Should we listen to despicable views? - Għandna nisimgħu veduti ta' stmerrija?

 

A whole brouhaha has just erupted about an interview on Australia’s Sky News on Sunday 5th August, with Blair Cottrell, a right-wing extremist and fascist who, on other occasions, suggested that photos of Adolf Hitler should be attached to classes the country over, and that Hitler’s book Mein Kampf be distributed to all students, and that women should be controlled by giving them a clip on the ears every so often, amongst others.

 

This person has also been found guilty by a court of property damage, inciting and ridiculing Muslims.  He still has another case before the courts.

 

The said interview was conducted by the ex Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Adam Giles, during his regular program The Adam Giles Show.

 

I did not see the interview unfortunately, firstly as I’m not a Foxtel subscriber, and secondly as the interview was swiftly removed from the Sky News website when the latter took account of the predominantly negative reaction by the public to the broadcast and even by other presenters of the same station.  Apart from that, Sky News also apologised for the interview even having been carried out and declared that Cottrell’s views were not those of the station, suspended the Giles program and said it made some changes to its editorial structure.1

 

To be really clear, I find both the beliefs and the actions by Cottrell abhorrent and disgusting.  Violence against women, or any other group, are not acceptable.  Denigration, discrimination and inciting against groups, mainly minorities, based on their culture, religion or ethnicity go against all principles of tolerance and empathy I have learnt in my life.

 

So was it a mistake for the views of this known racist to be broadcast?

 

I say the mistake was not in broadcasting the views, but that the interviewer Giles throughout the program did not challenge Cottrell’s views and gave the impression of being sympathetic with them.  At the end of the program, Giles even wished Cottrell every success in his endeavours!

 

Public broadcasting and their programs on current affairs, especially on moderated platforms which project a high standard, are an important location where ideas of all types are not only presented, but discussed and analysed by those competent enough to identify their main points, and how they measure up against social, cultural, religious and other dimensions, in communities, societies, countries and even the world where applicable.

 

The presenter, not the guest, has a moral obligation to listeners and viewers, to represent their views and confronting these with those of the guest, to search for truth, to offer constructive criticism, not to permit generalisations without an analysis of whether declarations are applicable, and so on and so forth.

 

If this critical approach is not taken, then the program becomes one of propaganda, where the presenter, and the station, would in fact be making the views of the guest their own.

 

I would not like to be isolated from views that are at odds with mine, which to me would represent censorship.  Nevertheless I expect that such views, and not only these, be presented in a critical and analytical way.  In this way I can feel comfortable that while watching, I am learning and not being indoctrinated.

 

Today there is a huge problem with the internet and social media, where people congregate in groups of like-minded people, and so end up only hearing views that largely agree with their own.  This does not augur well for development of a person’s critical mind, which will be so useful in other decisions that need to be made in life.  Without the skill of critical thinking, a person can be manipulated that much easier.

 

The solution, in my opinion, for all of us is to seek out those sources of information and analysis, not necessarily neutral, but ones that systematically tackle all subjects with a search for truth and a reference to universally agreed values of human rights.

 

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Bħalissa qam kjass fuq intervista li saret fuq Sky News tal-Awstralja nhar il-Ħadd 5 ta’ Awwissu li għadda, ma’ Blair Cottrell, estremista tal-lemin, faxxista li drabi oħra ssuġġerixxa li ritratti ta’ Adolf Hitler għandhom jiddendlu fil-klassijiet tal-pajjiż kollu, li l-ktieb ta’ Hitler Mein Kampf jitqassam lill-istudenti kollha, u li n-nisa tikkontrollahom billi ttektikielhom ma’ widnejhom xi kultant, fost ħafna affarijiet oħra.

 

Dan il-bniedem instab ħati wkoll f’qorti li wettaq ħsara fuq proprjeta u li xewwex u rridikula lill-Musulmani.  Għad baqagħlu wkoll każ quddiem il-ġustizzja.

 

Din l-intervista saritlu mill-ex Ministru Prinċipali tan-Northern Territory Adam Giles, waqt il-programm regolari tiegħu The Adam Giles Show.

