King Charles III speech summary from an ethical point of view: "What's important to maintain our democracy"
Why did it take a visiting English king, King Charles, to remind Americans about why we are a democratic republic❓
In his address the king reminded us of our ties to Europe, how our allies there came to assist us after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on our country and why Ukraine was so important to combat Russian aggression. And he expressed the need to protect nature given the shrinking polar ice caps.
But I was most impressed by his remarks about what’s important to maintain our democracy, ironically offered by the king of a country against which we fought to secure our freedom nearly 250 years ago. I believe protecting our democratic values, norms and laws are the most essential issues facing America, the key to our republic.
King Charles spoke about the rule of law as central to our country and his, referring us to his country’s Magna Carta, which was one of the sources for our system of government as well. England’s charter in 1215 was a foundational document forced upon King John to limit his power, protect feudal rights, establish such ideas as due process and trial by jury and protect against illegal imprisonment.
The king also told us: “Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality, they are also the foundation of our shared prosperity. The rule of law: the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice.”
And King Charles called upon us to remember the importance of checks and balances in how the government functions, ironically not wanting a monarch here. It’s important to understand that he is head of state, reigning not ruling, in a constitutional monarchy.
It was a 30-minute concise speech about what’s really important in our republic and his constitutional monarchy. He spoke with clarity, empathy and humor — rare these days in our political discourse.
The king acknowledged the historic ties between the two nations: “Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it, so perhaps, in this example, we can discern that our nations are in fact instinctively like-minded — a product of the common democratic, legal and social traditions in which our governance is rooted to this day.”
Listening to the king speak, I felt sad😔 that we seldom hear the same thoughts spoken by our political leaders but also a sense of relief to hear them spoken in a building where so often we hear petty and often nasty words. His speech felt like that of a seasoned teacher to his students, reminding them of why they were there in the first place.
I confess I had many personal emotions arising as I listened to the king’s speech. My father, born in Baltimore and thus a naturalized U.S. citizen, was nonetheless raised in England. Some of my family remained in the United Kingdom, and others moved to the United States.
I chuckled when the king quoted Oscar Wilde, a London-based writer of the late 19th century who said, “We really have everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!” I often struggled to understand what my British cousins were saying and, of course, they sometimes laughed at my American utterances.
I also realized King Charles’ humor was touched with a serious comment about our respective democracies: “The Founding Fathers were bold and imaginative rebels with a cause. Two hundred and fifty years ago, or, as we say in the United Kingdom ‘just the other day…’”
From members of my family in the UK, I learned that they sometimes thought of us as a fledgling democracy without yet being a fully functioning government with a long tradition. This keeps me humble but also hopeful that we still have much to learn in order to grow
John C. Morgan is an author and educator who writes about both personal and social ethics.
Echo essay published in The Times Herald newspaper in Michigan.
But there he was, Britain’s King Charles III, reminding us in his speech before Congress of some of our historic and current principles that some seem to have forgotten.
In his address the king reminded us of our ties to Europe, how our allies there came to assist us after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on our country and why Ukraine was so important to combat Russian aggression. And he expressed the need to protect nature given the shrinking polar ice caps.
But I was most impressed by his remarks about what’s important to maintain our democracy, ironically offered by the king of a country against which we fought to secure our freedom nearly 250 years ago. I believe protecting our democratic values, norms and laws are the most essential issues facing America, the key to our republic.
King Charles spoke about the rule of law as central to our country and his, referring us to his country’s Magna Carta, which was one of the sources for our system of government as well. England’s charter in 1215 was a foundational document forced upon King John to limit his power, protect feudal rights, establish such ideas as due process and trial by jury and protect against illegal imprisonment.
The king also told us: “Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality, they are also the foundation of our shared prosperity. The rule of law: the certainty of stable and accessible rules, an independent judiciary resolving disputes and delivering impartial justice.”
And King Charles called upon us to remember the importance of checks and balances in how the government functions, ironically not wanting a monarch here. It’s important to understand that he is head of state, reigning not ruling, in a constitutional monarchy.
It was a 30-minute concise speech about what’s really important in our republic and his constitutional monarchy. He spoke with clarity, empathy and humor — rare these days in our political discourse.
The king acknowledged the historic ties between the two nations: “Ours is a partnership born out of dispute, but no less strong for it, so perhaps, in this example, we can discern that our nations are in fact instinctively like-minded — a product of the common democratic, legal and social traditions in which our governance is rooted to this day.”
Listening to the king speak, I felt sad😔 that we seldom hear the same thoughts spoken by our political leaders but also a sense of relief to hear them spoken in a building where so often we hear petty and often nasty words. His speech felt like that of a seasoned teacher to his students, reminding them of why they were there in the first place.
I confess I had many personal emotions arising as I listened to the king’s speech. My father, born in Baltimore and thus a naturalized U.S. citizen, was nonetheless raised in England. Some of my family remained in the United Kingdom, and others moved to the United States.
I chuckled when the king quoted Oscar Wilde, a London-based writer of the late 19th century who said, “We really have everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language!” I often struggled to understand what my British cousins were saying and, of course, they sometimes laughed at my American utterances.
It was the king’s way of reminding us of our relative new emergence on the historical scene and his country’s long traditions. Tradition means more than the institutions of government; it means also the values, norms and cultures that support democracies.
From members of my family in the UK, I learned that they sometimes thought of us as a fledgling democracy without yet being a fully functioning government with a long tradition. This keeps me humble but also hopeful that we still have much to learn in order to grow
John C. Morgan is an author and educator who writes about both personal and social ethics.
Labels: Baltimore, John C. Morgan, Michigan, Oscar Wilde, The Times Herald
posted by Juliana L'Heureux | 12:39 PM
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