Pupils 'to take allegiance oath'
Lord Goldsmith's stroke of genius.
I expect if you go round the blogosphere you'll find lots of bloggers jumping up and down in consternation at these proposals. The rightwingers will be exclaiming "It simply isn't enough! Tattoo a Union Jack on them, too". And many on the Left will be "What? Do me a favour!"
But me, I think it's a splendid idea. Most people, they get to adulthood and they don't really give it a second thought. Monarchy, whatever. Queen's on the stamps and banknotes. Whatever.
But this suggestion would mean that every snivelling teenager will be specifically asked to swear allegiance to the Queen. I admit it is some years since I was a teenager, and even so, my Republicanism hasn't progressed beyond the rhetorical. But I am pretty certain that if someone said "You have to swear allegiance to the unelected unaccountable Queen, who is totally disconnected with your life, and irrelevant to the challenges you face, or else..." I would have been pretty miffed. I know people who weren't allowed to join the Brownies or Cubs because of the oath of allegiance. Whether then, as a teenager, or now, as an adult, I don't feel any need to demonstrate my 'patriotism'. I think it's measurable by something other than waving a large Union Flag and going 'ra-ra-ra'. I certainly don't think it's up to anybody to define what is patriotic and isn't. (And I see no need for anybody to feel 'loyal' to a country, anyway - a false country like Great Britain United Kingdom?). I feel that I have sufficient track record (in the past) of contributing to my local community that I don't need anybody telling me to toady to someone who has no legitimacy.
Perhaps if you get more people to actually think about the role of the monarchy, maybe a lot more will think that it's about time to get rid.
