I’m very frequently disappointed in people. It’s probably
something that I should get over or learn to live with, but I have high
standards for everybody (and shouldn’t we all?). Generally I’m disappointed in
things that fall on one side of a spectrum. For example, I’m disappointed in
those who oppose certain rights, such as gay marriage and I side with the
supporters of such rights. However, on Sunday came an issue in which both sides
equally disappointed me. It’s not an important issue overall by any means (like
gay marriage), but it’s something that means quite a deal to me.
By the way, this is a topic in which some people might not
be interested in from the start, but please bare with me and hear me out.
Before Sunday’s season-finale NASCAR race at Homestead-Miami
Speedway the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and the Second Lady
of the United States Jill Biden were on hand to give the command for drivers to
start their engines. Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden were also at the racetrack to
support their charitable campaign to support military veterans and their
families.
As Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden were being introduced for the
command to fire engines the two were booed by some throughout the crowd. Based
on the noise level I would say that the booing was done by the minority of
people attending the race.
The booing of the First Lady and the Second Lady is honestly
not surprising too me because the majority of NASCAR fans are conservative,
though I myself being a huge NASCAR fan am not. I can understand why some in
the audience would want to boo the First Lady because of differing politics,
but I’m thoroughly disappointed that they chose to do so, especially giving the
fact that Mrs. Obama was there to support military vets, something that the
majority of conservative NASCAR fans should seemingly be approving of.
It’s not appropriate to boo a First Lady of the United
States under any circumstance – no matter what their political affiliations
are. The booing of the First Lady at Sunday’s race, and I reiterate that it
seemed to be a minority of the crowd, was 100 percent classless and uncalled
for. Some people might argue that, but when it comes down to it I think you
have got to be respectful to the First Lady under all circumstances.
For the individuals at Sunday’s race to boo Mrs. Obama does
more than just make themselves (faceless individuals) look shameful and like
complete idiots, it also casts that image upon all NASCAR fans (the majority of
them being fine, upstanding people) and furthers the negative stereotypes of
the sport.
I am disappointed in those NASCAR fans who made the rest of us
look like idiots.
I am also disappointed in many (and believe me there were
many) of the people who took to social media sites, like Twitter, following the
booing of the First Lady on Sunday to lay down the boom on NASCAR fans.
As I’ve previously stated, those fans were idiots. It’s easy
to see that they are idiots and I agree with the many people who said as much.
The only problem is that many of those people didn’t stop there. On Sunday
following the incident I saw hundreds, if not thousands, of disparaging remarks
aimed toward NASCAR fans on Twitter. Because I’m a NASCAR fan it frankly and
obviously was upsetting to me.
Among the terms used for us were: rednecks,
hillbillies, methheads, racists, bigots and right-wingers. There were many more
epithets hurled toward us, but most of the others were too disgusting and vile
to print. The one that bothered me the most was equating all NASCAR fans to
racists. That’s the equivalent of equating all Catholics to child molesters. It’s
not accurate, and not even close to being so.
Everybody reading this already knows who I am, so there
really isn’t a reason for stating this, but here it is anyway … I’m not a
redneck. I’m not a hillbilly. I’m not a methhead. I’m not a racist or a bigot.
I’m not a right-winger. I probably lean farther left than anybody I know and I’m
a hardcore NASCAR fan.
Once again, I understand the disappointment these posters
had in the actions from some of these fans, but they fail to see that their
statements are just as flagrant. They are calling NASCAR fans bigots because a
few people chose to boo the First Lady, but they are in fact themselves being
bigots in calling all NASCAR fans rednecks, hillbillies, etc.
Over the years I’ve had people – frequently people who I
consider to be friends – use some of these disparaging terms toward me (almost
always they use “redneck”) for being a NASCAR fan. Generally when this happens
I either completely ignore them or laugh it off and joke back and forth with
them. In all truthfulness it hurts me (and until now I don’t think anybody but my girlfriend has known this). Some people are honored to be called “rednecks” and
they wear it as a badge of honor. However, “redneck” is a derogatory term and
when someone calls me that because I’m a NASCAR fan (even if they mean it in
jest) it bothers me, because the very last thing I ever want to be considered
is ignorant.
Surely some of you will think this is making mountains out
of molehills, but I take it to heart because for me the things I love, like,
admire, respect make up who I am. It might be idiotic on my part, but knocking something
so beloved by me and important to me (and this certainly goes for other topics
than just NASCAR) is taken by me as a personal slight. I know some of you will
understand this, because I’ve seen how much some of you identify with the
things you love and adore. What we like and love really does make up a lot of
who we are.
Some NASCAR fans are ignorant, rednecks, racists, etc., but
you know what, so are some football fans, basketball fans, baseball fans, etc.
However, only NASCAR is so closely affiliated with those terms. Maybe if some
of you have previously thought these thoughts you should ask yourselves why? You’ll probably see that it doesn’t make a
lick of sense.
I’m completely sick of all the negative stereotypes that
surround one of my favorite sports and it’s long past time for these horrible stereotypes
to stop. Please open up your minds a little and put an end to it.
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