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Most television newscasts lead with the same stories these days and none of them are very positive. I’d much rather see the one about the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Mike Dragich, wrestling an eight-foot alligator that happened to be crossing the street and bothering people in Jacksonville, Florida.

            Dragich, who not only fights with his bare hands, is also a licensed alligator trapper. He was attending a hockey game and got the call about the alligator.

            “I was only five minutes away” he explained, “so I told my wife to ‘hold my sweet tea’ while I go and take care of this gator business.”

            The gator was in the middle of a paved street, rushing at the police and the gathering crowds. Dragich was dressed for the occasion in a sleeveless, sport shirt, shorts, and was barefooted. The gator was crawling pretty fast and he, very calmly, snuck up behind the gator and jumped on its back just as he might jump on the back of an MMA opponent.

            The first thing he did was shut the mouth of the gator and, with some black tape he just happened to have for the occasion, taped the gator’s mouth shut. He picked the gator up and headed toward a police car to give them the gator. Of course, the brave police scattered, just like I would have, and Mike Dragich smiled from ear to ear. Then, in a matter-of-fact manner he returned to the hockey game and finished his sweet tea!

            This gator-capturing incident wasn’t his first rodeo. Last year in May, a larger gator (ten feet) was threatening an elementary school and he was called. After capturing this reptile, Dragich said he does this to bring focus upon a subject that means a lot to him, Project Savior Outdoors. That organization helps veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

            “My heart goes out to veterans dealing with PTSD and the issue of veteran suicide.”

            One more thing about this 34 year old hero. He looks for instances where viral videos may result from his exploits. “It puts eyes on me, and I want to use that opportunity to point it all to Jesus and get these veterans all the help that they need.” What a nice and uplifting story to tell on a newscast, but I doubt it makes it on too many shows.

            Instead we get to see university campuses where the people are shouting “From the river to the sea” or “Death to Israel.” Even a prestigious Ivy League school like Yale, gets in on the show. I have a question or two. Are these really Yale students and who’s paying?

            The average cost of tuition at Yale University is about $85,000 dollars. Yet, if you are of the Jewish faith, you are told that it’s not safe to get out of your room. Go online for your classes and stay safe. The so-called students who are “peacefully protesting” cheer the burning of the United States flag.

            The newscast, then, thinks I want to see the insides of the House of Representatives as they pass a bill to send money we don’t have for a war that doesn’t have an end. And the “yahoos” we elected cheer a foreign nation’s flag instead of Old Glory!

            Or, they think I want to hear about a trial that has a former president having to spend his time and money defending himself against a jury that doesn’t like him and against a situation for which the statute of limitations ran out long ago.

            And they wonder why no one watches the news anymore. I’ll take Mike Dragich and alligator wrestling any day!