Thursday, 13th December 2007
Breaking taboos
“It is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so.” Shakespeare (Hamlet)
I love blogs because they’re all about opinion, and I love opinion because I can say what I want and I’ll always find a way to defend it. I don’t like everyone’s opinion, and as much as I am a freedom (of expression) fighter, there are always some people who push the limit in such a negative way that I’d rather they were just silenced.
However, what bugs me even more are people who feel that opinions should somehow be balanced. I never understood that. An opinion is an opinion. An opinion article is there to push an agenda. To employ a sense of balance could be a clever tactic by the writer to push the agenda, but to claim that an opinion article should be balanced is naïve. People get involved in the media to push an agenda..
I like having an agenda, and I like to push it openly.
My agenda is discussion. I believe in what you may call the evil of relativism, except that I prefer to say that humanity is in a constant state of flux and growth, so things that were ok 200 years ago might seem terrible to us, and things that we are doing now might seem ridiculous to future generations. If we do not think, if we do not debate, if we do not look at things we take for granted and ask whether they are good or bad, we will never grow and we will never change.
Some people prefer stability and they do not like to challenge beliefs and traditions because it is safer that way. But I think everything can and should continue to be debated, even if we reach the same conclusions time and time again.
Condom petition
This brings me to the issue of condoms. I think it’s high time I came out publicly (pun not intended, but welcome anyway). Together with a couple of friends of mine, I set up the online petition to get condoms provided at University. I wanted to remain anonymous because I know how our society works and I did not want to be labelled as the condom mascot. I knew it would meet a lot of negative reactions as it had done in the past, but I also knew that with some clever tactics we could put this issue on the national agenda, and possibly still remain anonymous.
Only about 200 people actually signed the petition, and that includes double entries and many anonymous ones, as well as people who were against the petition and just signed it to ridicule it. At University everyone was talking about it, saying that it was something petty and embarrassing and that it will ruin the image of students, making it seem that the University grounds are there for sex. Basically, many people disagreed with the whole proposal, as was expected.
However, certain areas of the local media ate the story up. Before I knew it Peppi and Toni were discussing it on Illum, Louis Deguara and the Gozitan Bishop commented on it. As was expected, nothing was done about it and we still don’t have a condom machine at University. I think it’s just one of those things that no one wants to take ultimate responsibility for. It’s not that they object to it, it’s just that they don’t want to be the ones who actually put it there.
But what did strike me is the fact that a simple online petition referring to something somewhat taboo had such a significant effect and got the whole country debating something which is both private and public – the use of condoms.
Something (for everyone) to talk about
When we were approached to start this blog we were warned that the kind of readership of the Times is not the same as the readership InSite has at University. So I had decided to stay away from the condom issue and focus more on accepted, safe and traditional arguments. But when I saw my fellow-blogger, a priest (and a lecturer of mine), discussing condoms himself, I was compelled to say something. I don’t want to take credit for it, but I want to acknowledge the power of the media and the power of individuals.
When have we ever had the Health Minister, the Health Promotion Department, the Bishop of Gozo, Fr. Joe Borg, the University Chaplaincy and other members of the Church, KSU, SDM, Pulse, and other student organisations, Peppi and Toni and so many others discussing condoms openly and objectively and altogether? Most people don’t even realise what started it all, and due to some clever timing from our part it was an issue which was quickly picked up by the World Aids Day activists. But it started with the silent and online request for condoms to be provided at the long-standing institution, the traditional and exemplary pillar of education – the University of Malta.
Growing Up
Taboos can be broken. A simple online petition with 200 signatures got a big reaction. No condom machine has so far been installed on Campus, but at least now the Church is talking about it, and the Health Promotion Department have been given the courage to publish posters that young people will actually look at, and young men and women are more knowledgeable about the dangers of not using protection. And yes safer sex is suddenly on our agenda -even if there are people arguing against condoms, the condom machine, promiscuity and all that jazz. The point is that together we are discussing the issue and killing that taboo. We are becoming more mature.
And now for some naïve, hopeful and clichéd words of inspiration….
Discussion. That’s all it takes. A suggestion that may sound outlandish. A ripple against a current. A statement that’s out of the ordinary. And look at what it can create. It can change perceptions, break taboos and make a whole country more mature. Even if we hold by our traditional values and morals and we do not budge – at least we would have had to stand up for what we believe in and we would have risen to a challenge. And that is what will make us stronger.
So go on, challenge me, or anyone else for that matter. Use these blogs to make your own ripples. Send a comment and start a debate.
Christian Peregin is the CEO of InSite, the student media organisation.
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