 

Jien l-intervista ma rajthiex sfortunatament, l-ewwel għax m’iniex abbonat fil-Foxtel, u t-tieni għax l-intervista tneħħiet mill-websajt ta’ Sky News meta dawn tal-aħħar irreaġixxew għar-reazzjoni predominantement negattiva tal-pubbliku għax-xandira, u anke ta’ preżentaturi oħra tal-istess stazzjon.  Mhux biss, imma Sky News talbet skuża talli l-intervista saret u stqarret li l-veduti ta’ Cottrell mhumiex dawk tal-istazzjon, issospendiet il-programm ta’ Giles u qalet li għamlet xi bidliet fl-istruttura editorjali tagħha.1

 

Biex inkun ċar ħafna, jien insib kemm it-twemminiet u kemm l-imġieba ta’ Cottrell aborrenti u ta’ min jistmerrhom.  Il-vjolenza kontra n-nisa, jew kull grupp ieħor, mhux aċċettabbli.  It-tmaqdir, id-diskriminazzjoni u t-tixwix kontra gruppi, aktarx minoranzi, abbażi tal-kultura, reliġjon jew etniċità tagħhom imorru kontra kull prinċipju ta’ tolleranza u empatija li tgħallimt f’ħajti.

 

Allura kien żball li xxandru l-veduti ta’ dan ir-razzista magħruf?

 

Jien ngħid li l-iżball ma kienx li xxandru l-veduti, imma li l-intervistatur Giles matul il-programm ma sfidax il-veduti ta’ Cottrell u ta l-impressjoni li kien simpatetikujissimpatizza magħhom.  Fl-aħħar tal-programm,  Giles spiċċa biex awgura lil Cottrell kull suċċess fit-taħbit tiegħu!

 

Ix-xandir pubbliku u l-programmi tagħhom fuq l-attwalità, speċjalment fuq pjattaformi mmoderati u li jipproġettaw ruħhom li huma ta’ kalibru, huwa post importanti ħafna fejn idejat ta’ kull tip jiġu mhux biss ippreżentati, imma diskussi u analizzati minn min huwa kapaċi li joħroġ il-punti prinċipali tagħhom, u kif dawn jitkejlu ma’ sitwazzjonijiet soċjali, kulturali, reliġjużu u aspetti oħrajn, fil-komunitajiet, soċjetajiet, pajjiżi u anke d-dinja jekk applikabbli.

 

Il-preżentatur, mhux il-mistieden, għandu l-obbligu morali lejn is-semmiegħa u l-ispettaturi, li jirrappreżenta l-valuri tagħhom u jikkonfrontahom ma’ dawk tal-mistieden, li jfittex il-verità, li joffri kritika kostruttiva, li ma jitħallewx isiru stqarrijiet ġeneralizzati mingħajr xi analiżi jekkjew l-istqarrijiet humiex applikabbli, u nista’ nibqa sejjer.

 

Jekk din l-attitudni kritika ma ssirx, allura l-programm isir wieħed ta’ propaganda, fejn il-preżentatur, u l-istazzjoni, ikunu fil-fattbiss qiegħdin jagħmlu tagħhom il-veduti tal-misttieden.

 

Jien ma nixtieqx inkun iżolat milli nisma veduti li ma jaqblux ma’ tiegħi, li għalija tfisser ċensura.  Madankollu nistenna li veduti bħal dawn, u mhux dawn biss, jiġi ppreżentati b’mod kritiku u analitiku.  Hekk inkun inħossni komdu li qiegħed nitgħallem u mhux niġi indottrinat.

 

Illum hawn problema kbira bl-internet u l-midja soċjali, fejn in-nies aktarx li jiffurmaw gruppi ma min jaqbel magħhom, u allura jispiċċaw li jisimgħu biss veduti li jaqblu ma’ tagħhom.  Dan ma jawgurax tajjeb għall-iżvilupp ta’ sens kritiku fl-individwu, li jservih tant tajjeb fid-deċiżjonijiet li jrid jieħu fil-ħajja.  Mingħajr sens kritiku, bniedem iktar faċli li jiġi mmanipulat.

