The American Spectator

Reader Mail

p> ON DISPLAY br> Re: Judd Magilnick's Deconstructing Winston : /p>

Bravo to Judd Magilnick.

In the UK, we are accustomed to seeing our museums and galleries turned into vehicles for the presentation of their curators' opinions -- Glasgow's once magnificent Stirling's Library has been defaced into a hideous Gallery of Modern Art; I shudder to think what the interior of the world famous cathedral of knowledge that was Kelvingrove's Art Galleries & Museum will look like when its refurbishment is complete next year.

But in the penultimate paragraph, Mr. Magilnick asks if we will find inspiration from this "moral storehouse" when tough times return. The answer, painfully, is no. The priorities for an average British citizen now comprise not learning their own history, but instead what's on Sky Television; they are not taught civics, but they get furious when their cell phone can't download ringtones; and for many, Churchill is not our most important premier but a well-known brand of auto insurance. At the same time, the Blair government is rushing through Parliament measures to introduce detention without trial, and is proposing to introduce ID cards.

We are sleepwalking away from our history, and we couldn't care less provided Burger King is open.

p>I liked the part that Rudolf Hess "went on a peace mission to Glasgow" -- if so, I can assure Mr. Magilnick that would have been a world first. br> -- Martin Kelly br> Glasgow, Scotland /p>

topics:
Taxes, Television, Business, Social Security, Environment, Books, Law, Unions