An American election – part 4
Author: Hoger
During the campaign for the 1999 republic referendum in Australia I worked in a political office. When people called to argue the case against giving our country an Australian head of state I often asked them whether they had a young son or daughter, or grand-child. Or a young niece or nephew.
If they said yes, I asked them whether they wanted that young boy or girl to have a chance to be their country’s head of state. Obviously it was a question designed to get a “yes” in response. Well, I’d say to them, you realise under our constitutional monarchy that young child is forbidden from becoming head of state.
It rarely made much of a difference – then again people who bother to call a political office are rarely willing to have their mind changed.
But watching the result of the US election makes me feel the same way. If a minority candidate with a strange name and a Kenyan ancestry can become US president maybe there’s hope for my daughter – born well after the 1999 republic referendum was lost – can become Australia’s head of state.
Here’s hoping.
Tags: US eletion
