If I stumble upon another article about the royal wedding this April, I will be in desperate need of a gag reflex removal.
As melodramatic as the statement may sound, I can assure you those news outlets, publishers and designers have taken dramatic to infinity and beyond.
Taking out time to view the wedding seems nearly pointless, considering the coverage that it has received. I’m nearly fluent in the wedding’s seating chart, and could spew out the dinner menu at a moment’s notice.
After all, while in the midst of rising gas prices, countless revolutions in the Middle East and the nuclear energy debacle in Japan, what’s more important than a royal wedding?
According to a report issued by MSNBC, the wedding will cost roughly $48 million. Not to worry, the couple has requested that guests don’t buy them gifts and instead make charity donations.
I’m infinitely proud of whoever was under the assumption that a collection of merchandise manufactured in a third world country at an eighth of the cost of what it’s being sold for is worth anyone’s wile.
Fear not, readers, I won’t bombard you with fun facts about the guest list or whether their cake is chocolate truffle. Instead, I’ll leave you with three current events (one regional, another national and the last international) that should be read rather than wedding propaganda.
In local news, Gov. Jan Brewer signed a bill into law this past Tuesday that allows Arizona schools to use tax-credit donations for supplies in the classroom. Previously, the restraints on the donations kept teachers from using the taxpayer dollars to their advantage. This draws a considerable amount of benefit for parents, teachers and students. Kate and William’s wedding is superfluous in comparison.
Nationally we can all draw our eyes to the tornado that tore through St. Louis on Friday. The whirlwinds had a large effect on the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, destroying property and frazzling travellers. Fortunately, predictions reported by The New York Times relay that the airport would make a swift recovery and has already reopened its doors. Is this still more vital to readers than a wedding? It sure is.
Something to take notice of on an international scale — and isn’t anywhere near the royal couple — is the removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh from power in Yemen. After 32-year rule, the president has agreed that too many lives have been lost in the rebellious protests and will be handing his presidency over in 30 days, reported BBC News.
It’s quite easy to spot: schools, tornadoes, cries for democracy and wedding veils. What doesn’t fit in this picture? Clearly, our priorities deserve some reorganization.
Reach Brittany at brittany.morris@asu.edu
