By not publishing my comment, you made your readers think that I’m a racist. Nothing to worry about.

[Daphne – No, Tracy, nobody knows who you are, because this is not your name. So it doesn’t matter. And I don’t think you’re a racist or that other people would have imagined that. I just think people in Malta really need to know what is socially acceptable speech and what is not. This is all new to us, and lots of people are saying the wrong thing. Because we take it for granted that we can speak like us among our own, we imagine that everyone speaks the same way and some really embarrassing situations are created. Not so long ago, while on a work-related trip to Italy, I desperately tried to change the subject or modify it while my Maltese companion, on a roll against “these people” failed to notice that our Italian hosts were literally frozen in embarrassment at the things he was saying and tactfully tried to put in their different view. I could mention other such incidents, but I’m sure you get the picture.]

But I can assure you that a REAL christian is one who loves his neighbour as himself, and by ‘neighbour’ I don’t mean people whom you don’t know (Africans), because it is very easy to love someone whom you have never met, but very close people who differ in opinions, likes and attitudes.

[Daphne – I know, Tracy, but I don’t think of it in terms of Christianity at all, because that’s one of the worst ways of condescending to those who are not Christian. It is a way of saying that civilised behaviour and altruism are perquisites only of Christianity. They are most definitely not. Most of the Christians I know who are kind and civilised would probably have been that way even without religion. Their behaviour and outlook come from another place. Christianity is just the icing on the cake, really.]

That was painful reading.

[Daphne – No, it’s not because you don’t agree with me. As you can see, there are comments here which don’t agree with mine. It’s because the tone and content were completely unacceptable. This is a post about how completely unacceptable it is to talk about African immigrants in a certain way. So obviously, I am not going to upload comments which are in the same vein.]

Never! The equivalent of barrack dress in the French army is issue combat dress (the tight, uncomfortable cammies) worn with issue boots (the ancient black model which falls apart and gives you blisters).

Scarves, chèches and shemaghs are of course worn by everyone – in combat dress.

I noticed that – it is in breach of dress regulations. A combat scarf is definitely not worn by British Army officers. Maybe he is trying to copy the French and Italians who tend to wear scarfs more than the British.

TORRETS

‘they need to learn the basic things of the European culture’. I think it should be the other way round in Malta. They need to teach the Maltese some manners.

Having lived in Senegal, I felt ashamed of how uncouth the Maltese are compared to the Senegalese.

“before we start tolerating them” … why do you bother to reply to these people?

Look at this exchange of comments.

https://www.facebook.com/PLcutAlltiesWithJoeDemicoli/posts/361965410599615?comment_id=1811166&offset=0&total_comments=9&notif_t=feed_comment

Marianne Pace is a teacher. How can we move forward if we have teachers with this kind of mentality pushing it on our kids?

Try a university lecture room. I had this particular guy sitting next to me this year who I’m sure never heard of deodorant.

Even in winter he used to smell really bad.

I secretly wished I’d pick his name in the secret Santa so I could give him one without him knowing it was from me.

And the stairs exactly next to Burger King that used to lead up to near the Central Bank?

I’m only 30 and I remember the smell and sight of urine and worse quite vividly.