies and gents of the PN, you had absolutely nothing to do with the reversal of the decision as you so cheekily tried to imply all over your radio station and in Parliament).

As fingers were busily being pointed all over the place trying to lay blame on who took this utterly senseless decision (and the murky reasons behind it) those who had taken the step to get involved were astonished that they had actually made a difference. It was a kind of turning point, a breakthrough if you will, which eloquently demonstrated that yes, when we stick together for something we passionately believe in, that which seems impossible suddenly becomes possible.

It is also an indication of just how helpless we often feel in the face of bureaucracy and questionable decisions within government departments that the news that Rolé had been reinstated bowled us over in surprise. Whether the motivation behind removing him was office politics or partisan politics, it seemed like an insurmountable brick wall because (as many of you reading this know through direct experience) when someone in power wants you out, you are out – freezing in the cold, treated like a treacherous spy who has been banished to the chilly regions of Siberia.

Don’t let indifference extinguish the fire of the human spirit. Let’s not let our national motto become “x’jimpurtani?”

In fact, it is actually quite rare for others to stick their necks out and get involved because they fear the consequences, which is another reason that the outpouring of support for Mr Rolé was so remarkable. Foster parents have a lot to lose if they are labelled as pesky “troublemakers”, namely the children they foster, so it took great courage for them to not only voice their objections but to do it with their real names and not simply anonymously which is much, much easier, but let’s fact it, much less effective.

There is so much to be learned from the John Rolé incident. It shows that if people cower in the face of authority, nothing will ever change, and those who take heartless bureaucratic decisions which affect people’s lives will just keep doing it. It shows that yes, we do have a voice, if only we take that first step and use it. It shows that power lies in numbers, and if everyone bands together for a common cause they are stronger and can make change happen. It shows that yes, every single person can make a difference, and shrugging in apathy or helplessness is simply an admission of defeat before you even give it a try.

If we try and advocate for change and are still defeated at least we can say we were beaten but we gave it our all. But to go around with a black cloud of defeat hanging over our heads, muttering, “mhux xorta, nothing can be done, that’s how it is and always will be” – that is absolutely the worse kind of abysmal defeat, because that is the defeat of our very spirit.

When I think back at all those who have ever affected any kind of change in the world, it has always started with one person which grew into a handful of people, and mushroomed into hundreds and then thousands. Change has always come because someone, somewhere took a bold step, spoke up where others remained silent and planted a seed which inspired others. That is how women won the right to vote, that is the reason blacks no longer have to sit at the back of the bus…and that is the reason Malta finally ushered in divorce legislation. They said it would never happen, and yet it did. At the time many asked, what difference will my vote make? And yet, it did.

The John Rolé incident shows that if people cower in the face of authority, nothing will ever change

And that is why all those asking why they should bother to turn up and vote in the spring hunting referendum because “it has nothing to do with them” should remember that in a society (especially a small ones likes ours) we are ultimately all connected in one way or another. Today you might feel indifferent about hunting, but in a few years’ time it might be another cause you feel passionately about which comes up for a vote, but which others shrug off. 

Don’t let apathy kill off once and for all our capacity to feel passion about issues which, in reality, affect us all. Don’t let indifference extinguish the fire of the human spirit.  Let’s not let our national motto become “x’jimpurtani?” (what do I care?)