While Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish wit and writer never said this, he easily could have made this one of his bon mots: The only crime worthy of the death penalty is bad taste. Two events last week in the U.S. underscored the relevance of this notion of why bad taste must be treated so harshly.

The first was the 45th playing of the Ryder Cup between the best U.S. and European golfers at the famous public Black Course at Bethpage, Long Island.

The second was the gathering of over 800 generals, admirals and senior enlisted personnel at the Marine Base, Quantico, Virginia ordered by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and to which the president was invited to attend.

At both, bad taste was the theme.

At Bethpage, the outrageous behavior of too many Americans was in evidence. The competitions displayed some of the greatest golf ever displayed.

In last Saturday's........

© The Hill