APRIL FOOLS’ DAY IS SUBJECT TO MISUSE

There is a time and place for everything. There is time to play, work, and rest. There’s never a time to share inappropriate jokes. Telling a lie and calling it a “joke” is a serious offense. It can cost someone’s life. No real boss or employee should ever share inappropriate jokes. Laughter is good for the soul. King Solomon said it best, “A merry heart is like medicine.” But some April Fools’ Day jokes can leave you wounded. Saturday while waiting in the barbershop, one of the barbers went outside and returned shouting, “Two police officers are outside beating a boy to death!” Everyone looked and said what. I must let you know early that the barber deceived me. After hesitating, I went outside. I saw two police cars, but the police were just doing their work and having fun. After I had returned to the shop, he asked if I saw the boy. He laughed and touched me, but I didn’t find it funny. It was inappropriate. He shouted April Fools’ Day, but no one finds it funny. We are living in a world where the police forces are working hard to improve community relations, and the last thing they want is someone to accuse them and shout April Fools’ Day. Sharing false information and labeling it as a joke is unacceptable. Calling a lie a joke is wrong. They are different. We should not conflate them. Comedians send thousands of dollars to the bank for delivering jokes while judges send thousands to jail for lying. Deceiving people and calling it a joke will eventually cost you. So we should never use April Fools’ Day as an excuse to lead people astray.