Titles should be deserved (From Borehamwood Times)

Titles should be deserved

10:06am Monday 22nd June 2009

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I believe we have a moral obligation to dispense with orthodox eulogising on behalf of politicians both past and present (who are paid for their services) as recently demonstrated in the media of press and television following the elections and focus our appreciation on the real heroes of our time whose mere pittance of remuneration hardly matched their risk.

Ordinary people must be appalled, followed by bewilderment and anger at the degrading inexplicable contemptuous treatment of two elderly veterans who survived the inhumanity and barbarism of the trenches during the First World War only to be excluded from the nation’s most prestigious accolade, Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Henry Allingham aged 113 years and Harry Patch 110 years have again been ignored by the present Labour Government, despite a concerted campaign by both the World War One Veterans Association and the Royal British Legion.

Meanwhile, this year’s list contains the usual complement of political parasites and cronies of the Gordon Brown Government in addition to sport and television celebrities, most of whom have done little or nothing for humanity other than achieving individual ambition in their own particular profession with comparable financial reward.

The revelation that even the Queen’s plumber who maintains the integrity of the pipes at Windsor Castle, thus eliminating the use of wellie boots by members of the royal household was also recognised in the honours list, simply beggars belief?

We as a nation should hang our heads in shame that the French government in March this year honoured our veterans by appointing them as Officers of the Legion d’Honneur, the highest order this grateful nation could bestow on those who had sacrificed their lives to defend the freedom of their country.

The question that remains much in the minds of ordinary people is why Her Majesty the Queen submits to this annual ritual of being used to indulge and ingratiate the dubious nominations of others, especially by politicians, many of which in merit are suspect in simply seeking royal approval and endorsement of individual self-aggrandisement.

The voice of ordinary people must be heard in demanding that those who were prepared to give their lives that we may enjoy our freedom, must be included in the nation’s official recognition for sacrifice and valour.

Frank Ward, Mildred Avenue, Borehamwood

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