That’s what I asked about - I never said anything about an average person- so please go ahead already.
Her family live in a different city and she stayed in a nurse’s home during the week. She actually didn’t tell them anything about what had happened. I guess she felt it was her problem to deal with on her own.
Your tone is getting a bit questionable. Is there a reason for that?
My general hypothesis is that there is more social pressure to respect the royal family than there is to respect anyone in the US.
Do you actually know any British people? Many, perhaps most, of us frequently say disrespectful things, or laugh at disrespectful jokes, about the royal family. Tune in to some of the most popular comedy shows broadcast by the BBC most weeks, and you will frequently hear comedians being thoroughly rude about various members of the royal family, and getting big laughs from it. No-one kills themselves over this. Maybe thirty years ago, when such jokes were somewhat less frequently broadcast, the BBC would have got a few letters of complaint about it from certain particularly uptight citizens, but I doubt that even that happens now.
There is no way that this poor young woman’s suicide was caused solely by shame at having inadvertently done something displeasing to the royal family. Almost certainly, she was already in a very fragile state of mental health, and was pushed over the brink by the embarrassment of being (however blamelessly) put in the public eye by this artificial media “scandal”, very likely coupled with insensitive and unfair treatment from her superiors in teh hospital (which they are now, doubtless, covering up).
I never said that the prank was the whole reason for her suicide. I don’t think such a thing. It’s not a reasonable assumption.
However, I still think there’s probably a measurable difference in the average deference given to a royal in the UK, versus that given to any US citizen.
I don’t even see how that’s really even in question.
It’s in question because you’re completely wrong. The royals are given more attention, but not more deference. Hell, newspapers have published photos of William and Harry’s penises. The queen gets treated more respectfully, but most countries aren’t fond of taking the piss out of octogenarians who never do anything wrong.
There is probably something to it but ultimately it’s the public awareness of the situation that makes it emotionally distressing. If it had been Jonathan Doeherty, taxi driver, it would still be a mistake made in front of God and everybody and as such it would be a perceived humiliation to someone who has other emotional problems. I would concede a higher level of humiliation given to a screw-up involving the Queen.
But really, she was living alone with her thoughts because she lived near the hospital due to travel distance. She didn’t use the normal outlets in times of distress (friends/family) and it caught up to her.
This might be a learning moment for everybody who knows of the story. I’ve lived long enough to know there are a fair number of special snowflakes running amok in the world. They fall apart at the slightest bit of emotional fluff that comes their way. Sometimes a simple emotional pat on the back can make a difference in their lives.
She was an unhinged loon. /faux sympathy
>http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2012/12/23/15/28/radio-hoax-nurse-tried-to-commit-suicide-before
It isn’t common knowledge that the woman was catholic. You brought it up spontaneously and it sounded very weird. So don’t preach to us about political correctness; we have no idea what you’re talking about.
I brought it up because it was not commonly reported. I am not and was not preaching about political correctness. I apologise if it seemed like I was. I was just pointing out something.