Several years ago, when after graduating I became a proofreader as my first “growing up” job, I worked on a publication on the history of the Italian armed forces. I was particularly struck by the biography of a famous carabiniere, who perhaps was Salvo D’Acquisto or some other illustrious hero of our country, little changes: what struck me was the (understandable) tone of the biography, which seemed to be written by one of those grandmothers who grandchildren forgive everything. The carabiniere in question, his biography said, “was not suited to remaining confined within the four walls of a classroom”, preferring to stay outdoors instead of finishing his studies, and “such was his desire for freedom that one day he decided to open the cage of the teacher’s canary and make it fly away.” That biography came to mind in these days of debate on the chase that took place last November in Milan which caused the death of 19-year-old Ramy Elgaml after a collision with a carabinieri vehicle, as can be seen from the film which was released last week. shown by all the newspapers.

The heroes and the victims

That biography came to mind because it seems dramatically clear to me that even in this story it is the point of view, the opinion of the person telling it that determines who the heroes are and who the victims of this tragic story. That is, whether letting the teacher’s canary fly away is evidence of an ineffable yearning for freedom or the sign of an undisciplined character inclined to violate the rules. Fabrizio Gatti, our editorial director for in-depth analysis, took the side of the carabinieri; I, despite having been raised by a father who wore a uniform (less prestigious than that of the Army), am unable to take a clear position, and indeed I think it would be better to leave convictions and acquittals to the judiciary, suppressing our natural instinct to take one side or the other, to justify or point the finger depending on our opinions on the world and on people. Because, if it is unquestionable that at least for now the only victim is the boy who lost his life, it seems clear to me that there are no heroes in this story.

The reasons of the carabinieri

A simple carabiniere has a salary starting from 1,500 euros gross per month, which can become a little more with night shifts and holidays, and then there are the service allowances. In short, a salary bordering on indecency if you consider the responsibilities and risks of the job: we all agree on this. In the case in question, the police chased the scooter driven (illegally) by Fares Bouzidi, behind which Ramy was travelling, for twenty minutes and eight kilometers along the streets of Milan. Chasing a fleeing vehicle means putting your own safety and that of passers-by at risk, as well as that of those escaping, so the tension of the soldiers in those moments is more than understandable. As for the phrases heard in the video, from “wow… he didn’t fall” to “did he fall? Good”, we don’t feel like expressing condemnations without appeal. Because if the comparison with what any motorist says when someone wrongs them seems risky (for the simple fact that if I say “crash” to someone who cuts me off I am not, in the meantime, actually carrying out maneuvers to make him crash) , it is completely understandable that in the heat of those moments words of vent were uttered. Even more so if we consider that whoever said “he fell? Good” still hadn’t understood the consequences of the collision.

The reasons of those who protest

However, the order given to the passerby to delete the video that testified to what happened is neither understandable nor justifiable. And it is no small thing: we are talking about state servants who force a citizen to erase evidence, something that cannot under any circumstances be accepted, neither in this case nor ever, and the fact that this is a practice consolidated is the reflection of a situation that is unacceptable first of all for those who wear the uniform, and then for all of us citizens. Yet, this abuse is accepted as if it were normal, but it is not.

Furthermore, as underlined by the former police chief Franco Gabrielli, now delegated to the security of the municipality of Milan, the chase itself would not have respected the principle of proportionality, because even in a chase precise rules must be respected, but it will be the judiciary establish whether there has been an abuse in this sense, and hopefully also to punish those who have ignominiously taken advantage of the protest demonstrations to give rise to violent and criminal actions that only harm Ramy’s family.

Let’s stop with opposing fans

While awaiting the various degrees of judgment which will at least establish the procedural truth of the matter, it would perhaps be better to suspend our impulse to take sides and try to understand the reasons of both sides. And it would benefit everyone. It would be useful to those who defend the actions of the police, and to those who protest against a very avoidable death. Because a safer society is not achieved with repression but with integration, and because respect for the police is a primary condition precisely for being able to distinguish between those who honor and those who tarnish the uniform they wear. And so it is perhaps better to put aside the rhetoric of heroes against villains, regardless of who each person thinks they are. Opposing fans inevitably generate clashes and tension, we end up only seeing the merits of those we have next to us and the defects of those we are facing, and in the end nothing changes. The State killed a boy: negligently, voluntarily, by mistake or by intention, the trial will establish. What we can do, what each of us could and should do, is to strive to understand everyone’s rights, and wrongs. Regardless of our personal point of view.