Sent in by an anonymous author.
Living in a democracy is very important, it is a basic human right, maybe one we often take for granted. Our country is meant to be a democracy too, but is it?
To someone who understands what a democracy truly is, the mere notion of assassinating a journalist is horrific and revolting, let alone condoning it.* Journalists are those who should ensure that our system is in place. Therefore, the assassination of Malta’s most outspoken journalist is effectively the murder of our democracy, irrelevant of what you thought of Daphne. When she was killed, a part of us was killed too.
The Prime Minister, who should have resigned years ago were our country truly a democracy, promised to leave “no stone unturned”, but in reality, does the exact opposite. The dedication with which Daphne Caruana Galizia has been vilified [she still is, even after her murder], has now been put to doing the same to those who defend her memory, who fight for what she stood for – the values she believed strongly in. The memorial dedicated to her has been cleared ten times, but the government has not even condemned this act once. So much for democracy. Because they did not manage to clear her memorial, all sorts of things are placed in front of it.
We should be living in a country where standing up to politicians is the norm. Politicians are there to serve us, not vice-versa, so no, it is not normal to adore politicians and give them unwavering trust. Contrary to popular belief, that trust has to be earned, and it is earned by actions, not words. One of my favourite quotes written by Daphne is, “Democracy is continuous, not a vote every five years. The fact that a government has been democratically elected does not mean the electorate has to tolerate and put up with everything it does. On the contrary – a government should be challenged, questioned and held to account every step of the way. That’s democracy.”
They’re trying to impugn her memory, question the validity and honesty of those who do what is right, and by using propaganda, they try to silence others. They make people believe that asking for Justice for Daphne, or attending vigils makes you desperate, but it is not those who do what is right that are desperate; doing so is merely a response to the situation which is desperate. Why? Because, yes, “there are crooks everywhere you look now.”
* Having said this, it is important to mention that not everyone has condoned the assassination – Thank you David Casa, Simon Busuttil, TheShiftNews, Occupy Justice, Il-Kenniesa, Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family, everyone who attends vigils, who puts up posters demanding justice, and everyone else who hasn’t accepted this. I really hope I’m not forgetting anyone.
You will never be forgotten, Daphne. Thank you for making us stronger and giving us the courage to speak out.