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I'm away from my desk again today due to horrible work-related unpleasantness, so unable to bring forth my usual lunch-hour composed blog rants. Normal service will be resumed shortly, but in the meantime: a quickie.*
If I were sixteen (upcoming birthday depression alert: it's almost twenty years ago today) and someone told me that as part of my school-leaving ceremony I had to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen... I would have refused.
I've never been a royalist, but I'm happy to leave them alone as long as they don't bother me beyond the occasional silly affair or proclamation. I could happily do without the lot of them - though I'd keep Prince Philip, for comedy value. However, I know what I was like when I was sixteen. I was bolshie. I had a rebellious heart. I was a teenager. (And the only Queen I'd have sworn allegiance to would have been Freddie Mercury.) I can't think of a worse time to ask someone to perform this laughable act of servility. "Help improve their sense of what it means to be a British citizen"? Are you people actually living in the 21st Century? Or even... the real world? This is your answer to an increase in youthful lawlessness and disrespect? Why not make a nationwide tour of Stately Homes mandatory while you're at it? Or make us all stand on the street corner and sing that depressing National Anthem (Rule Britannia is so much better) every Saturday night at eight?
And what would you do if I refused? Put me in the stocks? Display my head on a spike over Tower Bridge? Force me to watch Royal Wedding videos until I cracked? It strikes me the only willing participants here will be the upper classes... and skinheads. Still, whatever brings disparate groups together...
(*Sorry. It was supposed to be a quickie. I'm late now.)
“Kiss Dolls Commercial” Theme
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Rock God Cred Report: Click here to check the “Kiss Doll Commercial”
theme…the song still makes me laugh out loud.
32 minutes ago
13 rants and reactions:
My mother always used to refuse to stand up for the national anthem when we went to plays and things.
It used to embarrass me greatly. I think I would have pledged. or at least mouthed the words like I used to do with the lords prayer.
I am a lot angrier than that about it. Bunch of cunts.
I used to refuse to stand up for the National Anthem, but it embarassed people, so I used to stand up but not sing.
I'm with you though - no way would I pledge allegiance to the Queen. When I was 16, I'd have pledged allegiance to 'The Queen Is Dead'
i blame the bbc. they stopped playingthe national anthem at the end of the night, and look whats become of the country.
And they have lady newsreaders in a blouse ant trousers... you can only get over the serious nature of the worlds event in cocktail dress and glooves....
bloody bolsies, the stakes too good for them
the only queen i'd have stood for is duncan norvelle
This is an utterly ridiculous country. What the fuck are doing living here? This isn't a sensible way to go about things.
Canada is really starting to look good to me, I tell you...
It's an utterly ridiculous idea; as if swearing such an oath would mean anything. There are better ways of ensuring someone's loyalty - giving them a society and a country to be proud of would be a good start.
I'm sensing a lot of anger here, Gordon. Time for a rethink?
I heard this story on the news yesterday as well..... it's true what they say about America sneezing and us catching a cold..... I don't, however, think that the American pledge of allegiance has done much to improve their quality of life, and they pledge it daily, and they pledge it to God no less!!
I can't for a single minute believe that this will ever happen!!
FoX
call me thick, but why make kids swear at school? My teachers used to beat me for swearing at school....board rubber to the back of the head never did me any harm
Oh poor Bryan.
I never do anything I am told to do on principle so would certainly never swear any oaths. I do not believe in idolising or swearing allegiance to anyone or anything - people are just people and as far as I am concerned there is no God. What others do and believe is up to them, and as long as they don't ever try to force me to do so, I am happy for them to carry on bowing and curtseying to Royalty and praying to their gods and watching strange people cavorting about on X Factor.
However, I am a big Queen fan and did shed a few tears when dear Freddie died. And idolising The King is of course exempt from what I said above - but that goes without saying.
I hope your work problems resolve themselves soon.
I have never understood, and probably never will, the obsession held by our successive governments to do what the Americans do. Why? We're not Americans, and this isn't America, and if you'd actually travelled on American public transport, or been to an American jail, or seen just how creepy it is to see a bunch of American children being forced to pledge their allegiance to a flag every day, you'd know how stupid you're being, government-bods!
And relax...
I know you lived over there for a while, K - but out of interest, how long did you spend in Ryker's?
That was all blown out of proportion. The money was just resting in my account.
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