Satire, if it is worthwhile, exhibits two notable attributes: it is poignant and often funny. Its poignancy comes from exposing an unrecognized and often unwelcome truth to the light of reason. It is the enemy of hypocrisy, sophistry, or other forms of public deception. Its tools of trade include irony, paradox, and caricature. And, of course, it can be funny, though political satire is sometimes more clever than funny. Finally, as recent events make clear, the latter can also be dangerous.

As an American, my experience of satire is largely formed by Jon Stewart. He sees himself as a comedian. But many of his viewers experience his Daily Show as part of the news media. His form of satire focuses on what the traditional news media too often miss, that is, the true significance of a story or interview. And he is very funny, even when his satire is biting. Like Charlie Hebdo, his show incorporates graphics that might offend some. But a good satirist cannot avoid hurting someone’s feelings. Anyone so victimized suffers more from his/her own fallacy than the sharp edge of truth. For the rest of us, we benefit from seeing that the “emperor has no clothes” or that truth may not always be what it seems. I can only remember one instance where Stewart got it wrong. His apology on the air had more to do with his character than his satire. Jon Stewart would never apologize for his satire unless he felt it missed the mark. He is a very responsible satirist without whom we would all experience a dearth of clarity in the blizzard of reported news.

My knowledge of the French language does not go far beyond bon jour and mercí. So I am unable to speak to the efficacy of French satire. Nonetheless, I feel the massacre at Charlie Hebdo touches Americans in a special way. We still live with the pain of 9/11. And we can appreciate the role of satire in a free society, for we too revere freedom of expression. The French, after all, share our democratic values and have done so for nearly as long as we have. So today I gladly expand my meager knowledge of French by stating loudly Je suis Charlie .