LUCCA. A Republic Day with young people in mind. The ceremony for the “2 June” celebrations was held on Sunday morning with the laying of a laurel wreath at the War Memorial in Piazza XX Settembre.
The program continued in the courtyard of the “Vallisneri” scientific high school which hosted the military ceremony organized by the Carabinieri with the raising of the flag to the tune of the national anthem, the reading of the message from the Head of State and the delivery by the prefect Giusy Scaduto of the honors of Knight of Merit of the Italian Republic to the restaurateur Samuele Cosentino and Giuseppe Andracchio.
Once the awards ceremony in the courtyard was over, the next step took place inside the Vallisneri gym where, among other things, the students spoke with professor Carla Andreozzi – representing the Historical Institute of the Resistance – on the results of a survey in schools, conceived and conducted by them in recent weeks, on the meaning of the Republic from a historical and contemporary perspective; the students of Isi Pertini, Isi of Barga and the Lucca historical center comprehensive institute, then presented the trailer created as part of the pilot project “1 Ciak – 2 Punti di Vista”, aimed at the creation of audiovisual products on the ever-present phenomenon of “femicide”.
In his speech, Mayor Mario Pardini remembered and cited the jurist and one of the fathers of the Constitution, Piero Calamandrei.
«We celebrated Republic Day at the Vallisneri scientific high school, together with the civil and military authorities, the fighting associations and the students – began Pardini –. Seventy-eight years ago, on 2 June 1946, Italy was called to choose and chose the Republic. Our Constitution was later born, like a lighthouse that rose from the rubble left by a dark period. It continues to remind us how then we were able together to turn on its light, which still guides citizens, administrators and rulers today. In 1955, speaking to students in Milan, Piero Calamandrei said many important things, but in particular that “The Constitution is not a machine that once set in motion goes forward by itself. The Constitution is a piece of paper, I drop it and it doesn’t move. For it to move, we need to put fuel back into it every day.” A responsibility that first of all concerns politics, which must commit itself to moderating that perennial opposition that distances people from voting and which has nothing to do with the lesson of June 2, 1946. Thirty-two years ago I too was a student, I graduated right at Vallisneri. Today I addressed young people through that memory. “One of the offenses committed against the Constitution is indifference to politics, political indifferentism, which is a disease of young people,” Calamandrei underlined again that day to the student audience. And obviously the quote is not aimed at all those who were here today to celebrate the Republic with us, whom I thank. I simply say that Calamadrei’s words should be repeated more often, because they speak of good practices that unite us as a people. Understanding the profound meaning of those words is the greatest challenge both for those who administer and for the new generations, who I hope and hope will become increasingly interested in public life”.
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