This story out of Indiana University yesterday hardly needs comment (but I’ll supply some anyway):

Everyone mistook a priest for a KKK member last night Rumors of a klansman on campus have proven false after a priest innocently made his way through Bloomington. Last night around 9:15 PM, social media became a furious storm of confusion regarding a man in white robes roaming along 10th St. and purportedly armed with a whip. Students thought the white robes indicated Klu Klux Klan affiliation. In the spirit of Hoosiers helping Hoosiers, students were quick to look out for each other by spreading word of this potential safety risk.

The real hilarity comes from the tweets and notices sent out. Like these:

While the KKK has been active in the area in the past, it later became apparent this klansman armed with a whip was actually just a priest in traditional white robes. The “whip” he was holding may have been rosary beads or the rope-like belt tied at his waist. He was sighted off campus the same evening at the Red Mango on 10th St.

Spotted at Mango Street as well as campus? That priest really gets around!

But once the confusion ignorance was cleared up, the fun really picked up:

Yeah, because the only thing more offensive than a klansman would be a priest! And at night no less! I’m sure this counts as a macroaggression. (And thought monasteries were the original safe spaces. . .)

Let the proper mocking begin:

UPDATE: A reader sends along the following development from the world of journulizm:

Steve – just to show how things interconnect… The Associated Press just released its latest “updates” to its vaunted Style Guide. One of them is to now include what a “canonization” is. Yes, AP now feels it has to explain to the vast army of reporters what a canonization is. AP adds these updates in reference to feedback it gets from reporters asking it questions about reporting style. Obviously, reporters of a certain age will know what it is but the guide is very helpful for younger reporters to learn the cant of the mainstream media (at least learn what the mainstream media thinks on a topic). Now we have younger reporters starting (or coming out of J-Schools) not knowing what a canonization is. I wouldn’t be surprised to see in a decade or so the need for AP to explain who that Jesus (pronounced ‘Ha-soos’) guy is.

Yes, I suspect that many young journalists today think “canonization” is what Bush and Rumsfeld did to Iraq or something. Speaking of drones. . .