There is no doubt that here in UK, as in many other parts of the world, we live in a very unequal society.
Yesterday the death was announced of the Queen, aged 96. She died in one of her many homes, surrounded by her family. She lived a long & happy life.
The vast outpouring of grief being shown by many across MSM, TV & social media is way beyond even what it was when Diana died in 1997.
The Queen was a woman that very few of us would have ever met or had any dealings with. The nearest most people got to her was probably licking the back of a postage stamp.
It is possible to express condolence at her passing without all the public displays of mourning that is going on.
Yes, she was a Mother, Grandmother & Greatgrandmother and will of course be missed by her family but the world should not grind to a halt because of her death.
There are many who see the monarchy as an outdated institution and we could go into the old arguments of them being good for tourism etc but we have surely moved beyond that by now.
Scandal after scandal; members of the royal family seemingly above the rule of law or totally oblivious to how ordinary people live.
They live their life surrounded by the best of everything whilst ordinary people struggle to heat their homes, feed their children or keep a roof over their heads.
Is this really the kind of society that we want to live in, in the 21st century?
Many believe that the monarchy is outdated and should be consigned to the history books like bear baiting, child labour and throwing people in the Tower of London & then beheading them.
The UK is probably as divided now as it ever has been.
Estimates reckon that over 227,000 people in UK are homeless - either sleeping on the streets or in temporary B&B accomodation.
Nearly 6.73 million people are waiting for NHS treatment with over 355,000 waiting for over a year.
There are over 4.3 million children living in poverty in UK; thats 30% of all children.
We are currently going through a cost of living crisis which sees many thousands of people worrying about how they will pay their fuel bills and its not even winter yet.
Spending time analysing who or what is to blame does not solve the problem that many are facing, and many will undoubtedly die this winter but as with covid, many of those in power seem to think its ok to "let the bodies pile high" with around 210,000 casualties of the pandemic so far.
The world does not stop because one woman has died. People are still dying around the world due to wars, famine, floods, climate change etc.
People are still sleeping on the streets; unable to heat their homes or access vital medical treatment.
Around 1,680 people died yesterday, of which the Queen was only one.
For every family that lost a loved one, it will have been an upsetting time and they will all need time to grieve.
Today, another 1,680 or so people will die and so again tomorrow and each day forward.
It is possible to be respectful and also say that the death of one person is no more tragic than any other.
In the grand scheme of things, death is the only certainty we have and no-one however priviledged or rich they may be, can escape that inevitability.