 

Is-soluzzjoni, fl-opinjoni tiegħi, hi li lkoll infittxu dawk is-sorsi ta’ informazzjoni u analiżi, mhux bilfors li jkunu newtrali, imma li jaffrontaw is-suġġetti kollha sistematikament b’tiftix għall-verità u  b’referenza lejn il-valuri universali maqbula tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem.

 

1https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/sky-news-blair-cottrell-interview-wrong/news-story/1daaadeba84b7f71d0c4fed38c0559ec, retrieved 14/8/2018

1https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/sky-news-blair-cottrell-interview-wrong/news-story/1daaadeba84b7f71d0c4fed38c0559ec, retrieved 14/8/2018

Older parenthood -- Ġenituri akbar

 

Recently I’ve given some thought again to this subject, prompted by the latest ‘celebrity’ having a child at a mature age.  I’m referring to Brigitte Nielsen, a well-known actress, who at 54 gave birth last June to a daughter.  This event also has some connection to Malta, as Nielsen married her current husband Mattia Dessi in Malta in 2006.  I was still in Malta when Nielsen had married another man Sebastian Copeland in 1990 – I still remember her being taken with him in a beautiful open karrozzin down Mannarino Road, although today she maintains that marriage hadn’t been legal.1

 

Nielsen grumbled about being told she was too old to have a child, but the same comment not generally made for men of the same age.  In fact most of the related information concentrates on the risks to the woman, like the increased risk of early onset diabetes, cholesterol, breast cancer, high blood pressure and others.  Generally women older than 50 use eggs of a younger woman due to chromosomal defects.

 

Nevertheless, many elderly women have children who are perfectly healthy, and the more time passes, there is an increased tendency for children to be born to mothers with an advanced age.  For example, in England, conception rates in 2016 declined for all mother age groups, with the exception of those whose age was higher than 40.2

 

Perhaps one might not expect there to also be some advantages for parents to be older; an article I have read suggests that offspring of elder parents might be better at mathematical or technical (geeky) subjects, might live longer and be healthier, with their parents being better prepared emotionally, financially and how to interact with their kids.3

 

There is also a consideration of what is in the best interest of the children.  There are those who are convinced that the best age difference for parents and their offspring is in the twenties and thirties, and any higher would be of detriment to the child.  Amongst reasons I have heard are that elder parents are not up to the burden of child-raising (which I think is a generalisation and potentially applicable to younger parents), that they look like grandparents (which is probably true) and that such parents are simply being egoistic (apparently when someone has an objective that is not found easy to achieve, keeps working and persists is termed an egoist).

 

People thinking in this way will probably say they are ‘against’ others becoming parents of a certain age, let’s say above 40, and prefer families being more ‘normal’ with a generation following another let’s say every 20 years.

 

What such a person might not necessarily appreciate is that offspring of parents of an advanced age, for example 50 years, did not have the opportunity to be born when the parents were 30.  That epoch has passed. Now the choice is to be born to parents of 50, or not being conceived and naturally not being born at all.  This person would be telling the child of an elderly parent that it would be preferable if the child did not exist, in his/her face (or behind his/her back).

 

I think there is also the idea that such parents choose on a ‘whim’ not to have children when in their prime, especially these young and modern women of today, obsessed with their careers and wanting to enjoy themselves before all else, and then have the ‘cheek’ to demand to become parents ‘come what may’.

 

Although there are some elements of truth in this, it is only a caricature that doesn’t tell the whole story.  There is no mention, for example, of not having a spouse or life partner at the time considered biologically or socially ideal to have children.  It could also be that one half of the couple in that time is not as keen to have children as the other half.  There might also be a long, silent, hidden, heartbreaking story of infertility.

 

There could be a thousand other reasons.

 

I say it is all well and good to have an opinion, and to express and discuss same.  It would be even better to be careful not to hurt those within hearing range, by casting a shadow on their intentions and/or character, when we may not be aware of what they have been through and what obstacles were encountered in their fragile life journey.

