THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, June 14, 2012


9


BRITAIN’S ROYAL JUBILEE—IT’S ABOUT TRADITION NOT CELEBRITY


by John J. Metzler Syndicated Columnist


UNITED NA - TIONS—T h e world needs a good party and reason to forget , even fleetingly, the conflicts, cri- ses and eco- nomic dol- drums which have befallen


us. Thus Britain’s Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II, brings us that wistful respite but more importantly a lesson; that Tradition trumps trendy, and of- ten celebrity too. The pomp and pageantry of the


four day spectacle including the magisterial Thames River flotilla (in the midst of a driving London wind and cold rain) saw the Royal Family cheered on by over a million well-wishers, and flanked by a thousand boats. The local block parties, the bonfires, and the bunting all form part of the ageless magic which renews and revives a country. Such royal pageantry provides


the perfect place to celebrate. The massive concert outside Bucking- ham Palace, with both classical and pop stars set to a son and lumiere spectacle, showcased fes- tivities for a modern monarchy. A day later the ceremonial finale on the Buckingham Palace balcony closed the curtains after four days of resplendent pageantry. Thus the magnificent and splendid spectacles in London commemorating Queen Elizabeth are as much about this amaz- ing woman of dignity and duty as they are the chance for the British and people throughout many former colonies, in the multi-cultural fifty-four member Commonwealth from Australia, to African states, Canada and the Caribbean islands, to celebrate. The Diamond Jubilee in itself


is historic being only the second time since Queen Victoria’s Jubi- lee in 1897 that there was such a celebration. Let’s face it, the regal portrayal


of Britain’s classy monarchical grandeur is still something with near global appeal. The House of Windsor (originally the Ger- man House of Hanover and later Saxe-Coburg) re-branded in 1917 during WWI with a more John Bull British theme, embodies an


enduring legacy of excellence, symbolism, and tradition. But Elizabeth, now 86, has


been the lady of destiny and duty since she unexpectedly became Queen in 1952 upon the death of her father George VI, the war- time King, who was respectfully portrayed in the recent film the King’s Speech. She has been on the throne for 60 years, has seen 12 Prime Ministers (and 11 Amer- ican presidents too). But keep in mind she is a constitutional mon- arch whose ceremonial power and public service role dare not cross into the political realm. The weekly Spectator, opined


that the Jubilee provides “an ex- traordinary celebration of monar- chy, which is a testament to the Queen’s brilliance at reinvention as much as it is affection for her long service.” We tend to think that there


are only but a few monarchs left in the world today, beyond the Queen of England and the Emperor of Japan. Yet there are still many monarchs in Europe, ranging from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to Belgium, Spain and Denmark, Norway and Swe- den. There’s the King of Morocco. And indeed monarchy has been a reliable pillar of state in both Thailand and Japan. In 1977, I was in London for the Silver Jubilee, the 25th anniver- sary of Elizabeth’s rule. But this was a very different Britain, beset by strikes and in the stranglehold of the trade unions. The party went on but in a much more ner- vous and some would say, sullen land. While critics, then and now, including a vocal minority in the United Kingdom itself, like to complain about the cost of the Monarchy, let’s face it the Wind- sor Brand is wonderful for tour- ism, the tabloids, and a kind of national feel-good therapy. During her six decade reign, the


Queen and her husband Prince Philip have traveled the world, visiting both former colonies, independent states, and not all without Controversary. Last year, Elizabeth made a long overdue historic and healing visit to the Republic of Ireland. “Celebrity and Monarchy are natural enemies,” writes John O’Sullivan in the Wall St. Jour- nal, “the first is about enjoying


fame, the second is about per- forming duties. Elizabeth always realized the distinction.” And it was the celebrity status of Prin- cess Diana, whose auto accident in 1997, and the Queen’s initial distance and stoic emotion over


the tragedy, the saw the Monar- chy swerve into a bad brush with British public opinion. Through the winds of adversity Queen Elizabeth always seemed to “Keep Calm and Carry On.”


See METZLER on 23


PLAYING WITH WORDS Would any-


by Thomas Sowell Syndicated Columnist


one work to support them- selves or their families — and then turn over a chunk of that hard-earned money to some- body else, just because of the words used by that some-


body else? A few people may be taken in by


the words of con men, here and there, but the larger tragedy is that millions more are taken in by the words of politicians, the top-of-the-line con men. How do politicians con people


out of their money? One example can be found in a recent article titled “The Autism-Welfare Nex- us” by Paul Sperry in “Investor’s Business Daily.” Genuine autism is a truly tragic condition, both for those afflicted by it and for their parents. Few people would have any problem with the idea that both voluntary donations and government ex-


penditures are well spent to help those suffering from autism. “Autism,” however, has been


sweepingly redefined over the years. What was discovered and defined as autism back in 1943 is just one of a number of condi- tions now included as being part of “the autism spectrum.” Many, if not most, of these conditions are nowhere near as severe as autism, or even as clearly de- fined. The growing number of children


encompassed by a wider and looser definition of autism has been trumpeted across the land through the media as an “epi- demic” of increasing numbers of cases of autism. Before 1990, 1 child out of 2,500 was said to be autistic. This year, it is said to be 1 out of 88. As Paul Sperry points out in


IBD, “the number of language disorder cases have fallen as au- tism cases have risen, suggesting one disorder has simply been substituted for another.” Having heard, over the years, from many parents of late-talking


See SOWELL on 20


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