Pete Riehm
A selfish society stumped by a selfless servant
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By Pete Riehm
September 12, 2022

People naturally seek stability where they can confidently make a living and safely raise a family. So, in its absence, the ensuing instability undermines economic prosperity and precipitates insecurity. The funny thing is when people have stability they don’t necessarily appreciate it or even realize from whence it comes. We take for granted the roads we drive on, the utilities that power our homes, or even the governments that establish order, but when a long standing pillar of our society is suddenly missing, it’s particularly unsettling if not shocking.

For some 90% of the people alive today, Elizabeth II has been the Queen of England for their entire lives. Having reigned through fourteen American Presidents, Harry S. Truman was president when she ascended to the throne. Literally a fixture on the world stage for seven decades, she has navigated all the international turmoil since WWII. She essentially defined the post-WWII era. The people of the planet do not know a world without Queen Elizabeth II.

In this world of democratic republics and socialist states, a monarch seems like an anachronism, so why is her passing so poignant to so many that have no discernible connection to the Queen of England? Being a head of state for more than two-thirds of a century is certainly a factor, but the real reason is her dedication, dignity, and most of all, humility. She was the queen, but she always took her duties seriously and viewed herself as a servant.

Before her reign, she served the war effort. She has been in the public eye for almost a century, but she always earned respect and maintained her reputation. Queen Elizabeth II was known for her measured responses, impeccable sense of decorum, and steadfast leadership. While those around her sometimes stumbled, she avoided scandal and remained above the fray always refraining from an ill word against even those who deserved it.

Contrast Queen Elizabeth II with world leaders of subsequent generations. She became a head of state as a young woman at the tender age of 26, but she did not pursue the party life or indulge her celebrity for her own edification. The paparazzi never caught her in compromising situations—unlike too many today. She accepted the mantle of monarchy and subordinated her personal desires to the incredible responsibilities of the throne; she embraced her duty as queen to serve her subjects.

Her subjects have surely noticed her selfless service now that she is gone and even others feel the absence of her reassuring steady leadership in a chaotic world. However, the leftist hyenas in academia and the media are already rewriting history and spewing unspeakable vitriol against a generally beloved public figure before she is even buried.

Political hacks posing as press and pundits are maligning Queen Elizabeth II as the figurehead of white supremacy and blaming her for many unfounded ills of colonialism. The irony is that during her reign, England did not establish any new colonies. In fact, the United Kingdom has been steadily decolonizing since WWII, but closer sober examination shows the British Empire’s approach to colonialism was markedly different than any other world power.

Compare the former colonies of the UK to that of all the others. England’s former colonies are all largely prosperous and stable nations while the rest are basket cases of bedlam perpetuating despotism and poverty across the continents of Africa and South America. The British Commonwealths in the Caribbean are thriving, India is the world’s largest rising democratic republic, Australia and Canada are First World nations, and the United States is the lone super power—all former British colonies.

England is the original nation of laws, and they successfully passed their heritage and that proven recipe for liberty and equality to their former colonies. The accusation of white supremacy against the United Kingdom, and especially Queen Elizabeth II, is beyond spurious and stupid. The United Kingdom has existed for over a thousand years. Slavery has always existed, but the African slave trade to the new world existed about 200 years, until the United Kingdom declared that slave industry illegal in 1807 and committed the might of the Royal Navy to eradicate it.

The United Kingdom established the British Empire on Judeo-Christian principles, and thereby shared their values for stability and prosperity with the world; and quite frankly the civilized world is not just better for it, but actually largely created by it.

Sadly, the United Kingdom like most of the world has drifted from their Judeo-Christian moorings in favor of hedonism, humanism, and relativism. Queen Elizabeth II was the last vestige of that noble tradition and era of uncompromising standards that lifted the planet into democratic principles and a higher quality of life for millions of people.

England shared their wisdom with the world. Queen Elizabeth II by her humble demeanor and altruistic dedication to her citizens and country gave the world hope that there was a constant of decency and goodness. That’s why beyond her subjects, even those who don’t subscribe to the notion of royalty, feel the absence of her reassuring reign of magnanimity and stability in a world of greed and selfish indulgences.

She will be sorely missed, but her legacy lives on. We can all learn from her selfless service that there is something bigger than ourselves even if you are the Queen of England. Thank you! God rest her soul!

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Pete Riehm is the host of Common Sense Radio heard 8 pm every Thursday on FMTalk106.5 or streaming at fmtalk1065.com. Email him at peteriehm@bellsouth.net or on MEWE @PeteRiehm or read all his columns at http://www.renewamerica.com/.

© Pete Riehm

 

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Pete Riehm

Born to German immigrants, Pete Riehm grew up in Texas as a first generation American. Working his way through college, he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve. After graduating from the University of Houston, Pete was commissioned into the United States Navy through Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He also earned a Master's Degree in National Security from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas... (more)

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