Not One Knee Was Taken During Solemn Prerace Ceremonies at Dover
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I bid
you welcome gentle readers, and a cordial “Hope you’re ready for this one” to
our assigned NASCAR reader for today. This may well turn out to be the column I
swore I wouldn’t write about the subject I swore I’d stay away from. That’s a
whole lot of swearing right there, and trust me when I tell you, I have more,
but in deference to the gentility of my readers and the tender years of some, I
shall remain the lady I have always been… maybe.
Last
season, one troublemaking malcontent in the NFL decided that kneeling during
the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” would be a fun thing to do. He
claimed it was to protest unnamed injustices by unnamed people perpetrated
against his “oppressed” race. This year a lot more folks, with the full
blessing of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, have joined in the game of “Let’s
trash our Anthem.”
As
always happens, the left-leaning faction of this country has quickly picked up
on this “protest” as a means of putting down our President, Donald J. Trump and
anyone or everyone associated with him or of a conservative mind. Just for the
record, though I seldom ever discuss politics, and have never done so in a
column, that’s me. My political mindset falls somewhere to the right of Ronald
Reagan.
Apparently,
that alone makes me a racist, though I haven’t a prejudiced or racist bone in
this ancient body. I am prejudged to be whatever the left claims I am and in
their eyes, they are never wrong. Know what gentle readers? I’m old and tired,
but I too have rights, and I too feel oppressed right now.
As long
as that whole mess stayed in football, I had no reason to care. I’ve enjoyed
NFL games… even played in Fantasy leagues for years now (not this year)… but
when push comes to shove, I’m a race fan that can live nicely without being
treated to a bunch of overpaid “athletes” making asses of themselves and
trampling on all the things I’ve ever been taught were right and good. That’s
fine. Only liberals have feelings; I get that part… and I am free not to watch
the nonsense and disrespect in the NFL.
However!!!
Because President Trump gave his stamp of approval to remarks made by Richard
Petty and Richard Childress, putting down the practice of “taking a knee”, auto
racing has become a secondary target for the liberal media of America. The
track in Dover Delaware is crawling with them, and they really won’t take “No”
for an answer. If a driver demurs from offering the requested opinion on the
NFL “protest”, then he must have been told not to speak with the press. I
always love a good conspiracy theory… but few if any have ever proven true. I’m
going to give you a couple of quotes taken directly from an article written by
Al Pearce and appearing in this column.
“It should come as
no surprise that most NASCAR drivers -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. being an enlightened
exception -- are reluctant to talk about the recent national anthem protests by
NFL players.”
“Those with
intelligent opinions -- almost certainly
only a handful -- have likely been told to avoid anything that will bring
attention to the subject.”
That
will do for now. The author goes on to quote three drivers, each of whom failed
to take the bait and gave absolutely no indication that they might ever
consider disrespecting our National Anthem. For that reason, they are judged to
have less than intelligent opinions… all but Dale Earnhardt Jr., who for some
reason always seems to have an opinion. (It’s a social media thing) My dear
little Irish Mom spent a lifetime trying to teach me that there are times when
it’s better to say nothing at all. She failed, but she tried!
Harkening
back for a moment to the less than intelligent opinions. One of the drivers
very politely asserting that he had nothing to say on the subject and was more
interested in winning a Championship than discussing the NFL’s problems was
Ryan Newman. One has to assume that Mr. Pearce somehow missed the fact that
Ryan’s less than intelligent opinion comes backed with a degree in Vehicular
Engineering from Purdue University. That’s some pretty strong credentials to be
looked down upon by a media hack.
Your
scribe has purposely started this on Saturday afternoon, but will wait until we
see how things unfold on Sunday. It is my considered opinion… to which I am
constitutionally entitled… that there will be not one soul on a knee at that race…
on track or in the grandstands. From its inception, NASCAR has always been
known for its patriotism and support of America’s military and first
responders. That is something in which we race fans take great pride, and I
cannot in good conscience sit back and silently watch our sport being brought
down to the level of the NFL by members of the liberal media looking for more
click bait.
Let me
be perfectly clear… we are all about RACING, not RACISM. The two have
absolutely nothing to do with each other… despite the red herrings being
dangled by poor journalism and prejudice. We’re all aware of the general
stereotype of the “typical race fan.” To some minds being a race fan makes
every one of us an uneducated almost toothless redneck, wearing a plaid shirt and
drinking beer… or shine. Being patriotic on top of that makes us racists. Those
that read my byline regularly know that I never… never, ever generalize about
any group for any reason. No trait is ever universal. That’s simple fact. No
two snowflakes since the dawn of creation have been exactly alike. The same
holds true for fish, reptiles, cats, dogs and human beings.
***** Time passes *****
Now it
is Sunday and the Anthem was delivered beautifully by the USO Show Troupe and the
race has just begun. As predicted, there were no incidents involving knees. The
practice of preceding each race with a prayer and the National Anthem has been
an integral part of NASCAR racing for as long as this fan can remember… and our
record of solemnity remains intact.
That’s
it folks! No problems and nothing to see here. Move along. As stated earlier,
we’re all about racing, not racism. Liberal media, go back and pester the NFL.
You’re not needed here.
In a
reverse of the omnipresent disclaimer, this column is not intended to speak for
the opinions of other writers on Race Fans Forever. As to the management, well,
that would be me, and I can attest that as such, I am in full agreement with
the words written here.
One
last note. Comments on this column should be posted HERE, not on Twitter. I
want them on record.
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling.
It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay