My wife and I saw the movie The King’s Speech (the official site is here; also see here) a couple of days ago, and it was very moving. I knew the outline of the story, and have always had great admiration for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for courageously staying in London during the German bombing. They were an inspiration to their people. Contrast this true leadership with today’s so-called leaders, who declare war for trumped-up reasons, then send their countries’ children to kill and maim, to be killed and maimed, and to what end? But our “leaders” are fine religious people, which makes it all good, right?
I did not know about King George VI’s speech difficulty, and I am happy to have learned about it, as it has increased my admiration for him. What courage. Churchill had his own speech difficulties as a child, and he grew up to be quite an orator, who also found time to write his own speeches while he was busy saving Western Europe from Hitler. Gives one pause when one thinks about how busy everyone is nowadays, doing so many important things.
But I was especially happy to learn about Lionel Logue, who demonstrated his own courage in treating a King. A previously unsung hero of World War II, Logue is worthy of celebration.
Education ought to be centred around examples—examples of individuals who have coped with and risen above their limitations to perform great work are central because they inspire us to face our own limitations. Let’s include more of them in our formal education.
(This post first appeared at my other (now deleted) blog, and was transferred to this blog on 25 January 2021.)