Originally Posted by MrFatbooty
Who gives a [flying wazoo] about some British royals? They're just some figureheads. The only reason they're around any more is to provide some sense of national pride because the lowest common denominator pays too much attention to freakin tabloids.
You clearly don't know what you're talking about, but it wouldn't be the first time, now, would it? :P
"Royalty" have little place in a modern society except for their direct connection to the monarchy.
The "monarchy" on the other hand is a vital part of the constitution and we have no intention of doing away with it at the moment.
Hmmm. Let's see here. Just a figurehead, eh?
How did the Unted States get to invade Grenada when the British government said to stay out? The invasion caused one of the very few rifts that every occurred between President Reagan and Mrs Thatcher. So how did he manage it?
The Queen is required to treat the affairs of each realm of the Commonwealth separately. When Sir Paul Scoon (native Grenadian, happened to be Governor General) contacted the Queen and said that
Grenada wanted the Americans in, the Queen had to consider it and she finally decided she had to agree to it. But she wasn't allowed to tell the British government about it. Does that sound like a figurehead?
The Queen faced a serious problem with Thatcher's Tory Crime Bill. There were some features of it that would have challenged the British idea of what liberty was supposed to be, the High Court was known to think parts of it were unwise, and one provision of the bill would have even removed an accused person's right not to testify against himself. In her meeting with the Prime Minister, the Queen notified her government that she "would have to read the bill carefully" before assenting to it!
There is no way to pass legislation without Royal Assent, so this public notice caused the Tory government to hiccup, and it gave the people time to take to the streets of London over it, expressing their disapproval. Does that sound like a figurehead?
Royal Assent is normally signified before a small committee of the Privy Council, and after that, one of their number publicly signifies Assent to Parliament. During these small meetings (they are held standing up so that nobody relaxes), the Queen has been known to temporarily refer a bill back to Parliament for corrections, and has been known to stop to ask last minute questions. Does that sound like a figurehead?
With monarchy, you either get it or you don't.
The Queen is the Tribune of the People.
The Queen, that one little old woman possessed of one little person's everyday common sense, represents in one person the will of the people, their intent and purpose. She is the embodiment of common sense and democracy.
She's not at the top of the pyramid of society. Rather, she represents in one person the power that is at the base of the pillar, the embodiment of the sovereignty of the people.
As I said, you either get it or you don't.
It's not for everybody, but you should not presume to denegrate what other people hold most sacred in our democratic processes.
