Refreshing royals

CNN.com is reporting that Prince Harry has been actively serving in Afghanistan on the front lines with his army unit for the past 10 weeks. I don't think we should ask our young men and women to be on those lines, but respect very much the loyalty and sacrifice that these soldiers show every minute they're over there. They've done everything asked of them and more and they're doing it for us.

Its about time one of the leaders responsible for the decisions to invade Afghanistan and Iraq allowed their son or daughter to serve in those conflicts - just as the sons and daughters of the middle and lower economic classes have done for years now. I know the Queen and her family are mostly figureheads these days, but they're still seen as the elite ruling class in the UK.

Also, I am pleasantly surprised that the media has known about Prince Harry's service and have managed to keep it secret for 10 weeks in the interest of his safety and the safety of those who are standing side-by-side with him on the front lines. This kind of news makes me able to believe almost anything - I'd almost believe it if you told me that Ann Coulter had something constructive to say or, (albeit, less likely) that President Bush has read the Constitution.

This is a good story - the royal family just got a lot more likable in my book.