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I heard this afternoon on CNN that the Queen Mum died today. I was very saddened by this news; she was a magnificent lady of enormous stature and character. She will be missed by all (even by those of us way across the pond).

I'm not real knowledgeable about the British royal family, but it did appear to me that the Queen Mum was loved by all there. Never saw anyone really poke fun at her the way they do the rest of them.

I was a bit surprised, even though everyone knew she was 101 and getting weaker. There's nothing in the evening news, and an hour later, the news interrupted a TV program.

She was the rock during the WW2, and went through the most diffult time Britain has faced. She was also the permanent fixture of the main horceracings.

sorry to be a tad cynical, but i think the only reason she wasn't targetted by the media was her age - when/if the current royal family reaches that age, i doubt the criticisms will be as forthcoming.

Originally posted by Robnark
sorry to be a tad cynical, but i think the only reason she wasn't targetted by the media was her age - when/if the current royal family reaches that age, i doubt the criticisms will be as forthcoming.

I think there's a certain truth to that. The British media generally looks for dirt on the royals wherever they can find it, except for the QM, who was considered hands-off. She was old, patriotic to the core, a spunky sort who many Brits respected and liked. Laying a rhetorical finger on her would have been like trying to melt the crown jewels.

I don't think it was just her age that kept the press off of her. She represented everything that was good about the monarchy. During the war, she was the pillar of strength that the British needed. She used to go out into London during the blitz to be with the people that looked to the king and queen for leadership and moral support. She wasn't as mercurial as some of the other royals and it seemed that she held the family together at some points with nothing other than her own willpower.

Originally posted by HighLordDave
I don't think it was just her age that kept the press off of her. She represented everything that was good about the monarchy. During the war, she was the pillar of strength that the British needed. She used to go out into London during the blitz to be with the people that looked to the king and queen for leadership and moral support.

You really have to hand it to her, there. The contrast with Dubyah is striking: after those terrible bombings on September 11th, he stayed in a plane, and uttered hardly a word for quite a while, despite the suffering and horror in NYC. By contrast, the QM (and many others) walked the streets of London while bombs were literally raining down around them. The British even awarded OBEs to people like Clara Hess, the great classical pianist who established a series of concerts for British servicemen and workers, and kept at it even though nearby buildings were being destroyed.

Some people strut for a while with power they've assumed. Others fill out the dimensions of a role to the life. Have to hand it to her.

EDIT: The BBC just gave her a nice if brief tribute on the news. They mentioned how she toured bomb blast sites during WWII and refused to take cover, even during air raids. Special program ahead for her.

Originally posted by fable
You really have to hand it to her, there. The contrast with Dubyah is striking: after those terrible bombings on September 11th, he stayed in a plane, and uttered hardly a word for quite a while, despite the suffering and horror in NYC.

This thread is about honoring a departed woman, not venting one’s frustration with the current American administration. Please, can we not mire this with unnecessary political posturing?

i was very suprised by this news, i mean, i haven't heard anything about her being sick or anything on the news. I actually read about it on yahoo, nothing about her death has been on TV yet, i guess NCAA basketball is just too important, i have to go, Indiana is playing Oklahoma, GO OKLAHOMA!

Originally posted by Kayless

This thread is about honoring a departed woman, not venting one’s frustration with the current American administration. Please, can we not mire this with unnecessary political posturing?

I could say the same of you, @Kayless, refusing to allow me to note the difference between that special breed of national ruler/administrator/influence that the QM represents, from that of our current president. I *do* think there is an immense difference in terms of true grit, and it was the first example, naturally enough (given the horror of last September) that came to mind.

Mind, I don't think Dubyah necessarily lacks that quality; he hasn't been thoroughly tested on it, yet. On the first quiz, he took bad advice, and IMO, flunked. But I don't believe in any case that national rulers are the ones who should be automatically protected in case of attack. I believe they should be out front. The privilege of the position comes with its perils and responsibilities, and the QM understood that during WWII. She was, to use an expresssion of an old friend of mine (long since passed away), a righteous dame.

Originally posted by fable
I could say the same of you, @Kayless, refusing to allow me to note the difference between that special breed of national ruler/administrator/influence that the QM represents, from that of our current president. I *do* think there is an immense difference in terms of true grit, and it was the first example, naturally enough (given the horror of last September) that came to mind.

*Sigh* Here we go again. I try to stay out of these types of debates since I'm generally a laid back person, so I’ll try make this tactful and brief. I don't feel that one needs to put someone down in order to build someone else up. I don't share your views on the current administration. I get a little offended when one sneaks a jab into a conversation from out of the clear blue. I don't think you deliberately intended to offend (and neither do I), but all I'm saying is that it would be better not to get into the Bush issue on this thread. I’m not trying to censure your opinion or anything (I enjoy hearing it ), I'm just saying there are better venues for this topic of conversation (maybe someone could start a thread comparing the different styles of leadership between governments?).

