Letter to The Editor - It is a fair bet that if the republicans triumph here

To The Age        John Pinniger is wrong (11/1) to describe our monarchy as "a failing organisation that is becoming less relevant by the day". Perhaps the truth is the other way around: that there is a danger of the Australian people failing the Crown. Our constitutional monarchy brings a special grace into our lives that no republic can ever do. It calls on us to bow to the sacred and to live lives for the benefit of the common good rather than for selfish pleasure. It helps maintain a national memory of our history, its grandeur and the examples of our heroes. It offers a focus of national unity beyond party politics. It is a fair bet that if the republicans triumph here, it will not be long before a sizable majority of Australians yearn for a return of the monarchy; but by then the stable door will have been long opened and the horse bolted, alas!
  Nigel Jackson, Belgrave