A Nazi of a Prince

You may have read of the recent flap with Prince Harry, third in line to the British royal throne. Apparently, he went to a "fancy-dress party" dressed as a Nazi. Then, he happened to be photographed in this costume. Of course, the media got ahold of the photo. Who could resist selling such a unusual picture of someone so famous?

Of course, this slap in the face to history has annoyed almost everyone. On the evening news, I heard quotes from a reporter of a London-based Jewish newspaper and from British war veterans. Everyone seems to be annoyed. The incident annoyed me, too, and I'm not British, nor do I follow the doings of the royal family.

If you want to dress up as a Nazi, fine. Do it on Hallowe'en. Do it as a joke or parody or whatever. For most regular Joes, this would be okay--in bad taste, perhaps, but fine.

However, if you could be an important leader in the world someday, choose how you want to rebel. Dressing up as a Nazi is not fine. In fact, it makes you look extremely stupid and thoughtless. Extremely stupid--like you don't even think about how you appear to the public at all.

In spite of the fact that yes, the royal family has a right to its privacy, it especially needs to watch its image. Otherwise, they appear as just a bunch of drunken King Georges, and deserve to fall into obscurity.

UPDATE: Prince Charles is making both his sons visit Auschwitz as a result of this gaffe.