More than “Welcome to Palermo”, in all the languages of the world we should write: “We apologize”. Yes, we should all make amends with the tourists we welcome and from whom we say goodbye by showing them our beautiful tons of garbage. Maybe some foreigners will think that it is our tradition to be protected, a UNESCO heritage (compostable or undifferentiated). But most of those who honor us with their presence always end up remarking that Palermo is as beautiful as it is dirty.
For sure, Right-wing and left-wing administrations have coexisted with garbage. Pressed by a journalist who asked for an account of the dirt in Ballarò, the mayor Leoluca Orlando he mentioned the Middle Eastern souks: a clumsy attempt to climb the ladder by proposing unlikely exotic suggestions. His successor, Roberto Lagalla, has increased sanctions against uncivilized citizens but probably no one will catch them given that the city continues to be very dirty. In short, new Manzonian cries that add to the others signed by the mayor.
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However, blaming only those who administer the city is as partial as it is reductive. Because there are many Palermitans who, despite complaining about the poor, often non-existent, environmental hygiene, mortify it every day with their incivilities. The rubbish is well distributed in the streets, on the pavements, in the flowerbeds, in the bins of construction companies. Wherever there is a public and free space the man from Palermo occupies it with something putrescent which it must get rid of. A big problem? Nope. As long as millions of tourists choose Palermo, who cares about garbage.
This is the attitude that has condemned the city to its underdevelopment for centuries: that is, getting by while things are going well, without a perspective, a vision, the mere pleasure of imagining ourselves in a better context and trying to make it happen. We are good , very good at magnifying our virtues: “How we cook… no one”. “How welcoming we are… no one”. “How nice we are… no one”. But then, will it really be like this? Aren’t there other peoples who do better in these disciplines? Of course, the statement: “How we people of Palermo get dirty… no one”it’s really hard to deny.
