Mark Steyn: The Queen’s Tears

National Review ^ | 09/17/2001 | Mark Steyn

[VadeRetro]

. . .Robert Daubenspeck of White River Junction, Vermont . . . advised against retaliation. "Someone, someday, must have the courage not to hit back but to look them in the eye and say, 'I love you.'"

I love them, too, Robert!

I'm gonna miss my dead Osama
Some of these days!

[gcruse]

Like it or not, Britain is the foundation of what we
started here in America. For that reason, we must
always see to it that our relationship is the
tightest between any two nations on earth.

While I agree with your sentiments vis a vis
modern day Britain, do not kid yourself that
the British monarchy of the 17th century
is the foundation of the American republican
form of government.  Count me among those
who fault the US for staying out of WWII
while the UK was being driven to the wall.
Had not Hitler turned this attention to the
East at the wrong time, he could have won
the war.

Live for today, and in today.  And keep
history as intact as possible.

[GretchenEE]

fyi

[GretchenEE]

fyi

[Chemnitz]

No kidding. You couldn't get me back into that church with a machine pointed at my head.

Another great opinion piece. I was very moved by the Queen and by Prince Philip choking back tears. How would WWII have gone without the British?

[summer]

Dear GretchenEE,

Thank you SO VERY MUCH for flagging me on this amazing article. I am returning later to read it again.

Best to you always,

summer :)

[summer]

Pokey78, Great post. BTTT.

----------

Ivan, I hope you have posted a link HERE to the Brit version of FR you have going on. The people on THIS thread will DEFINATELY want to check out your site. Best, summer :)

[JMJ333]

Can you say, "Cold front moves into Hell?"

ROFL...

Did you ever get around to reading this Link</a href>?

[maica]

The first time my stunned shock turned to violent tears was when it was reported that the flag at 10 Downing Street had been lowered to half staff. The reality that this attack was not just on America and we would not be alone in fighting back hit me at that moment. Especially, when you consider that London has felt many terrorist bombs in the past 30 years, and the bombs of Germany before that, they know the pain and fear that we experienced on Tuesday.

[Ole Okie]

How would WWII have gone without the British?

Of course yours is a rhetorical question.

The Brits suffered a horrible toll with the bombing of London, Coventry, and other cities.

But Herr Hitler made a massive mistake (one of many) when, in a fit of temper, he diverted the Luftwaffe from bombing British aircraft factories to bombing London after the Brits bombed Berlin.

And the RAF, brave men that they were, stemmed the tide and made Hitler's cross-channel invasion a non-starter.

Without the British going it alone in 1940 and most of 1941, we would be studying German grammar in school like the good Germans we would be. Or maybe we would be multi-lingual and study Japanese and Italian also.

Recognizing how much we owe the British, I enthusiastically also say "God save the Queen", and "God save the President of the United States".

Thank the good Lord, the adults are back in charge.

[Chemnitz]

Agreed. The Brits showed a lot of ingenuity in the Normandy invasion. I admire them.

[ohioWfan]

Especially, when you consider that London has felt many terrorist bombs in the past 30 years, and the bombs of Germany before that, they know the pain and fear that we experienced on Tuesday.

I believe that Tony Blair, in a wonderful speech to Parliament, said that more British had been killed at the WTC (100) than in any previous terrorist attack.

God bless Queen Elizabeth! For royalty, who stand on protocol, this was a magnificent gesture of support for the United States. I was racked with sobs when I heard the Star Spangled Banner at the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. I wonder if the Queen has any idea of what her decision to have that done means to average American citizens like me.

Thanks for the ping, Gretchen.

[Southern Federalist]

One of my hopes is that this will alienate Britain evem further from the Eurocrats and open the way to a new US-British partnership. That would probably depend on both countries recovering some sense of their own tradition in this struggle against an enemy that is more aware of it than we are - and hates it.

[Let's Roll]

Mark Steyn is simply the best. Not only is he a fantastic writer but he nails the biggest danger we face - if I hear one more useful idiot babbling about healing, they may need to heal - physically.

Even if healing - instead of righteous anger - was the appropriate response - where do they get off with their patronizing, precious little symbolic ceremonies and platitudes of healing as though they had really lost anything? The loved ones of those lost on Tuesday will feel this pain turning in their hearts like the blade of a knife for months and years! And there will be many times when they will think pain that fierce must surely kill them. The searing agony of pain so powerful it drops them to their knees will not be eased by these endless candlelight vigils and singing of "Give Peace a Chance" which are rapidly becoming a cottage industry.

[maica]

I wonder if the Queen has any idea of what her decision to have that done means to average American citizens like me.

I am sure that she understands. What frustrates me is the general lack of international coverage by the US media which has, for years, put blinders on Americans' world view in so many ways. I wonder how many 'average American citizens' who don't watch Fox or C-Span or read FreeRepublic even know what the Queen did.

[Nick Danger]

gave proof to the night

[GretchenEE]

I am so glad I caught Blair's speech to a specially-recalled Parliament! I taped it and watched it a second time. It was flawless in construction, message, and delivery. He said everything that had to be said. And with heart!!!

I lost it, too, over the palace guard playing OUR national anthem. Oh my. And when I saw the photos of the queen crying at the memorial ... I could hardly believe it. And then to hear the sounds of The Star Spangled Banner, and the singers, at St. Paul's was just overwhelming. Overwhelming.

Mark Steyn did a bang up job on this piece. He got it just right, about how the queen gets it -- if America falls, there IS no "free world."

Bless you, ohioWfan.

[GretchenEE]

fyi