I get a little offended when one sneaks a jab into a conversation from out of the clear blue. I don't think you deliberately intended to offend (and neither do I), but all I'm saying is that it would be better not to get into the Bush issue on this thread. I’m not trying to censure your opinion or anything (I enjoy hearing it ), I'm just saying there are better venues for this topic of conversation (maybe someone could start a thread comparing the different styles of leadership between governments?).

@Kayless, on the one hand, you say that you don't think I'm deliberately intending to offend; on the other, you do say I'm sneaking in a jab at the president. Fact is, I'm not sneaking in anything, here. I knew of the QM's actions in WWII, and the contrast was exceptionally obvious to me. I've seen praise of Bush thrown into threads by other posters where it didn't fit, and never said a word; it was simply an opinion being expressed. The same applies here, but I think the connection is more than tangential.

In any case, I really *do* like your idea of a thread contrasting styles of national leadership. Feel free to start it up. I like that idea.

Originally posted by fable
In any case, I really *do* like your idea of a thread contrasting styles of national leadership. Feel free to start it up. I like that idea.

Okay. One political thread coming up.

Originally posted by Kayless

This thread is about honoring a departed woman, not venting one’s frustration with the current American administration. Please, can we not mire this with unnecessary political posturing?

I agree 100% Kayless.

I, too, knew little (eh, OK, nothing) about the Queen Mother, but I offer my sympathies to the Brits.

@Kaylass, fable is also a mod, and therefore, dictates what is fair game in a thread. Don't fight the system. I've tried, it's tough.

Has anyone noticed a serious decline in the integrity and quality of the worlds leaders? I sure have, in fact, the leader I have the most respect for is the interim president of Afghanistan, one brave guy.
The Queen mothers lose is yet another sad moment in a tragic year for this planet. People like her don't come up very often.

I'm glad to see the situation resolve itself.
@Obsidian, we're not trying (as mods) to be dictators, we try to be clear as to why certain things are relevant or on/off topic. If anyone has a problem, try pming us. Just understand it might take a while to get back to you. We're people too, and have the same family/job commitments and computer problems that other people do. If you feel that (and this goes for everyone) something isn't fair ask nicely (like Kayless did) or pm with a nice rational post. We may not agree or change our minds but we'll read it.
addition, I can see both sides here. I think Fable was making a natural progression or association of his thoughts. I can also see why Kayless and the others feel it should have been in a seperate thread. Since the new thread is open, lets drop that subject and get back to the original topic.

You know, that said...I do feel after thinking about it a while that my reaction contrasting the QM with Bush, while honest, wasn't in the best taste in a thread devoted to the QM. @Kayless, you did show restraint in not getting bent out of shape in the matter. Good emotional call on your part.

Originally posted by Obsidian
@Kaylass, fable is also a mod, and therefore, dictates what is fair game in a thread. Don't fight the system. I've tried, it's tough.

You fought the law and law won huh? Bummer. Never happens to me though. The mods know I'm bulletproof. They need kryptonite to touch me (witness my numerous cracks about the mods washing Buck's @ss).

Originally posted by T'lainya
If you feel that (and this goes for everyone) something isn't fair ask nicely (like Kayless did) or pm with a nice rational post. We may not agree or change our minds but we'll read it.
addition, I can see both sides here. I think Fable was making a natural progression or association of his thoughts. I can also see why Kayless and the others feel it should have been in a seperate thread. Since the new thread is open, lets drop that subject and get back to the original topic.

Just goes to show that we can all live in flame-free harmony when we work together. I can feel the love flowing through the forum, man.

Originally posted by fable
@Kayless, you did show restraint in not getting bent out of shape in the matter. Good emotional call on your part.

Thanks. Whenever I get angry or frustrated I always ask myself, what would Jesus do? Not Jesus Christ, but Jesus (Hey-Zeus) Ramirez, my next-door neighbor. He’s really mellow and sensible.

Back on Topic: I was just reading up on the Queen Mum and I’m pretty impressed. I didn’t know that she was born a commoner (the ninth of 10 children), or that she lived longer than any other King or Queen in British history (doesn’t surprise me though). It must have been dreadful for her when Princess Margaret, her youngest daughter, died in February. There is said to be no pain worse than outliving one’s own children.

My heartfelt condolences...

...to the British people and evreyone who truly feels for her loss. May she rest in peace.