God Save the Queen

I write some typical ramblings about Canada and the Monarchy every year and try to spread my diseased thoughts through the various local rags, I mean newspapers.

This is part of something I wrote to the Ottawa citizen after they published ANOTHER article about getting rid of the Monarchy. The latest was subtley called “Ditching royals is easy, expert says” February 17, 2005.

Why does the Ottawa Citizen deem it necessary to publish an article about getting rid of the Monarchy? Basically every two years another joker brings up this issue and we have to read about it in the paper. This time the source material is not coming from the mouth of John Manley the usual suspect, but from another passed over Liberal MP, Ed McWhinney, a politician that has long faded from view after a not so illustrious public career. McWhinney, perfectly fitting name in my opinion, is passing himself off as some kind of expert and the Ottawa Citizen is basically helping him advertise the fact that he has a new book coming out. Are the Citizen and McWhinney working for the same publisher?

Now there is a story, CanWest Global Commercial Corporation and former Liberal MP join forces to rid Canada of its Monarchy, news at eleven.

Personally, I feel good knowing that this country’s head has no political agenda and is totally unaffiliated with big business. The Queen truly has nothing but our best interests at heart. Just listen to the Queen’s Christmas message; she talks about national successes, over coming personal tragedy through triumph and building communities. When is the last time a two bit, low rent, glory hog, pension seeking politician like McWhinney had such a noble message? Politicians are too busy pointing out what is wrong with the country and only ever congratulate themselves for national successes in the hopes of getting re-elected.

Prince Charles, our future King, has spent the better part of 25 years helping to rebuild and reshape the United Kingdom. How does this relate to Canada? Well one of Prince Charles’ main vices is working with children and young people through organizations that help them find success through learning and initiative. When he visits Canada it is not for the skiing and the free maple syrup, it is to congratulate successful Canadian youths who participate in his organizations. Yet after work like this we continue to criticize him because we think his new fiancé is not as attractive as his long dead ex-wife.

Instead of asking burned out politicians what they think of the Monarchy why not ask the thousands of charities and organizations that benefit from Royal involvement or the hundreds of thousands of citizens that benefit from those charities. Instead of pointless man on the street opinion polls which search for the most controversial answers and statements for publication or broadcast why not present the alternatives. You can have a monarch who visits every two years, is heavily involved in Charities and trusts that his or her elected representatives are working with your best interests at heart or you can try saying something like President Jean Chrétien five times and see how you feel afterwards. I personally feel sick just writing it.

God Save the Queen.