Heated debate: thoughts on Thatcher's funeral

One big current news event that has just had me and my Mum debating heatedly through Skype...
Margaret Thatcher's funeral.

Margaret Thatcher: words that provoke such hugely spilt reactions in people.  Some folk still clearly carry deep wounds from her period in power as UK Prime Minister (1979-90) - there have been street parties celebrating her death last Monday 8th April and apparently there have also been riots and derrogative songs written about her.

Mum and I were debating the strong reactions from the British people.  Mum thinks at this period of mourning her family and friends should be left in peace to say their goodbyes.  I agree in principle, that whomever the person and whatever their negative actions were in life (even if they were crimes) at the point of their death their family should be allowed the space and privacy to perform the death rituals with dignity.

However, the issue becomes complicated when the funds used to bury that person are coming from the public pocket - Thatcher's ceremonial funeral will apparently cost £10 million, part paid by her estate, and part coming from our taxes.  So in that case, if I or any tax-paying Brit am paying in part for a funeral, then I would say it is within our rights to voice our opinion about the person being buried.  I can completely see then, why anyone who believes that Thatcher's policies were hugely damaging for Britain would be massively indignant to see their taxes going to cover an extravagant funeral.  This is not to say this justifies in any way abusive behaviour towards her family, but I can see why people are angry.

As Mum says, there are always two sides to each story, and this BBC article seems to do a pretty good job at presenting both.  Certainly Thatcher's government made some good choices, such as right-to-buy council homes.  This facilitated folk like my grandparents being able to buy their homes.  Genuinely a good thing for them.  (The complications of repeated right-to-buy is another issue.)

As the first female Prime Minister in the UK Thatcher also draws a lot of respect, as Meryl Streep talks about in this interview, recorded after the actress played Thatcher for 2011 film The Iron Lady.

However, it seems that Margaret Thatcher will be remembered by a huge number of people most remembered for mine closures and agressively targeting trade unions, and initiating the privatisation of all Britain's services.  It is interesting to me that even as I travel here so far overseas, I am meeting numerous people who have strong comments to make about Thatcher, including one from the last few days "that woman destroyed your country."  The Thatcher government's involvement in the Falklands War is also at the front of my mind, having just been in Argentina talking with the veterans camping in Plaza 25 de Mayo in Buenos Aires.  I am also aware of her support of the Reagan's government and its hugely controversial actions in Nicaragua, funding the Contra War of the 1980's which I first learned about whilst traveling in Nicaragua and the El Salvador in 2010.

And whatever the opinion on her political stance, taking away the financial complications that heighten the emotional reactions, Thatcher deserves a dignified death ceremony, as every human being does, as we all do.