With the beginning of the weekend and the national holidays, which fall on Monday and Tuesday this week, many of us have been feeling a calm on the streets – I mean less traffic congestion, which is expected as this year’s holiday is almost a week long. The national and liberation day holidays are only for two days, but as usual here, they have been extended for a week. Maybe some will remain on vacation until the end of this week, so things will only get back to normal again by Sunday.
Now, how do we celebrate the national holidays? Let me start with the water scene. Young people will run in the streets with water sprays or foam or I don’t know what else, encouraged by parents. Stores will be delighted to sell all these harmful and annoying tools, making big profits. Kids and teenagers will end up spraying millions of gallons of water under the pretext of celebrating the national days and bringing joy to the hearts of young people. I fail to see any connection between celebrating the national holiday and harming people.
How do nations celebrate their national holidays? Most countries of the world celebrate this day with carnivals, fireworks and military parades. As for us, the celebrations start by wasting water, raising large flags on cars, dancing in the streets, and annoying people and pedestrians, especially those waiting for the bus or taxi.
How can the state intervene and stop it? I think through the environment police, the state can penalize all the people who allow their children to spray water on pedestrians and cars on the streets. The state should impose steep fines on violators who expose the lives of people to danger and harm and spray people with water, foam or any other substance that puts the lives of innocent people at risk. Is it not the duty of the state to prevent such ill behaviors?
Those scenes have become common during the past years and I do not know if this scene will be repeated this year too, but time will tell. I wonder how much clean water will be wasted, while in some parts of the world, people are dying of thirst.
It’s good that some people can travel abroad to visit their families during the weeklong holiday, and those who own chalets can stay away and be comfortable. Some may avoid going out unless they want to participate in the so-called national processions and spray people with water on roads that are full of potholes and loose gravel.
I see that whoever has traveled during this national holiday did well. I was not so lucky this time. I will spend most of the time reading, watching movies and monitoring the conditions on the streets. Happy holidays!
By Muna Al-Fuzai
