Washington Apples |
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Topics: NASCAR
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Jeremy T. Sellers
Jerm's Joint
March 2, 2007
I haven't scanned through the messages to see if we have covered this issue yet, but did anyone see FOX News yesterday on the issue of NASCAR wanting to build a track in the state of Washington? We, as a community should be outraged by the unfair, unjustified, and unwarranted stereotypical comments that their STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS went on record as saying regarding NASCAR fans. Not only them, but when they interviewed their normally, tree hugging residents, the comments did not get any better. "White trash", "uneducated", "red necks from the south" were just a few terms used by their most educated, respected individuals in state politics. One senator even accused Richard Petty of being arrested for DUI before learning that The King not only doesn't even drink, but at one time wouldn't even carry the "Bud Pole Award" decal on his cars. I can't remember his name, but this is th letter I'm thinking of drafting and sending to the state house in Olympia:
To Whom It May Conern,
I recently observed the news coverage on the issue of NASCAR wanting to construct a track in your state. Your obvious disapproval of this move based on your own, unfair, unwarranted, and unjustified stereotypes by both the elected state officials and citizens on the street is apalling.
I have been a NASCAR fan for nearly 12 years, and I'm sure it comes as a shock to see one of "us" project such a grammatically correct letter. This may seem surprising to your fine group of established colleagues in the state house and senate, but some of us actually live north of the Mason-Dixon line, and even carry white-collar jobs, complete with a college education! I for one, am not so esteemed. I'm merely a firefighter and paramedic and possess simply an associates of applied science in Emergency Medical Technology. However, I find that my English skills are quite refined and stimulating. Believe it or not, I live in a ranch-style house in the suburbs, not a worn out "double-wide" or "trailer", and my automobiles are either parked in the driveway, or in my garage. Not in my front yard, on cinder blocks or jack-stands as you so assume. I confess that I do enjoy the occasional alcoholic beverage, yet this does not cause me to run out in the streets firing my shotgun into the air and screaming "yee haw", or violating some other civil or criminal law. Even more shocking, I don't even have a mullet, keeping my hair buzzed every two weeks, and at last count, I have kept all of my teeth plus two which are wisdom. The music I listen to would be considered on the heavy side, much of which was founded in your very own city of Seattle, not the "hillbilly country" music that apparently we're all suppose to be enduring. Most of us even wear shoes on our feet and our significant others aren't of relation. Can you imagine that out of NASCAR fans?!
Do all of us share such life treasures? No. Some fans aren't as fortunate as I consider myself and others, but fall victims to the crude stereotypes that you self-righteous, arrogant, "above all" politicians place on us. Yet we all find common ground in a sport that was founded BY the working man, FOR the working man. Sure, you say it was founded on the illegal principle of moonshining and bootlegging which is undeniably the foundation of NASCAR. However, what started out as fast cars, evading the law in the early part of the 20th century has now evolved into a TEN billion dollar industry! Do I need to repeat that for you? TEN BILLION DOLLARS! Ladies and gentlemen, the numbers do not lie, and I believe that if you explored the flourishing economies that cities with tracks enjoy, especially during race-weeks, you would feel, if nothing else, a tad foolish for denying the influx of dollars NASCAR brings to a community, and a state. Now who is uneducated?
However, if your biggotry is just so over-powering that you still walk with blinders, that is fine with us. WE race 36 times a year at locations that have been in NASCAR for decades. So why would we want to add another track, in another state, especially in the northwest where us uneducated, law-breaking rednecks aren't welcome? To you Washington, we all toast a nice cold Budweiser!
Respectfully Submitted,
Jeremy T. Sellers (others feel free to sign as well)