True humor is fun – it does not put down, kid, or mock. It makes people feel wonderful, not separate, different, and cut off. True humor has beneath it the understanding that we are all in this together.
- Hugh Prather

The line “Ben Clarke spent the past 10 years working as a speechwriter and political consultant in Washington, D.C. He has recently relocated back to Greenfield, where he works as a freelance writer.” garnishes the end of each article that Ben S. Clarke writes for The Recorder, a newspaper serving the people of Franklin County and the North Quabbin Region in Massachusetts.

As an unapologetic liberal let me translate the section He has recently relocated back to Greenfield, where he works as a freelance writer into After George 43 there was no more use for him in Washington D.C. Ben S. Clarke is a hardcore Republican, but, honestly, I won’t hold that against him. My wife is a registered Republican, and we haven’t killed each other yet. In fact, we’re doing very well.

My utterly unimportant blabbering is about his misguided sense of humor under the motto “If I can offense somebody, let’s do it.” He does it so eloquently, and he does it continuously.

On March 3, 2010 he wrote an article titled The Conservative Greenfielder’s Lament. Again, I will not address his political affiliation, but rather the remarks he deems to be humorous. Let me quote:

“I have always resented the liberal presumption of intolerance among conservatives – the notion that we huddle around campfires in endangered forests and seethe in our abhorrence of gays, ethnic minorities, illegal immigrants and France. Don’t get me wrong. I am not proposing we amend the Constitution and smuggle in an undocumented lesbian from Honduras to run for president. But I would at least hear her out. Assuming she could cook.”

In the meantime he wrote another article (which I, unfortunately, did not keep) about his childhood in which he joked about selling his brother’s kidney.

Today he addresses the oil spill situation in the Gulf of Mexico, lecturing us that BP stands for British Petrol (Duh!), and making some discriminative comments like “These guys are BRITISH.” Regardless, let’s have a look at another paragraph where he states:

“The only thing that we should focus on banning in America right now are romantic comedies starring Meryl Streep, referees in NBA basketball games, and tampon commercials.”

I still wonder who at The Recorder allows Ben S. Clarke to continue his Rush-Limbaugh-wannabe tirades, and if someone will tell him that his sense for humor is off. Maybe that is exactly the reason why he is not a speechwriter anymore.

Supplement June 17, 2010

Ben S. Clarke contacted me through this website, telling me that a friend had told him about this post, that he liked my blog, and to keep it coming. Ben, you continue your disturbing sense of humor, and I will definitely keep going. His remark also proves the point that the George-43-gang was – and apparently still is – out of touch with modern communication technologies. My wife googled Ben, and the only reference she could find was through my blog. Say thank you, Ben!

If you want to stay in business as a writer it is imperative to have a blog, and to verify the impact of your writing you put yourself on Google Alerts (i.e. you don’t need friends to keep you up to date). Last, but not least, as a truly professional writer you don’t use GMail. May I add that I am twenty-plus years older than Ben, but that’s merely biological, not mental.

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The Irish War is officially a part of history, but not for Finnean Whelan, an IRA veteran of almost 40 years. British Intelligence has produced evidence that he is the mastermind behind a conspiracy to assassinate the First Minister of Northern Ireland. For Whelan this is not only a mission of revenge, but marks the beginning of a journey into the past and the return to the one true love: Ireland. [More...]

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