27 agosto 2004
Missing The Point
To the ESPN.com editors:
Regarding Jason Whitlock's column of August 26, I'm surprised that ESPN's editorial staff saw fit to publish such bombastic tripe. Mr. Whitlock's assertion that people rooting against the U.S.A. basketball team is tantamount to racism proves once again, as do many of his "Sports Reporters" appearances, that Mr. Whitlock is looking for the pulse of America by grabbing their ankles rather than their wrists.
Perhaps the viewing and rooting public of America is looking for the type of effort that other countries seem to have no problem putting forth during a basketball game, an effort with hustle and intensity. Maybe the viewing and rooting public of America would like to see a team with fire in its bellies, instead of one that makes excuses with statements such as those LeBron James made, that winning the gold is their goal but medaling at all is an accomplishment. Such a point of view is unacceptable for a team comprised of people enlisted specifically for their athletic gifts and ostensibly, their desire to be the best and bring home the gold. Indeed, if the entire team were white and displayed the stunning ineptitude of this team, the same complaints would be lodged. This is not about race. This is about effort. This is about passion. This is about all of the qualities lacking in a team that thought they could coast through the Olympics. In basketball in America, second best is not good enough.
Neither then is the attitude of erstwhile and uncaring millionaires (regardless of their race, class or religion) that go through the motions as though representing your country is not a privilege but a right. No one cares what the players look like. They care about their behavior, as they did in Nagano when they condemned a largely white U.S.A. hockey team for poor play and effort and poor sportsmanship as well.
Patriotism, Mr. Whitlock, knows no color, hairstyle or economic status. Patriotism knows no bounds. Patriotism is not the blind support of your countrymen through thick and thin. That is a misrepresentation. Patriotism, in life as well as competition, means questioning those who represent you if they do not meet the standards that you think the country deserves. This is not unpatriotic. It is the exact definition of patriotism because Americans should and will settle for no less than the best. Some people view this as arrogant. This is not arrogant; it is determined. And we should not be asked to settle for less.
Sincerely,
Señor Wences
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To the ESPN.com editors:
Regarding Jason Whitlock's column of August 26, I'm surprised that ESPN's editorial staff saw fit to publish such bombastic tripe. Mr. Whitlock's assertion that people rooting against the U.S.A. basketball team is tantamount to racism proves once again, as do many of his "Sports Reporters" appearances, that Mr. Whitlock is looking for the pulse of America by grabbing their ankles rather than their wrists.
Perhaps the viewing and rooting public of America is looking for the type of effort that other countries seem to have no problem putting forth during a basketball game, an effort with hustle and intensity. Maybe the viewing and rooting public of America would like to see a team with fire in its bellies, instead of one that makes excuses with statements such as those LeBron James made, that winning the gold is their goal but medaling at all is an accomplishment. Such a point of view is unacceptable for a team comprised of people enlisted specifically for their athletic gifts and ostensibly, their desire to be the best and bring home the gold. Indeed, if the entire team were white and displayed the stunning ineptitude of this team, the same complaints would be lodged. This is not about race. This is about effort. This is about passion. This is about all of the qualities lacking in a team that thought they could coast through the Olympics. In basketball in America, second best is not good enough.
Neither then is the attitude of erstwhile and uncaring millionaires (regardless of their race, class or religion) that go through the motions as though representing your country is not a privilege but a right. No one cares what the players look like. They care about their behavior, as they did in Nagano when they condemned a largely white U.S.A. hockey team for poor play and effort and poor sportsmanship as well.
Patriotism, Mr. Whitlock, knows no color, hairstyle or economic status. Patriotism knows no bounds. Patriotism is not the blind support of your countrymen through thick and thin. That is a misrepresentation. Patriotism, in life as well as competition, means questioning those who represent you if they do not meet the standards that you think the country deserves. This is not unpatriotic. It is the exact definition of patriotism because Americans should and will settle for no less than the best. Some people view this as arrogant. This is not arrogant; it is determined. And we should not be asked to settle for less.
Sincerely,
Señor Wences
06 agosto 2004
I Don't Even Have The Words
An outspoken racist has won the GOP primary for a Congressional seat in a Tennessee district.
