# In your humble opinion, who are your countries "national treasures"? (other countries, too, if you like!) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2022, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504 "2022-06-20T14:22:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/1 "2022-06-20T14:22:35Z")
National Treasures are people that just mean so much to the whole country. People who when the die, the nation will and should properly mourn. I’ll start with my own thoughts on the United States. Treasures are usually older, people we have come to especially appreciate as they reach old age. Betty White was probably one for the US, though I never personally was too aware of her beyond her sitcoms, etc. I would focus on people currently living, like actual national treasures we still have with us. I’d say for the United States, we have: Jimmy Carter \<–what a great man Mel Brooks Not sure who else belongs in the United States column. I will add a few I suspect or feel for other nations. Germany: Werner Herzog England: Queen Elizabeth II David Attenborough I’m sure my own opinions are just my own. Who would you list as national or perhaps even international treasures? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/2 "2022-06-20T14:29:03Z")
I’ll second **Mel Brooks**. **James Watson** , co-discoverer of the DNA structure in 1953. He is 94 now. For the UK I would add: **Jane Goodall**. she’s 88 now. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/3 "2022-06-20T14:36:00Z")
For the United States, **Stevie Wonder** would qualify, I’d suggest. Most of the heroes of the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race have already passed, so I’m having a hard time coming up with others. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/4 "2022-06-20T15:08:40Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > **Jane Goodall**. she’s 88 now. Thank you, I can’t believe I forgot. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/5 "2022-06-20T15:56:43Z")
For the US, perhaps a **Bill Watterston** or a **Tom Hanks** > [@What\_Exit](#): > > **James Watson** , co-discoverer of the DNA structure in 1953. He is 94 now. Considering his questionable takes on women and minorities (and subsequent complaints about essentially being cancelled), I’m not sure how much the nation will generally mourn. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/6 "2022-06-20T18:13:55Z")
Mikhail Gorbachev for Russia. If it weren’t for him, we’d probably have had a nuclear war by now. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/7 "2022-06-20T18:40:19Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Mikhail Gorbachev for Russia. If it weren’t for him, we’d probably have had a nuclear war by now I watched Werner Herzog’s documentary on him last year and it was excellent. I’d recommend it to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/8 "2022-06-20T19:03:57Z")
If one were to include the arts, I’d suggest Paul McCartney for England, and perhaps Ian McKellen. I agree with Jimmy Carter. Whatever one thinks about his presidency, he has lived his faith and his life in helping people, one house at a time, without fanfare or personal profit. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/9 "2022-06-20T19:08:06Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > **James Watson** , co-discoverer of the DNA structure in 1953. He is 94 now. A great scientist, but a national embarrassment. > **[DNA scientist James Watson has a remarkably long history of sexist, racist...](https://www.vox.com/2019/1/15/18182530/james-watson-racist)** > > "People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty," he said in 2003. "I think it would be great." ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/10 "2022-06-20T19:11:40Z")
If you google “Dolly Parton is a…” guess what gets autofilled? [dolly parton is a national treasure - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=dolly+parton+is+a+national+treasure) I think she beats out everyone already mentioned for the U.S. by a country mile. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/11 "2022-06-20T19:17:52Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > England: > > Queen Elizabeth II > David Attenborough David Attenborough is correct, but Queen Elizabeth? You must be kidding. It’s obviously Kylie. [kylie minogue is a national treasure - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=kylie+minogue+is+a+national+treasure) (Or possibly Kylie’s bum.) ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/12 "2022-06-20T19:56:41Z")
For the UK Judi Dench, of course. And Joanna Lumley, who would probably make it on her absolutely fabulous body of work anyway, but whose status was cemented beyond debate by her role in the Gurkha Justice Campaign. > **[Gurkha Justice Campaign](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurkha_Justice_Campaign)** > > The Gurkha Justice Campaign was a campaign group in the United Kingdom fighting for the rights of the Gurkhas. > It wanted the Gurkhas who fought for the UK to gain the same rights as their British and Commonwealth counterparts. Essentially the group wanted the law to be changed so that all Gurkhas who fought for the UK will gain a right of abode, whereas under previous legislation they only had a right of abode if they retired following 1997. They took their case to the high court, and had the s... The box tells you most of what you need to know about the campaign. As for Lumley, who had become the face of the campaign: > On 5 May Joanna Lumley said that she had received private assurances of support from a senior member of the Royal Family, and attended a meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at 10 Downing Street the following day. Afterwards she described the meeting as “extremely positive”, and praised Brown, saying, “I trust him. I rely on him. And I know that he has now taken this matter into his own hands and so today is a very good day”. > > However, on the day following the meeting with Brown, five Gurkha veterans who had applied for residency in the United Kingdom received letters telling them that their appeals had been rejected. Lumley confronted [Minister For Immigration] Phil Woolas at the BBC Westminster studios about the issue and, after pursuing him around the studio, the pair held an impromptu press conference in which she pressured him into agreeing to further talks over the issue. Here is that impromptu press conference. Always a pleasure to watch a Government Minister squirm. