Sunday, May 1, 2011

Thoughts About the Royal Wedding


As the daughter of a British gentlewoman who passed several years ago, I will admit to feeling a little torn about the royal wedding. My mother, as a way to continue to connect to the family which so graciously set strong examples of courage during WWII, would have watched every drop. Although I wish the young couple every joy and every happiness as they enter married life in a fishbowl, I do not have the same respect that she did, nor the same fascination of many of my own countrymen.
I have met royalty personally several times, though ironically not the British royals. Those I have met have been observant, educated and articulate, but they have very clearly been people. Interestingly, in addition to royals coming to England for education, they also now come to the US. Part of what America was to have been about was the eradication of those who came to positions of power by birth, and so I suppose this is why I consider royalty to be quaint and interesting, but a remnant of an old way.
I am also a bit bothered by the amount of media focus. Yes, we could use some good news interspersed with the world's bad, and England could no doubt use some encouragement to its economy via tourism, but with Libya at war, Japan still reeling from continued aftershocks, Fukashima Daiichi still irradiating Northeastern Japan, the Middle East teetering with unrest, Egypt stalled at what to do next after Mubarak, Iran said to be plotting the annihilation of Israel, Several states in the Southern US finding that a number of towns and villages were literally wiped from the map following no less than 60 tornadoes in one state alone, and the US heading steadily toward an economic abyss, an entire day of television fluff focused on ridiculous hats and little cakes seemed excessive.
May William and Catherine find comfort and happiness from one another all the days of their lives. Now, lets have the world's media, 1200 of them in London for the wedding this week, get back to reporting the news from the rest of the world. From my own country, the media was doing a terrible job of reporting the news accurately to this point. Perhaps following their rest in London, they might do a better job.

One of my favorite wedding songs. Steven Curtis Chapman

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