 

I think the best approach is that taken by the English National Health Service.  This refers to a report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) which covers the risks of pregnancy at an advanced age, but then states that the age at which a woman becomes a mother is influenced by a number of personal, social, professional and life circumstances, which are not always easy to plan out beforehand.  It continues that women should not be concerned with the report, but be conscious of the recommendations, and that pregnant women, of whatever age, should have all the information, receive the best care, help and medical attention that they might need.4

 

This is a mature attitude without any prejudice.

 

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Dan l-aħħar erġajt ħsibt fuq dan is-suġġett, wara li qrajt fuq l-aħħar ‘ċelebrità’ li kellha wild ta’ età matura.  Qed nirreferi għal Brigitte Nielsen, attriċi magħrufa, li fl’età ta’ 54 sena f’Ġunju li għadda welldet bint ta’ 54 sena.  Dan l-avveniment għandu wkoll xi konnessjoni ma’ Malta, għax Nielsen iżżewġet lir-raġel tagħha ta’ bħalissakurrenti Mattia Dessi f’Malta fl-2006.  Jien kont għadni Malta meta Nielsen kienet iżżewġet hemmhekk ukoll lil raħel ieħor Sebastian Copeland fl-1990 – għadni niftakarha għaddejja f’Mannarino Road miegħu f’karrozzin miftuħ mill-isbaħ dakinhar, għalkemm hi tgħid li dak iż-żwieġ ma kienx legali.1

 

Nielsen gergret li semgħet lil min qalilha li hi kienet xiħa wisq biex ikollha t-tfal, imma l-istess ġeneralment ma jingħadx lill-irġiel tal-istess età.  Fil-fatt ħafna mill-informazzjoni relatata jtikkonċentra fuq ir-risjki fuq il-mara, bħaż-żieda fir-riskju ta’ dijabete bikrija, kolesterol, kanċer tas-sider, pressjoni għolja u oħrajn.  Generalment nisa ta’ iktar minn 50 jużaw bajda ta’ mara iżgħar minħabba difetti fil-kromsomi.

 

Madankollu, ħafna nisa kbar fl-età ikollhom tfal perfettament b’saħħithom, u aktar ma jgħaddi ż-żmien, hemm tendenza li t-tfal jitwieldu iktar lil ommijiet b’età avvanzata.  Per eżempju, fl-Ingilterra, ir-rata ta’ konċepiment fl-2016 naqas għal kull grupp ta’ età tal-ommijiet, ħlief għal etajiet ta’ iktar minn 40 sena.2

Forsi wieħed ma jistennix li jista’ wkoll ikun hemm ċerti vantaġġi li l-ġenituri jkunu ikbar; artiklu li qrajt issuġġerixxa li t-tfal ta’ ġenituri kbar jistgħu ikunu aħjar f’suġġetti matematiċi jew tekniċi, possibiltà li jgħixu għal ħajja itwal u jkunu iktar b’saħħithom, il-ġenituri jkunu iktar ippreparati emozzjonalment, finanzjarjament u kif jittrattaw mat-tfal.3

 

Hemm ukoll l-aspett ta’ x’inhu fl-aħjar interess tat-tfal.  Hemm min hu konvint li l-aħjar età ta’ ġenitur tkun fl-għoxrinijiet jew tletinijiet ta’ snin ikbar mill-wild, u iktar minn hekk ikun ta’ detriment għat-tfal.  Fost ir-raġunijiet li smajt huma l-ġenituri ma jifilħux għall-piż tat-trobbija (li naraha ġeneralizzazzjoni u potenzjalment applikabbli għal min huwa iżgħar), li jidhru qishom in-nanniet u mhux il-ġenituri (din forsi l-iktar evidenti) u li l-ġenituri huma egoisti (mid-dehra kull min irid xi ħaġa, isibha diffiċli u jibqa’ jaħdem u jippersisti biex jakkwistaha ikun egoist).  

 

Minn jaħseb hekk aktarx jgħid li huwa ‘kontra’ li nies ikollhom tfal meta jkunu ta’ ċertu età, ejja ngħidu ta’ iktar minn 40 sena, u jippreferu li l-familji ikunu iktar ‘normali’ b’ġenerazzjoni ssegwi l-oħra ngħidu aħna kull 20 sena.

