I refer to David Morris’ recent letter (May 24) about the ‘continual snide disparaging of the British (English monarchy).’
The confusing use of brackets appears to suggest he opposes the snide remarks against ‘the British’, which I also oppose; but the bulk of the article is a feeble attempt to defend the ‘English monarchy’, to which I respond:
First, please specify which republicans have been ‘duchessed’ by royal invitations. Is the suggestion that, whoever they are, they represent an affinity for the English monarchy of all republicans?
Next, as stated, the monarchy represents England, not Australia, hence the republican opposition to it in this country. The argument is that the ‘constitutional monarch’ ought to be confined to England, which royalists can defend there; it has no proper place in what should otherwise be a self-determining country like Australia, unfettered by events such as the Whitlam dismissal.
And finally, the whataboutist distractions about wealthy film stars and CEOs, the other imperialist nations who ‘stole stuff’, and the cute rhyme to finish it all off, is wholly unconvincing, and probably a method for dealing with David’s cognitive dissonance; the recent Echo political cartoon of the king and queen sitting atop a mountain of jewels and skulls captures the core of the opposition to the institution that David holds so dear. Perhaps he would like to defend this institution’s imperialist history? I think he will struggle to do so.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
