Today is Wednesday, April 1st … the day commonly known as “April Fools’ Day.” It’s a day when people play practical jokes on each other and the media report bizarre, made-up stories with no factual basis*. April Fool’s Day has been a popular quasi-holiday since the 1800’s … it’s not an official national holiday anywhere, but it is well-known and widely observed in Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil and – of course - the United States.
One of the best
April Fool pranks ever was played by the Guardian newspaper on April 1, 1977,
when it printed a seven-page supplement commemorating the tenth anniversary of
the independence of the island nation of San Serriffe, complete with maps and themed
advertisements from major companies. You can read the whole story in my April Fools’ Day post from last year.
Unfortunately,
April Fools’ Day isn’t as much fun as it used to be, mostly because so many professional fools use the other 364 days (365 in leap years) to
spread buffoonery far and wide, squeezing out the amateurs. It’s especially bad now, when we’re stumbling
helplessly into the whirling maelstrom of foolishness of the 2016 presidential
campaigns. You need only look at the presumptive candidates** to know that we’re
in for an epic load of enormously expensive, world-class ass-clownery.
And it’s not just
the politicians doing it.
Our stable of
April Fools has expanded to include climate change deniers; people who reject
proven science; anti-vaccination zealots; people who want the right to carry
concealed weapons everywhere, no matter how inappropriate; and hyper-religious
wingnuts (whether Islamic, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or the Church of the Flying
Spaghetti Monster). And that’s just for starters.
It won’t be time to name April's Right Cheek Ass Clown for another week and a half, but today seems appropriate to give at least a sad acknowledgement to a man who would be a world-class contender for the award, and is a poster child for April Foolery – I refer, of course, to Indiana governor Mike Pence, who has twisted himself into knots trying to evade responsibility for his shameful “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” which legitimizes bigotry by allowing anyone the right to use their religious beliefs as an excuse for denying rights to others.
It won’t be time to name April's Right Cheek Ass Clown for another week and a half, but today seems appropriate to give at least a sad acknowledgement to a man who would be a world-class contender for the award, and is a poster child for April Foolery – I refer, of course, to Indiana governor Mike Pence, who has twisted himself into knots trying to evade responsibility for his shameful “Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” which legitimizes bigotry by allowing anyone the right to use their religious beliefs as an excuse for denying rights to others.
Governor Pence gives the finger to those of whom he doesn't approve
Have a good day. Pity the fools***. More thoughts tomorrow.
Bilbo
* Except for Fox
News, which pretty much does that every day.
** Yes, Ted Cruz
and Hillary Clinton, I’m talking to you.
*** Where's Mr T when you need him?
*** Where's Mr T when you need him?
What can be more fitting than to honor our foola?
ReplyDeleteAnd the list would go on and on and on, right? So many foolish people...how about a bill that recognizes that the climate change is inadvertently effecting women more than men? Craziness.
ReplyDeleteSigh...
ReplyDelete"God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America." - Otto von Bismarck.
ReplyDeleteI've been to the island nation of San Serriffe. I have font memories of it.
ReplyDeleteAngel - that's the right idea!
ReplyDeleteLinda Kay - everyone knows that climate change isn't real ... and if it were, it would be a commie plot!
John - me, too.
Anemone - oddly enough, April 1 is also Otto von Bismarck's birthday!
Mike - you're fired.
I don't pity those fools, nor do I suffer them gladly.
ReplyDeleteI'd not mind if they do the suffering instead.
Gov. Pence came out looking dumb.
ReplyDelete