I submit that we Americans have a bipolar problem in our attitudes about kings and queens.

We often point out that we refused to be governed by an English king in the late 18th century and revolted to secure our independence. Yet in these days of modern times we pay a lot of loving attention to these same royals across the pond.

The latest example surfaced with the news this week about Kate Middleton, princess of Wales, who revealed her cancer diagnosis. Not long ago we also expressed concern for King Charles and his cancer.

We’ve been told that the colonists had nothing but contempt for King George while they banded together to push the bloody British out of what became the United States. And we’ve long argued that our revulsion toward a system of government based on one family’s inheritance was one of the biggest reasons we raised a ruckus in 1775 in favor of a system in which the people rule.

Yet over many years we’ve shown nothing but love for the Royals and we’ve elevated them to celebrity status, a level to that of athletes, musicians and movie stars.

One need look no further than the late Princess Diana, perhaps the most famous and beloved Royal of them all. We collectively showed our grief when she died tragically in a car wreck more than 25 years ago.

The musical artist Mojo Nixon crooned an unpopular song, “Drunk, Divorced Floozie” in which he declared our outpouring was a case of unwarranted grief. He claimed she was drunk, sparking with a playboy and not behaving in a way becoming of a princess.

But to this day, she and her memory remain as beloved in our hearts, in Britain and the United States.

So we don’t like the monarchy at all as a system of government, but we love those who benefit from that system.

An old friend, retired Wyoming Godfrey Lee Supt. David Britten, recently posted on Facebook an opinion I agree with and find fascinating. I present it here:

“I’m sorry, despite the fact I feel bad for anyone dealing with cancer, I honestly don’t care about the royal family. To me, they are just ordinary people with too much free time and a lot of money on their hands for doing what in return?

“They didn’t get elected to their positions nor did they win it in a horse race or buying a lottery ticket. This crazy system over there ordains people by birth not by merit.

“I would have thought after we kicked the Brits’ butts in 1781 that the folks in England might have said, ‘Well, that’s not working out very good. Let’s kick the entire family out of town and try something different.’

All the monarchy has accomplished was taking England from the strongest country on earth to a little island that now just produces entertainment in the form of a reality TV show starring the royal family.

“There got it off my chest but it won’t make a bit of difference.”

I suspect we Americans are closet lovers of totalitarian rule. I hope it doesn’t apply to the general election of 2024.