I feel sorry for any parent who has to bury a son. So if this comforts Mohamed Al Fayed, let it be. Still, the thing that puzzles me, always has about this terrible accident, is simple: why on earth were they not wearing their seat belts? Had they worn their seat belts, they would still be around, and there would likely be no peculiar statue in Herrod’s. They might have been a little banged up, but would have recovered. Diana would have been pleased to see her sons grow into nice young men. Maybe she would have remarried, maybe not. But so often people behave as though they were immortal by not taking simple precautions like this. This will always puzzle me. Still I think everyone was shocked to see such a relatively young woman who was so compassionate on so many issues, land mines, AIDs, etc., lose her life so early. As for Mother Teresa, sure I remember she died the same day, but I think she was in her late eighties. So her death was not as shocking.

I have never fully understood the race for first lady, but I can see that it makes otherwise gracious people a little grumpy. Witness Bill Clinton as well. I don’t see any political point to be served in dissecting the personality of the wife or husband of a candidate. It strikes me as simply mean. But I don’t think it is true that Democrats always nominate little known people and Republicans nominate old hacks. George Bush was a mere pup when he was nominated, governor of Texas, of course, but he spent most of his life in some sort of stupor, lurching from one business failure to another. [In fact there was a poll of Floridia voters in 2000 that suggested several percent of them believed they were voting for his father.] Mondale was an old warrior Democratic candidate. Maybe this year people are so yearning for change, for real democracy, that it is natural to look to someone who can inspire. I would be happy with either Democratic candidate as the nominee.