Daily Lesson from Life 11 January 2009

"Harry sorry over racist remark

Prince Harry apologised after newspaper reported he had filmed himself calling an Asian army colleague a 'Paki'. -Sun, Jan 11, 2009 Reuters

LONDON - BRITAIN'S Prince Harry apologised on Saturday after a newspaper reported he had filmed himself calling an Asian army colleague a 'Paki' but he said he had used the potentially racist term without malice.

The News of the World said the recording was made in 2006, a year after the prince was pilloried for wearing a Nazi uniform at a costume party, a gaffe that sparked international outcry.


The paper said Prince Harry, 24, and third in line to the British throne, could be heard saying: 'Anyone else here ... ah, our little Paki friend ... Ahmed' as he zoomed onto the face of an Asian cadet while waiting at an airport to fly to Cyprus.

A royal spokesman said there had been no racist intent in Prince Harry's words. 'Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term (Paki) can be, and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause,' the spokesman said.

'However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon. 'There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend.' The paper said the film also showed the prince telling another officer cadet wearing a camouflage veil while off duty 'You look like a raghead", an offensive term for an Arab.

The royal spokesman said Prince Harry had used 'raghead' to mean a Taliban or Iraqi insurgent.


In May, Harry, grandson of British monarch Queen Elizabeth, was awarded a military service medal for 10 weeks of frontline service in Afghanistan. His tour of duty there with the Household Cavalry Regiment had been cut short after a media blackout collapsed, sparking fears worldwide coverage of his deployment could make him a target for pro-Taliban insurgents."

I am no fan of anything and anyone ROYAL in 21st century! Everyone is born equal is my belief. This royalty thing is laughable in my opinion. It add insult to injury when the privileged ones behaved foolishly and people still have to call them: Your royal Highness or what not!

Lessons for me are:

1. it is for you to decide if you want royalties or not. No one can force you to acknowledge those supposedly born into the royal family. It was not your choice to make or call them royalty. It just got passed down. You did not elect it!;

2. thinking people must not be cowed by the presence of so-called royalty as you can see from this foolish act by this 3rd in line to UK throne 'Prince Harry' that royalties are just ordinary human being like you and I! There is no need to treat them any different than you treat your neighbors or hooligans who do not behave themselves!;

3. the fact that he was withdrawn from front line duty and YET given a service medal showed you that royalties are given special treatment! Maybe he did not want to get out but some of his minders felt that he is too important to be captured and used for hostage swapping! Personally in war, a Prince is just like any other soldier. No special treatment again! Sadly, this is not the case.

I have repeated many times when I commented on this thing called: Royalty. Abolished it! No baby born in this day and age should be called a royal member just because he or she belongs to a royal parent(s) while another that were born to ordinary folks may jolly well become a statistic in: early infant mortality!!

As leaders, we have no entitlement mentality. We need to earn our keep consistently! No privilege as true leaders serve the people they lead and not the other way around!