Piersanti Mattarella

Piersanti Mattarella

is a right because...

A man of high moral and political stature, he fought the mafia and corruption with a spirit of justice, courage and strength, paying for his commitment to defending the value of legality with his life

Dear Piersanti,

I have listened to many of your speeches and I would like to talk about the attacks on the mafia, which you often condemned directly and clearly. You taught us that mafia and freedom cannot go together, that it is not enough to proclaim one without eliminating the other.

In one of your speeches, after the death of your comrades assassinated by Cosa Nostra, your words were so powerful that I also wanted to shout them out, to shout what you shouted with all of your heart , what you continued to defend all your life and believe me it has had its results. Your revolution was very kind and transparent; you didn't want great things, you wanted to do great things, you didn't want to be a martyr, you loved life. I read that you used to tell your wife to be happy and she almost scolded you saying that it brings bad luck. Even when death walked by your side, you, Mr. Mattarella, kept walking straight down your way without stopping.

Suddenly, one morning on January 6, 1980, your race had to stop. That Sunday you were without an escort, because you said that they also had family; you could tell, you could see that you were a good person. The first time my mother saw my grandfather crying was the day of your assassination, he knew you well, and that day he said: he died for doing the right thing. I hope that one day doing the right thing doesn’t mean to die, I hope that sooner or later I can fight for the right things and live to see the results of the battles themselves. I wish you, like Falcone, Borsellino and many others, could see that your battles have had winners, and it was you.

The mafia didn’t even when you were killed, it has always lost, because it is the portrait of those who look at the world only from their back. I would like to say that nobody turns their back now, but it is not like that, we still have to fight, resist the temptation to pretend nothing has happened . The mafia lives putting hands on mouths, “pizzini, sighs”,quick steps, it does anything to not make much noise. But behind the sighs are the screams, behind the silences there is corruption and between the quick steps, too many times, a pause. The mob stops, looks at you and steals your life.

You taught us to fight without weapons, your speeches still inspire us now. Of course talking is not a weapon, you don't point it in the face and then run away. He who speaks does not run away, does not leave, he stays there, until he runs out of breath or until it is taken away. I wish you had never ran out of breath, I wish you had gone to mass on January 6, 1980…

Unfortunately, to win the title of hero, you have to die, and often even alone. Brecht said :” The land that needs heroes is unfortunate". We hope that there is no longer a need for heroes, and that our time can be said to be blessed for having learned to recognize and respect its heroes not only in memory but above all in concrete commitment because today is just like yesterday...

"It is necessary [ ...] that at all levels of duty are thoroughly performed, that powers and responsibilities are handled with courage, justice and fairness, every act, from the most significant to the smallest, is carried out in this spirit of justice, but also of courage and strength, in the fight against every deviation, every illegality, every arrogance " - Piersanti Mattarella