23 May 1992 - 23 May 2013

21 years have passed.
Falcone, an anti-mafia magistrate, was murdered 21 years ago. An year before my birth, this man was killed just because he was searching the truth.

"Chi tace e chi piega la testa muore ogni volta che lo fa, chi parla e chi cammina a testa alta muore una volta sola".

("He who is silent and bows his head dies every time he does so. He who speaks aloud and walks with his head held high dies only once.") </b>

How I admire him!
In a foolish world, he continues to do his work, as he said: "I am not Robin Hood. I am simply a servant of the state in hostile territory."
Yes, because the heros are not who does incredible things, but who continues to do his work in spite of the situations. Even when you know the mafia wants to kill you.
I remember that once my Italian teacher said: "If everyone did his duty, this world would be better. Bless the country that doesn't need heroes!"
But, unfortunately, we still need them. The world need them.
And it's too easy to think that the mafia is far away from your city, far from your streets, far from your house. It's everywhere, guys.
It's in our fears, in our lies, in our greed, in our violence, in our selfishness. It's only more silent, so that it gave us the feeling it's disappeared.
It's a terrible enemy, who doesn't want to die.
But like everything on this Earth, it will be distroyed, one day. And I'm sure that when this day will come, Falcone, Borsellino, Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, Peppino Impastato, the policemen that tried to protected them and all the victims of the mafia, will smile at this little world from the sky.

"La mafia non è affatto invincibile. È un fatto umano e come tutti i fatti umani ha un inizio, e avrà anche una fine."

"The Mafia is not invincible. It's a human phenomenon and thus, like all human phenomena, it has had a beginning and an evolution, and will also have an end."





To know more about Falcone, this can be helpful (it's all in Italian, thought): [link]

Today, in the streets, everyone is singing this song against the mafia: Pensa, [link]

"Ci sono stati uomini che hanno scritto pagine
Appunti di una vita dal valore inestimabile
Insostituibili perché hanno denunciato
il più corrotto dei sistemi troppo spesso ignorato
Uomini o angeli mandati sulla terra per combattere una guerra
di faide e di famiglie sparse come tante biglie
su un isola di sangue che fra tante meraviglie
fra limoni e fra conchiglie... massacra figli e figlie
di una generazione costretta a non guardare
a parlare a bassa voce a spegnere la luce
a commentare in pace ogni pallottola nell'aria
ogni cadavere in un fosso
Ci sono stati uomini che passo dopo passo
hanno lasciato un segno con coraggio e con impegno
con dedizione contro un'istituzione organizzata
cosa nostra... cosa vostra... cos'è vostro?
è nostra... la libertà di dire
che gli occhi sono fatti per guardare
La bocca per parlare le orecchie ascoltano...
Non solo musica non solo musica
La testa si gira e aggiusta la mira ragiona
A volte condanna a volte perdona
Semplicemente
Pensa prima di sparare
Pensa prima di dire e di giudicare prova a pensare
Pensa che puoi decidere tu
Resta un attimo soltanto un attimo di più
Con la testa fra le mani
Ci sono stati uomini che sono morti giovani
Ma consapevoli che le loro idee
Sarebbero rimaste nei secoli come parole iperbole
Intatte e reali come piccoli miracoli
Idee di uguaglianza idee di educazione
Contro ogni uomo che eserciti oppressione
Contro ogni suo simile contro chi è più debole
Contro chi sotterra la coscienza nel cemento
Pensa prima di sparare
Pensa prima di dire e di giudicare prova a pensare
Pensa che puoi decidere tu
Resta un attimo soltanto un attimo di più
Con la testa fra le mani
Ci sono stati uomini che hanno continuato
Nonostante intorno fosse [tutto bruciato
Perché in fondo questa vita non ha significato
Se hai paura di una bomba o di un fucile puntato
Gli uomini passano e passa una canzone
Ma nessuno potrà fermare mai la convinzione
Che la giustizia no... non è solo un'illusione
Pensa prima di sparare
Pensa prima dì dire e di giudicare prova a pensare
Pensa che puoi decidere tu
Resta un attimo soltanto un attimo di più
Con la testa fra le mani
Pensa.

English translation:

There've been men that have written pages
Notes of a priceless life
Irreplaceable men because they have denounced
The most corrupted system (society) too often unheeded
Men or Angels were sent upon the Earth to fight a war
Of feuds and family ordered like ivory balls
On a bloody Island (Sicily) that among its wonders,
Among lemons and shells (the war) is massacring sons and daughters
Of a generation obliged not to see
To talk in a whisper, to turn off the light
To speak softly about every bullet in the air,
About every corpse in a ditch
There were men that step by step
Have left a mark with bravery and care
With care against an organized institution
Cosa Nostra (our thing), your thing, is it yours?
It is ours, the freedom to speak
That eyes are made to see
The mouth is made to talk, the ears hear
It's not only music, it's not only music
The head is turning, take aim, think
Sometimes accuse, sometimes forgive
Simply
Think before shooting
Think, before speak and judge try to think
Think, you can decide
Wait only a moment, only another moment
With your head between your hands
There were men that have died young,
But concious that their ideas
would remain throughout the centuries,
Unbreakable and real like little miracles.
Ideas of equality, ideas of education
Against every man that oppresses people
That are weaker
Against he who buries his conciousness inside cement
Think before shooting
Think, before speak and judge try to think
Think, you can decide
Wait only a moment, only another moment
With your head between your hands
There've been men that have continued (in their fight)
Although all around is burned
Because life has no meaning
If you are scared of a bomb or of a gun aimed against you
Men die and songs die
But noone can stop the conviction
That justice isnt only an illusion
Think before shooting
Think, before you speak and judge try to think
Think, you can decide
Wait only a moment, only another moment
With your head between your hands
Think.

Another song you can hear today in Palermo's streets is the one from the film "I cento passi" (100 steps): [link]
It's about Peppino Impastato. There is also a great film about him and his life, I recommand it to you.

"Born in the land of vespers and orange trees, between Cinisi and Palermo he talked to his radio..
In his eyes you read the wish to change, the wish of Justice which brought him to fight...
He had an important and respected surname, surely in that environment not much honoured by him
You know where you born but not how you can die and you don't know if an ideal will bring you pain...

"But you can now change your life, only if you're disposed to walk, shouting loud with no fear
talling one hundred steps along your way"...
So.. 1,2,3,4,5,10,100 steps!.. 1,2,3,4,5,10,100 steps!

"We must revolt"

He could choose to leave as many others, instead he decided to stay..
Friends, policy, party's struggle....he presented himself to the election
He said that he would have controlled them closely, but after that he had not time because he had been killed..
His father's name in the night didn't help, the friends in dispair didn't find him anymore...

"So tell me if you can tall, tell me if you can walk as well, talling, walking, together with singing
the history of Peppino and the sicilian friends..."
So.. 1,2,3,4,5,10,100 steps!..1,2,3,4,5,10,100 steps!

It was the dark night of the Italian State, the ninth of may of '78..
The night of via Caetani, of the corpse of Aldo Moro, the dawn of the funeral of a state...

"So tell me if you can tall, tell me if you can walk as well, talling, walking, together with singing
the history of Peppino and the sicilian friends..."
So.. 1,2,3,4,5,10,100 steps!..1,2,3,4,5,10,100 steps!

"He's just a mafioso, one amongst many"
"He's our father" "my father, my family, my town...but I don't want to give a damn
I want to write that the mafia is a mountain of shit, I want to shout!"


We will overcome! We'll win this war!