From what I can gather in the article, he ran unopposed, save for a write-in candidate who was on National Guard duty when the deadline passed. He still got nearly 8,000 votes. I can't imagine all of these people went to the booth and just struck the lever for Republican without seeing who the candidate was. This was a fucking GOP primary! ALL of the candidates were Republicans.
Racism is ugly. Eugenics is an apocryphal and Medieval science. This man believes in both of them and runs his campaign on hate and fear. Now, he's got a shot to represent people in Washington. What does that say about how far we've come as a people? Not much, if you ask me.
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An outspoken racist has won the GOP primary for a Congressional seat in a Tennessee district.
From what I can gather in the article, he ran unopposed, save for a write-in candidate who was on National Guard duty when the deadline passed. He still got nearly 8,000 votes. I can't imagine all of these people went to the booth and just struck the lever for Republican without seeing who the candidate was. This was a fucking GOP primary! ALL of the candidates were Republicans.
Racism is ugly. Eugenics is an apocryphal and Medieval science. This man believes in both of them and runs his campaign on hate and fear. Now, he's got a shot to represent people in Washington. What does that say about how far we've come as a people? Not much, if you ask me.
05 agosto 2004
Señor? Is that you?
Actually, yes. It is me. I've having a hankering to write my silly nonsense lately. Y.P.R. is the fiction outlet. Why don't we give this a shot as the nonfiction outlet?
Recently, our friends "Dem Dems" met in the Third City (as a side note, can we really call Boston anything other than a Third City? Their inferiority complex makes Liza look stable.) Of course, by now I'm a little late to make any kind of timely commentary on this, but suffice it to say that I wept when Barack Obama spoke because his words were so incredibly moving. So moving, in fact, that the first thing that Republicans had to do was try to tell us that he was saying what they had to say. As usual, they are full of shit.
The Bush/Cheney Experience light down on my fair city within the month, pretty much locking the whole damn place down. I'm not concerned about the threat of a terror attack. I run the risk simply by living here and walking out of my apartment every day. If there's anything I can do to stop it, I'll do it. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward for these lying cocksuckers to come to town. I'll just keep screaming obscenities out my window. That should help.
Srta. Wences and I moved into our new apartment last month. The whole thing has mostly come together. We still need a little furniture, but I've settled into the fact that we live together now. It hurts to feel old, which is what I feel, but it feels good to be young, which is what I am. There's a big difference there. It helps to think of it that way. Ignoring anything that could be classified as "incessant nagging" helps a whole lot also.
It's going to be tough to win you back, but I hold hope that I can everytually do so. Please keep reading Y.P.R. We continue to do good stuff over there, at least I think we do.
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Actually, yes. It is me. I've having a hankering to write my silly nonsense lately. Y.P.R. is the fiction outlet. Why don't we give this a shot as the nonfiction outlet?
Recently, our friends "Dem Dems" met in the Third City (as a side note, can we really call Boston anything other than a Third City? Their inferiority complex makes Liza look stable.) Of course, by now I'm a little late to make any kind of timely commentary on this, but suffice it to say that I wept when Barack Obama spoke because his words were so incredibly moving. So moving, in fact, that the first thing that Republicans had to do was try to tell us that he was saying what they had to say. As usual, they are full of shit.
The Bush/Cheney Experience light down on my fair city within the month, pretty much locking the whole damn place down. I'm not concerned about the threat of a terror attack. I run the risk simply by living here and walking out of my apartment every day. If there's anything I can do to stop it, I'll do it. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward for these lying cocksuckers to come to town. I'll just keep screaming obscenities out my window. That should help.
Srta. Wences and I moved into our new apartment last month. The whole thing has mostly come together. We still need a little furniture, but I've settled into the fact that we live together now. It hurts to feel old, which is what I feel, but it feels good to be young, which is what I am. There's a big difference there. It helps to think of it that way. Ignoring anything that could be classified as "incessant nagging" helps a whole lot also.
It's going to be tough to win you back, but I hold hope that I can everytually do so. Please keep reading Y.P.R. We continue to do good stuff over there, at least I think we do.