 

Li wieħed mhux neċessarjament japprezza hu li wild ta’ ġenituri ta’ età avvanzata, per eżempju ta’ 50 sena, ma kellux l-opportunità li jitwieled meta l-ġenituri kellhom 30.  Dak iż-żmien għadda.  Issa l-għażla hi li jew jitwieled lill-ġenituri ta’ 50 sena jew inkella ma jitnissilx u naturalment ma jitwelidx.  Lill-wild ta’ ġenitur anzjan, tkun qed tgħidlu li tippreferi li ma jeżistix, f’wiċċu (jew minn wara daharu).

 

Naħseb li hawn ukoll l-ideja, li l-ġenituri jagħżlu ‘kapriċċjożament’ li ma jkollhomx tfal meta jkunu fl-aħjar tagħhom, speċjalment dawn it-tfajliet u nisa moderni tal-lum, li moħħhom fil-karriera tagħhom u biex jiddevertu qabel kollox, imbagħad ‘bil-wiċċ tost kollu’ jkunu jridu jkunu ġenituri ‘akkost ta’ kollox’.

 

Għalkemm hemm elementi ta’ verità f’dan ta’ fuq, hija biss karikatura li ma tgħidx l-istorja kollha.  Ma ssemmiex per eżempju, li mhux bilfors ikollok sieħbek/seħbitek/żewġek/martek fiż-żmien meta jkun ikkunsidrat bijoloġikament jew soċjalment aċċettabbli li jkollok it-tfal.  Jista’ jkunu ukoll li wieħed/waħda mill-koppja f’dak il-perjodu ma tkunx mixtieq/a mit-tfal daqs il-parti l-oħra.  Jista’ wkoll ikun hemm storja twila, siekta u mobija, ta’ qsim il-qalb, ta’ infertilità.

 

Jista’ jkun hemm elf raġuni oħra.

 

Jien ngħid li tajjeb li jkollna opinjoni, u li nesprimuha u niddiskutuha.  Ikun itjeb madankollu li noqogħdu attenti li ma nweġġgħux lil min jista’ jkun qed jisma’, billi nitfgħu dell fuq l-intenzjonijiet jew il-karattru ta’ dak li jkun, meta ma nkunux nafu minn xiex ikun għadda u x’diffikultajiet sab fl-istorja mwiegħra ta’ ħajtu.

 

Naħseb li l-aħjar attitudni hija simili għal dik meħuda min-National Health Service (NHS) tal-Ingilterra.  Din tirreferi għal rapport tar-Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) li titkellem fuq ir-riskji ta’ tqala f’età avvanzata, imma imbagħad tistqarr li l-età li fiha mara ssir omm huwa influenzat minn numru ta’ ċirkostanzi personali, soċjali, professjonali u tal-ħajja, li mhux dejjem jistgħu faċilment jiġu ppjanati.  Tkompli li n-nisa m’għandhomx jinħasdu mir-rapport, imma jkunu konxji tar-rakkomandazzjonijiet, u li n-nisa tqal kollha, ta’ liema età jkunu, għandhom ikollhom l-informazzjoni kollha, jirċievu l-aħjar kura u għajnuna u l-attenzjoni medika kollha li jista’ jkollhom bżonn.4

 

Attitudni matura għall-aħħar u mingħajr ġudizzji.

 

1https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20060708/local/the-great-dane-marries-in-malta.48361, retrieved 31/7/2018

2https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44966341, retrieved 31/7/2018

3https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/5-advantages-being-older-parent-ncna775581, retrieved 31/7/2018

4https://www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/pregnancy-warning-for-older-women/, retrieved 1/8/2018

1https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20060708/local/the-great-dane-marries-in-malta.48361, retrieved 31/7/2018

2https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44966341, retrieved 31/7/2018

3https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/5-advantages-being-older-parent-ncna775581, retrieved 31/7/2018

4https://www.nhs.uk/news/pregnancy-and-child/pregnancy-warning-for-older-women/, retrieved 1/8/2018