Just when I thought I’d be able to bring you another installment of the sarcasm and dry humor for which you customarily tune into the Alligator News Roundup, we have to deal with another war that has blown up to spoil the mood.
Normally, I scour my news feed lightly through the week (very lightly… don’t confuse this with real work) and find a dozen or so articles from which something juicy can be made. In a normal week we can make hay out of things like:
an EV battery plant that runs on coal (10/6)
Native Americans filing suit against a football team over losing their tribal identity (9/29)
a government leader protecting free speech by imposing censorship (9/22)
a fast-food restaurant chain that forbids employees to quit (9/15)
a state senator using COVID funds for his wife’s Ferrari (9/8)
a major American city paying millions to rioters as an apology for trying to make them stop rioting (9/1)
other American cities banning all meat and dairy products in this decade (8/25)
a U.S. state making the use of wrong pronouns a felony offense (8/18)
and so on.
But then Hamas invaded Israel and things suddenly got serious. This week has been much like the days right after 9/11, when there was no comedy. Entertainers acknowledged they were pretty much out of work for a time.
In 2023, this was not just any run-of-the-mill invasion.
The level of violence we have seen spread across major media and social media this week is as horrific as anything that exists. Don’t worry, I will not re-hash it here.
The lines have been drawn between those who support Hamas and those who oppose Hamas. In that sentence, Israel could be substituted for Hamas.
When humor is confronted with evil, humor loses.
Doing a dryly humorous send-up of President Biden’s laser-like focus on ensuring our freedom from paying extra fees on concert tickets sort of falls flat when put up against mutilated babies.
Covering the Great Ice Cream Lockout of 3rd graders with unpaid lunch tickets is not particularly amusing when families are literally being burned alive in their apartments.
But I said I would not re-hash it here.
I do wonder where the world goes from here. Most of us Westerners believe there are two sides to any conflict. This one challenges that polite assumption.
Maybe I’ll be back next week with some light-hearted banter. If we are not in World War III by then. And if the EMP strike has not yet been launched.
Malachi 3:16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His name.
Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Curt
Alligator: Special Bulletin #2