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| Should this be illegal? |
A few years back a national ruckus was raised about 'Sin Parties'. Letters to the editor, radio phone-ins and discussion programmes were all about Judgement Day being around the corner and evil-doers on the fast lane to hell to a hip hop beat.
The current stories in The Times about young teenagers dancing on boxes in skimpy clothes at alcohol-free parties bring back memories of those years. We are back at Hades' gates.
The furore over Sin Parties was silly because it was about the behaviour of consenting adults. What the fire and brimstone crowd wanted then was to make fun between adults illegal.
It is true that now we are talking about underage boys and girls. But underage for what exactly?
“I’m worried that there is no age bracket. In the photos [above] ... there are children younger
than 13 and men and women in their 20s. This is not a healthy mix,” said Helen D'Amato, the Children's Commissioner. Her solution? Change the law to impose an age limit for entry to these teenybopper parties.
On what basis would such a revision of the law be based? How can you prevent 20-year olds from mixing with 13-year olds for fun if neither of them are breaking any other law? What will the criteria for the law to classify an event as a party going to be? Would an alcohol-free, multi-age party organised by the parish priest on the parvis be legal?
Hopefully, after everyone has stopped gawking at 13-year olds wearing trailer trash attire, sense will prevail we won't go down this preposterous legal route.
It is not the law which needs to be changed but minds. Parents' minds.
10 comments:
Ah but Helen D'Amato comes right out of the arch conservative Nationalist mindset of intruding in the private lives of individuals. They know what's best on divorce, IVF, birth control pills, what adults can or cannot watch in the privacy of their home and soon who we mix with. If only these people in Authority show the same zeal in exposing paedophile priests for example.
That's why we need capable people not political appointees. I'm sorry but what credentials does a former school teacher have for such a role? This isn't a ministerial post where you don't need to know the technical details.
@ Anonymous. Really? Are you serious? The arch conservative Nationalist mindset of intruding in the private lives of individualists eh? You mean like the way they intrude on our freedom of choice when we can only buy the rubbish they get for us by bulk buying? Or maybe you mean the way we have to go to the run down state hospital after they intruded in our freedom to choose a private one? Or even the way they intrude when we can only watch dardir malta every evening? And another thing, which authority do you want exposing paedophile priests? I hope you mean the law courts because as far as I know, that is their job and not the goverment's. And why only priests? Some people enjoy seeing priests being brought to justice but would leave other sick men who abuse kids to get on with it. And some people are full of hate for those who have done so much for this society.
No, it is not a healthy mix.
Yes, it is the responsibility of the parents.
Yes, the commissioner has to speak out and raise this matter, especially when she recieves reports from these children.
Unless eleven year old boys and thirteen year old girls are mature individuals.
The methods to be discussed in a constructive manner, even by the arch conservatives, they have children too.
Is the picture an actual photo? Because in that case it doesn't look like an emo gathering. More like something out of Bangkok.
Is that what we want to promote?
Sin parties were fun because they were organised by a bunch of people who knew each other at university.
No tickets, no paid dancers.
The best one was Qrendi, the raid by the police, spectacular.
Thank you Helen.
Lou, I cannot believe you actually wrote this blog! It seems that you do condone such behaviours which strikes me as odd.
@Anonymous: the reply Antoinette has blogged is well put. You smack of hate against priests, neglecting the fact that it is parents who abuse their children most.
BTW, as a teacher she has excellent credentials, since good teachers know their students and know also that some carry the heavy burden of innane parents.
Get a life Antoinette. What you said is true, but what I said is true also. We have a very messed up situation in Malta. The PL like to intrude in the economic choices it's citizens make while not really caring about their moral choices. The PN is the converse; more economic freedoms coupled by a stifling social conservative outlook. Hobson's choice really. At every election you have to choose between one or the other.
@ Anonymous, I'll say this and then go get a life so you can have the last word. That should make you happy. How has the P.N. intruded in anyone's private life by admiting it is against divorce but at the same time being the party in goverment when divorce was legalised? I may be wrong here but as far as I know IVF has been available in Malta for around 20 years. Have birth control pills been made illegal while I wasn't looking? I have a feeling you mean porn and I'm sure that kind of filth is as readily available here as anywhere else. As for "who we mix with" I cannot understand what you mean and, frankly I couldn't care less.
Antoinette you must be one of those who thinks the PN is liberal. What next the KKK in favour of multi cultural ism I guess.
Define Liberal
I am glad Lou Bondi supports my right to party with scantily clad teenage girls.
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