That’s enough…

As much as I wanted to write an optimistic article about the Christmas spirit, there have been so many tragic incidents in this country the last ten days (I'm writing this article in the middle of December), that I just can’t write about anything else.

I feel like I live in a country where there is no punishment for specific people! I will explain exactly what I mean.

It all began that Saturday evening when a policeman shot in cold blood a 15-year old boy in an area of Athens called Exarhia. I will not focus on that area, the fact that incidents between police and young people are common there. I will not say anything about this “incident,” whether something took place or not.

But, I will focus on the policeman who pulled his gun out, aimed, shot and killed an innocent child that went there for a cup of coffee because his friend, Nikos, was celebrating his name day!

After that incident, the entire country raised its fist. Young people, students, parents, teachers, simple citizens, everyone took to the streets.

And, of course, among them were the anarchists and antiauthoritarians that burned hundreds of banks and offices all over Greece. The whole country was burning, and, the police were arresting children . . .  while overlooking people hiding under hoods who were really burning our country. What can I say?

In any case, my point is that there is an absence of punishment for policemen who do such things. Because, the special guard in point who shot the boy, not only didn’t apologize, but is trying to save his ass by alleging that he shot in the air because he felt his life was threatened, and the bullet ricocheted.

All this, while a bunch of eye witnesses claim it was a straight gun shot aimed at the kid's chest. Then, on the other hand, his lawyer, the man whose wife divorced him because he hit her, the man who hits homosexuals in the centre of Athens, said in public: “Justice will decide whether the boy had to die or not."

That’s my point: What justice? The same justice that in 2006 in Thessaloniki, when a student from Cyprus was brutally beaten by eight policemen, the perpetrators were “punished” with six months off duty and a fine, while the top cop was promoted?

The justice that in 2003, in Rethymnon, when a policeman shot to death a 23-year-old man because he didn’t stop for an inspection, and was “punished” with 5½  years in prison, while the first conviction was life in prison?

 The justice that in 2000 gave a 10-year prison sentence to the policeman who shot an 18-year-old boy who is in a wheel chair today?  

The justice that “punished” a policeman in 1998 who killed a 17-year-old student “by mistake" with just two years in prison?    

The justice that in 1994 saw the policeman who shot to death a 28-year-old musician in Athens to go free three months later?  

How many people have to die in this country in order for things to change? How can the state give a gun to a man who is mentally unstable? How can the Minister of Education be at the bouzoukia celebrating his friend's name day when a child had died just a few hours before? How can he be at the football game the day after, while the whole country was burning? How can the Prime Minister laugh at the press conference from Brussels? Can’t he understand what has happened in his country? Is he in a coma?

I am neither a Prime Minister, nor any kind of minister. I am just a citizen who feels so much shame for those who rule this country. I am a citizen who cries out that's enough!

And, I'm sorry…but I just can’t be happy for the holidays.