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/BcdeK27Y65s/hqdefault.jpg "Joanna Lumley and Phil Woolas discuss the plight of the Gurkhas") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcdeK27Y65s) j ETA - and this is an excellent time to highlight Michael Eavis - founder of the Glastonbury festival (and organizer/promoter for decades), and all-round fine human being. > **[Michael Eavis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Eavis)** > > Athelstan Joseph Michael Eavis CBE (born 17 October 1935) is an English dairy farmer and the co-creator of the Glastonbury Festival, which takes place at his farm in Pilton, Somerset. > Eavis was born in Pilton, Somerset on 17 October 1935, and grew up at Worthy Farm in the village. His father was a Methodist local preacher, and his mother a school teacher. Eavis was educated at Wells Cathedral School, followed by the Thames Nautical Training College in Greenhithe, Kent, after which he joined t... ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/13 "2022-06-20T19:58:12Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Considering his questionable takes on women and minorities (and subsequent complaints about essentially being cancelled), I’m not sure how much the nation will generally mourn. > [@Riemann](#): > > A great scientist, but a national embarrassment. Well crap, I didn’t know about that. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/14 "2022-06-20T20:10:24Z")
If people really believed in what they claim are their values, ours would be **Jimmy Carter** ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/15 "2022-06-20T20:21:53Z")
## John Glenn Neil Armstrong ## The Apollo 1 astronauts: Roger Chaffee Ed White Gus Grissom The unknown people who gave up their lives in other ways for he country, For example Apollo program manager who broke down and went to the hospital saying “I’ve got to get back, I’ve got to get back.” (_Chariots for Apollo_) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/16 "2022-06-20T20:24:01Z")
_ **The nominations should be for living treasures.** _ Sadly **John Glenn** died in December 8, 2016 **Neil Armstrong** has been dead since August 25, 2012 ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/17 "2022-06-20T20:26:21Z")
Oops, I missed the OP’s restriction to people currently living. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/18 "2022-06-20T20:28:14Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > If you google “Dolly Parton is a…” guess what gets autofilled? > > [dolly parton is a national treasure - Google Search](https://www.google.com/search?q=dolly+parton+is+a+national+treasure) > > I think she beats out everyone already mentioned for the U.S. by a country mile. Beat me to it. Not just for her music, but for her philanthropy and her unstinting commitment to giving back to her community. Since the OP also included people that the nation _should_ mourn, but probably won’t, I nominate Ani DiFranco; in my view, the finest songwriter in the past fifty years. Also an independent, feminist icon, a singer who turned down the traditional music industry track and instead founded her own label at 19, and built a career strictly via word-of-mouth and constant touring; an artist who from the early 90s loudly supported LGBTQ, women’s, and abortion rights, both with words and with money; yet who’s never been transgressive for its own sake. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/19 "2022-06-20T21:29:03Z")
Technically, the lack of a possessive apostrophe in the subject title (“countries”) makes this thread invalid, but I’m feeling generous just now, so… Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Buzz Aldrin Ken Burns Lynda Carter Roger Corman Richard Dawkins - England “Nature Boy” Ric Flair Buddy Guy Leo Kottke Jet Li – China Hayao Miyazaki - Japan John McLaughlin - England Tatsuya Nakadai – Japan MacKenzie Scott William Shatner – Canada, originally Donald Trump, sure to be looked at as a “National Treasure” in the future by supporters, those unduly impressed with the unprecedented scope, longevity and success of his cons (i.e., as the embodiment of “American know-how” in the service of the Capitalist impulse) or worshiped under compulsion as a deity by all U.S. citizens should his forces ultimately triumph. Anne Sofie von Otter - Sweden I would have added French actor Jean-Louis Trintignant to the list, but he passed away three days ago. Couldn’t the OP have posted this earlier? Assuming the person(s) responsible still lives, the inventor(s) of the fast-forward button (possibly “mute” as well). ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504/20 "2022-06-20T21:39:25Z")
Tom Waits. Maybe Dylan too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-your-humble-opinion-who-are-your-countries-national-treasures-other-countries-too-if-you-like/966504.md?page=2)