News that Makes You Ask, ‘Really?’

I don’t normally blog much about our nation’s current events, but I’ve been left scratching my head when I watched the news this week.

There have been some doozies that caught my attention, leading to a “Midweek Update” (similar to Seth Meyers “Really!?!” skit he does on SNL’s Weekend Update).

Really? After getting acquitted from a largely publicized murder trial, George Zimmerman is now in the news for allegedly pulling a gun on his father-in-law and wife. And this isn’t his first run in with the law since the trial wrapped up. He’s been pulled over for speeding tickets and has been photographed in a gun maker’s shop. Really? It’s as if he feels he can get away with murder.

Really? Since when do sarcastic remarks become the basis for a new war plan? Somehow, John Kerry’s off-the-cuff statement that Assad could avoid strikes by turning over his entire chemical weapon stockpile has Russia jumping on this idea — and now Syria is on board. So, are the United States’ “jokes” better than our real ideas? Really?

Really? McDonald’s workers want the minimum wage to be raised to $15 an hour. That’s more than I got paid at my first job — after receiving a four-year college degree. No, journalism jobs don’t pay much, but I thought they were at least better than asking if you want to super size that. (Although, side note, I once talked with Jay Leno, and when he found out I was a journalist, he told me I better get used to asking if someone wanted fries with that.) And what do the employees think constitutes a higher salary — especially in this economy? Are they going to start juggling my burger, fries, drink and a fire baton and not act like they are doing me a favor when I pay them? Really?

And this has been a “Midweek Update” with Lauren Dowdle.