No Joke: Our Priorities Are Screwed Up

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I pay attention to grammar and punctuation. It goes with the job, and more than that, I know the nun who taught 7th and 8th grade English would come back and hammer me if I were lax about a comma or two.

She is the reason I got into this business. That and a sore arm from throwing too many curveballs when I was 10. They were beauties, though.

Dealing with most of the nuns, for me, was about appeasement. Don’t piss ‘em off. Stay under the radar; keep the smart mouth in check.

So, when Sister Evelyn, the aforementioned grade school English teacher, praised me for one of my writings, adding that I should continue to do more writing, I took it as gospel, so to speak.

The plan was to become a pitcher for the Cubs, then a sportswriter after my successful baseball career was over. But the arm gave out in freshman year, and I went into writing as a career.

Throughout my career, I fancied myself a better writer than reporter, with some exceptions here and there. I read about writing. I read good writers. And I saw correct placement of words and punctuation was key to clear communication.

It’s funny, many people on Facebook are more concerned about the loss of cursive than they are the pit that has become grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Bulletin: We don’t use cursive much anymore because kids are taught to type before they can talk. I assume many don’t bother with grammar, punctuation and spelling on social media because A) They are in a hurry to respond and don’t care; B) They are lazy, or C) They forgot or just plain don’t know.

My old pal Tricia Simpson once wrote in a Facebook post that I know how to use commas. Made my day. Someone noticed. Thank you, Tricia!

I’m pretty good with colons and semicolons, too, by the way.

Apparently though, the above isn’t the only thing I’m anal about, or so I’m told. I don’t have much of a sense of humor when it comes to making fun of government or government officials.

In one case, the person shared a picture of a sign that read, “The FBI is the New KGB.”

I don’t have any particular love for either, but too often our government is under attack these days. I don’t mean the Biden Administration, or any particular party. I mean our government as an institution.

There is distrust EVERYWHERE. I’m not talking about skepticism; I mean out and out distrust. Many people do not believe anything that comes out of government, even if it has been vetted. They believe only in a particular candidate and what he says.

Never in my life did I think I would have to defend government – the institution – as much as I have. Forget about cursive, many of the people on social media couldn’t pass a fifth grade course in government. So, now and then, I’ll have to remind them how the process works.

This does not mean I trust all government officials, no matter which party. I am concerned about Biden and Harris, but frankly, I am more concerned about a guy with a list of indictments far ahead in the race for his party’s nomination.

Twenty years ago, did you ever think a former president being indicted, repeatedly, would wind up anywhere but Page 1 of any newspaper? Now, it’s in a roundup on Page 8.

It looks like President Biden may be impeached as a way for Republicans in Congress to get more info from the Justice Department on the investigation of his son, Hunter.

Let me make this clear, if Biden, or Hunter or any other person deserves to be indicted for a crime or crimes, and they are found guilty, toss ‘em in prison. That’s how the system is supposed to work.

I suppose that Hunter Biden is an adult and under investigation makes him fair game for joke memes on social media.

But, once again, I got called out by a person for calling him out for sharing a Facebook meme portraying Hunter Biden unconscious with a glass pipe in his mouth. Something about that’s one pipeline the president won’t block.

The person who shared it could not believe how I thought that was making fun of substance abuse.

Like my Mom used to say, I guess: No sense, no feelings.

But, by all means, teach your kids cursive and how to drive stick, and things will be hunky dory.

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