Joe Bloggs (a pseudonymn) shares his thoughts on Daphne Caruana Galizia. Joe Bloggs regularly commented on the Running Commentary as well as on other online papers. Here he tries to look at what it might have been like to be on the receiving end of insults and threats.
Perhaps the worst part was the degradation, the dehumanising.
Those who saw her as being on their side would say that she could give as good as she got, she was strong. She portrayed herself as such. But she got blamed for electoral losses or close shaves, in fact the Running Commentary was born out of that.
Others called her a witch, a bile blogger, a ‘bicca blogger’, a gossiper, a slut. Partisan newspapers called for her ‘cleansing’ in editorials, a magistrate’s partner and government consultant actively posted and tweeted about wishing to consign the ‘Galizia mindset’ to history, the Government supported the setting up of an anti-Daphne blog (glennbedingfield.com) that actively degraded her with photos of her butt, the internet is literally replete with insults, edited photos and hate pages. Lord only knows what she received in her mailbox, email (which was always there on her website), mobile and comments section.
This went on for 20 odd years. 20 years of insults, threats and fickle friends.
Guess what, she was human. I recall being added out of the blue by her on LinkedIn earlier this year and found that rather odd. Months later I realised that whilst her blog posts were slowly dropping in frequency she had started sharing articles on LinkedIn, slowly building up to a mini blog. A new channel. When I pointed out that I noted that she was starting to post on LinkedIn and told her she’s right that that is an important audience, her characteristically concise reaction, “and no abuse” struck me as so weary. She often wrote about the misogyny and the insults but many took it (if I am honest with myself, to a degree I think I did too) as perhaps reinforcing her strong persona. This was a private conversation, it resonated.
Her last post, almost an outburst, about crooks everywhere and crooks denying that they are crooks was the first about that topic, the Panama Seven, in what felt like a long while. Deep in the comments section, perhaps best found on her Disqus profile (https://disqus.com/by/daphnec
When prompted just 11 days ago as to why she was still writing about Delia and had stopped writing about the poor state of Maltese institutions and the crooks in power, she said to one commenter: “Nobody is interested right now. Certainly not my readers.” And “I have a good understanding of what people want to read and when they want to read it, and right now – wholly understandably – they want to read about the new man.” to another.
11 days later she broke the news cycle.
You lent us your mouth, so that we could speak our mind.
You lent us your ear, so that we could find solace by sharing when others would not listen.
You lent us your nose for a good story, so that we could read about that which no one else would dare write.
You tried to set us right when we were wrong.We got lazy.
We got distracted.
We compromised and allowed ourselves to be bribed.Those who ought to know better took advantage. First they belittled you, then they demonised you, then they isolated you, then, when few were those left looking, they erased your mouth, ears and nose.
Now the Running Commentary has stopped. Forever frozen in a deafeningly silent scream. This memory will not be erased, we will not allow it.
We must each use our own mouth, ears and nose to speak up, listen, educate and hold those that took advantage to account. We must wake people up from their slumber. We must prevent a repeat.
Rest in peace dear friend, we will continue the narrative.
– Joe Bloggs
