I am American, a citizen of a country that long ago rejected monarchs and sovereigns. I have never lived under a king or a queen, and it's difficult for me to understand why the British persist in doing so in the modern world. It seems anachronistic, inegalitarian — and oddly stiff and starchy to boot.
I'm sorry to say it while the late Queen Elizabeth is lying in state, but if the crown were to be tossed aside and the House of Windsor were to sink into the muck tomorrow, it would not bother me at all.
Still — and here's the really strange thing — I am following the news avidly. I'm clicking on photo galleries, watching videos, reading stories. I can't help being fascinated by the royals, and in that, I'm like millions of Americans. Even the Democrats and Republicans in Congress, who barely speak to each other, came together as Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., offered thoughts and prayers for the queen from the Senate floor. Wall Street traders took time out from making money to bow their heads. American flags went to half staff.
