Lion of Ansteorra

[Greg Rose]

My use of the term "naive" was precise and intentional.  I meant it in two
ways.  First, the notion that "fairness" to an individual must normally
take precedence over respect for a kingdom's or an order's traditions is,
frankly, naive.  Civilization, even in small quarters like the SCA, is
predicated on balancing the interests of individuals and groups in relatively
sophisticated ways.  To privilege one element of that balance is, in fact,
naive.  Second, having been a principal counselor to the Anteorran crown
for quite a few years (albeit not for the past six), I was privileged to
observe how kings and queens chose candidates for the Order of the Lion.
The idea that the crown would not pay sufficiently careful attention to
guarantee that a prospective Lion attended the event at which that Lion
would be created reflects, I think, a naive view of precisely how important
such an elevation was, and is, to Ansteorran royalty and how the elevation
would be orchestrated.  I chose to regard the example as naivete about how
careful crowns have been about selecting Lions and seeing that the 
candidate was present at the event where the elevation took place.  Would
those who objected to the term have preferred that I suggest that the
author of the original posting had a low opinion of the intelligence or
diligence of Ansteorran royalty in regard to one of the most important
decisions a crown makes during its reign?  That seemed to be the alternative
interpretation.

Hossein Ali Qomi
(Gregory Rose)