With No Apologies To My Indian Friends...

Stuff like this makes me puke.

The NCAA has now decided that they don't want to ruffle any feathers in the headress of Indian tribes -- oh, excuse me...Native American tribes. They now have decreed that while it is perfectly fine for colleges & universities to choose a mascot such as "Warriors", "Chiefs", or "Indians", those such schools will not be allowed to display their proud mascot at any "post-season" games that would carry the name of the NCAA.

So if my Alma Mater, the Arkansas State University Indians, make it to the play-offs in any sport, they are prohibited from displaying their mascot. What sort of team spirit are the fans going to show then? Textbooks?? I am appalled at the discrimination toward ASU by the NCAA by singling out us, and any other schools in the US who use mascots portraying Indians. Yes, I said "Indians" and yes, I said, "discriminating". They make one discrimination to protect another. How ludicrous.

ASU did not choose the Indian mascot to make fun of Native Americans. In fact, I know of no school who chose a mascot that relates to the Indians in some way did so out of hostility or any other reason. I think it's the white man that is more offended by the use of Indian-related terms than the Red Man. Heck, why don't the NCAA ban the word Arkansas. The very name of the state is a derivative of the Chickasaw Indians.

From ESPN:

Arkansas State University, whose teams are known as the Indians, said Friday
that their use of the mascot is done with respect and the school's sports teams
will continue to use it.
"It is our objective to represent Native Americans
in a dignified and stately manner," ASU atheltic director Dean Lee said. "We
believe that our use of the nickname 'Indians' and 'The Indian Family' as our
mascot affords the Native American customs and history the fullest respect and
integrity."
Vernon Bellecourt, president of the National Coalition on Racism
in Sports and Media, was pleased with the postseason ban but had hoped for even
stronger action.

RACISM? Oh, fercryinoutloud! These people should get a life. They have way too much time on their hands to be sitting around trying to come up with new ways we are offending people. This kind of crap offends ME.

I have friends who are Indians. One very good friend lived in Buffalo, NY and was a proud member of the Senaca Nation. This is a tribe that literally gave Benjamin Franklin the inspiration to design the United States in a democratic fashion. The Senacas were using a democratic form of government in their tribe centuries before the US even thought of rebelling against the King of England. So, let's just stop using democracy in this country, too, because we are offending the Senacas.

If we're going to jump on this silly bandwagon, just cut the political correctness....and give the land back to the Native Americans! That would do more for this race of people than "protecting" them from some college football team.


Go stAte, GO!

Are Dry Counties Becoming "All Wet"?

I grew up in my hometown of Booneville, AR and had a great deal of pride in the fact that this little parcel of land in South Logan County was dry. That for miles around, not a drop of alcohol could be bought, sold, or found...legally, at least. Just a few short miles away in North Logan County, in the county seat of Paris, one could get all the booze you could find. My late father would proudly say that if anyone wanted beer, they could drive to Paris & get it and may hopefully not make it back to Booneville if they got too sloshed to drive.

Now, times may be a-changin'. In a recent article in my hometown newspaper, the local town planners raised the question of survival. And it included the possibility of selling alcohol. Now, this would have been unthinkable years ago. But to have it even considered now, I think, shows just how desparate my hometown has become.

I remember when Booneville had the chance to have a new Pizza Hut come into town. Sadly, however, that eatery ended up 28 miles north in the town of Ozark where it is still located to this day. The reason for the move? Booneville would not allow the franchise to serve beer, so the restaurant high-tailed it to (wet) Franklin County. And so the trend continued with my hometown for the 30 or more years since.

An interesting quote from the newspaper article from the local Chamber of Commerce executive director:

it was time the city consider becoming "wet" because dryness has been shown
to not reduce nor stop consumption of alcohol which means taxes from the
purchases are being made in other cities and or counties.

I have been living away from my hometown now since 1986. Yes, I've lived in an entire state that is more or less "wet". Yet I have seen communities that are equally as conservative as my hometown, and serve liquor. I've not seen any difference in the crime or morality that can be attributed to the consumption/distribution of alcohol.

What I did see the last time I visited my dry hometown was a community that looked ragged & run down. I saw homes that cried to be maintained & cared for. I just seemed to me that somewhere during the time I was gone from my hometown, the janitor must've died because everything just seemed to be looking frumpy.

I have come to the conclusion that it is not the element of a vice (i.e. alcohol) that determines a community's appearance. It is character. Alcohol is not the problem. Being "wet" is not the problem. Character is the problem. A community can be up to its proverbial ears in alcohol but if it has good character, it should not affect it.

By character, I mean churches that effectively, lovingly, and discerningly display compassion, correction, and communication about good character. I mean a community that looks out for its citizens. Businesses that take an active role in the lives of the people it serves. Government leaders who are honest & hard working for the residents. Law enforcement who are fair and just that do not play favorites with people. Judicial officals who will not tolerate crime & delinquency and who will be wise in their decisions. And people of the community who take genuine pride in not just their home, but the home of their neighbor and the homes of their neighborhood.

Sometimes, to quote my late father, we cut off our noses to spite our face. I believe this has been the issue of alcohol when it comes to being able to attract new businesses (and new money) to my hometown of Booneville. And, I think the time has come to stop hiding behind the facade of prohibition. Why? Because I know that there may be some who, while sounding off against becoming a "wet" county, are secretly driving out of their "dry" county to buy booze. That is hypocritical. And it's choking the economy of Booneville.