The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
A contribution from our correspondent, Anne.
My hope in watching some TV coverage of ‘the’ wedding was that no villain would commit some sort of atrocity – and I thought of a niece in plain-clothes who would be on duty. At one stage on the return from the Abbey, the image of Kennedy’s assassination recurred – a fear that would not have crossed my mind years ago.
The pageant provoked an unexpected and painful response – a depressing awareness about the poor state of the country. Seeing this healthy and happy young couple brought to mind millions of their peers, who’ve had a poor up-bringing, poor education and no prospect ahead of anything better, despite repeated promises from this government and the last which led to pitifully few actions ‘on the ground’.
Clerics urged the couple to discern what is good, to increase in wisdom and reverence for life, to comfort those that suffer and to build Jerusalem [!] in this green and pleasant land.
If all in the Abbey and all watching took only 50% of what was said to heart, the country could be transformed.
One prescription
Offer all young people a future by re-tooling, retraining and meeting our own needs as far as possible – as prescribed in the pictured book by the co-founder of Localise West Midlands and convenor of the Green New Deal Group.
Those who fear paying higher prices for home-made goods should visualise a ‘virtuous circle’ in which those higher prices would contribute to worthwhile, purposeful employment and wages – wisely spent on home-grown food, home-produced goods and more staycations.
People would have less inclination to depress, insult or scare others: see the Birmingham Press:
Getting on a bus in Birmingham, particularly in the evening, is often an adventure – noise from music or from other passengers, smoking (invariably drugs), drunkenness, occasional fights.
There would indeed be cause for celebration!
Away with the Royal Family?
Though a rational case for inherited privilege is not one I could make, two observations come to mind:
Prince Charles shows respect for the production of wholesome food and concern for underprivileged youngsters; I have seen at first hand the transformation of a local youngster’s life by the Prince’s Trust for very small outlay – government could enable the expansion of such work but does not care to do so.
The alternative to a royal head of state is a president . . .
Unthinkable!
