With thebeginning of the weekend and the national holidays, which fall on Monday andTuesday this week, many of us have been feeling a calm on the streets - I meanless traffic congestion, which is expected as this year's holiday is almost aweek long. The national and liberation day holidays are only for two days, butas usual here, they have been extended for a week. Maybe some will remain onvacation until the end of this week, so things will only get back to normalagain by Sunday.
Now, how do wecelebrate the national holidays? Let me start with the water scene. Youngpeople will run in the streets with water sprays or foam or I don't know whatelse, encouraged by parents. Stores will be delighted to sell all these harmfuland annoying tools, making big profits. Kids and teenagers will end up sprayingmillions of gallons of water under the pretext of celebrating the national daysand bringing joy to the hearts of young people. I fail to see any connectionbetween celebrating the national holiday and harming people.
How do nationscelebrate their national holidays? Most countries of the world celebrate thisday with carnivals, fireworks and military parades. As for us, the celebrationsstart by wasting water, raising large flags on cars, dancing in the streets,and annoying people and pedestrians, especially those waiting for the bus ortaxi.
How can the stateintervene and stop it? I think through the environment police, the state canpenalize all the people who allow their children to spray water on pedestriansand cars on the streets. The state should impose steep fines on violators whoexpose the lives of people to danger and harm and spray people with water, foamor any other substance that puts the lives of innocent people at risk. Is itnot the duty of the state to prevent such ill behaviors?
Those scenes havebecome common during the past years and I do not know if this scene will berepeated this year too, but time will tell. I wonder how much clean water willbe wasted, while in some parts of the world, people are dying of thirst.
It's good thatsome people can travel abroad to visit their families during the weeklongholiday, and those who own chalets can stay away and be comfortable. Some mayavoid going out unless they want to participate in the so-called nationalprocessions and spray people with water on roads that are full of potholes andloose gravel.
I see thatwhoever has traveled during this national holiday did well. I was not so luckythis time. I will spend most of the time reading, watching movies andmonitoring the conditions on the streets. Happy holidays!
By Muna Al-Fuzai
Bymuna@kuwaittimes.net