Stories and News

Stories and News No. 1237 After being divided with only five players who took the knee - typical attitude of my countrymen - the Italian national football team, after much controversy, has agreed to not doing at all before the match with Austria. This gesture, I recall, consists of a symbolic stance against racism remembering the Black Lives Matter movement and moreover Colin Kaepernick’s protest. Up to now the debate on the opportunity to kneel has not been just an Italian quarrel. However, despite being convinced that the mere symbolic act is worth little if not accompanied by a contextual daily, active and concrete action, I am not at all surprised by those in Italy who prefer to see the players standing before the kick-off. Because historically the average italian citizen never kneels before powerful ideals, unless he obeys them because he feels obligated. On the contrary, he literally throws himself on the ground, even becoming a doormat, in front of the men he considers stron...

Stories and News No. 921 Pretending to be one of 'them': “Rejoice, dear patriots. In Gorino, a pleasant village in the province of Ferrara, Italy, the industrious and brave inhabitants, assisted by the equally bold countrymen of Goro, they promptly lifted up a barricade to prevent the invasion of twelve, monstrous alien creatures. In short, migrants, and also women. After a strong resistance by our heroes, the unwanted were rejected. Be happy, people who still feel pure ardor for your land. The honor is fine and the future of the good and heroic population is safe...” Once upon a time there was a town. The town where a sacred right was defended at the cost of life: the right to hate . The entire community had built itself on this base. Every citizen has the right to hate , said an invisible item of a particular constitution, written somewhere in the body, certainly not in the heart. This feeling can be directed to anything or anyone, for any reason. And, whatever the f...

Stories and News No. 762 Roberto Maroni, the governor of Lombardy, Italy region, after having informed the mayors, wrote a letter to the prefectures on the possible welcome of immigrants. *Dear fellow citizens, we live in difficult times. And in difficult times we must remain united. All united towards one goal. Make our nation ever greater. To do this we need to have eyes and ears open. You will have to do so. So we will. You know the enemy, you know him well. And he is among the most dangerous opponent. Because all of you know him well. He lives in the opponent building. You look him out the window. He passes by on the sidewalk. He comes in with you in the door. He is beyond the next door. And, in some cases, even living in your home. The enemy is an enemy. He merges, disguises, pretending to be like us, but its diversity is clearly visible to the clear eye. He should be recognized, he must be fought with courage and mercilessly beaten. This is our duty. Thi...

Stories and News No. 696 The news about convictions and ongoing investigations on the new mafia in Rome, with plots between fascist criminal gangs, entrepreneurs and representatives of right and left parties is everywhere in Italy. Here is a satirical and fictional comment by an average citizen, an usual staunch defender of the native soil against the immigrant horde, preferred cause of his misfortune. The one who ever knows everything… I know I know it. I know everything. What? The Mafia in Rome? The Romanians, the gang of Romanians, I know them. No? Romania has nothing to do? They are black criminals? Africans, I knew. ... Oops. Black in the sense of fascist far right... I know and also you know: the bad apples are everywhere. What? They corrupt anyone, even to the leftists? The Chinese mob is behind, that’s sure. Those billions of restaurants… who knows what they hide in the kitchen. What do you say? The culprits took advantage of immigrants? ... Yet I kn...

Story published on the collection: Italian short stories, a dual language book : True short stories collection to understand contemporary Italy (2017)