In lieu of recapping IndyCar's TMS Season Opener
Saturday, which surely everybody else is doing, Righto? Instead I find myself
far more intrigued over what's occurring in our Nation right now, that I simply
cannot overlook commenting regarding the Despicable Murder of George Floyd!
Therefore if you're wanting some more of my
eclectic Automotive/Motorsports Ramblings, please come back to No Fenders on Thursday...
Tomaso
Yeah, I watched the
Texas IndyCar race, since after all, I'm a lifelong Diehard Open Wheel Racing
Aficionado. But like my story's title tries implying, It just really seems like
Motorsports, or Sports in General Don't Matter Right Now!
Since after all,
does modern day Motor Racing revolve around Entertainment or just Selling
Products?
Yet some of the few, remaining IndyCar
Bloggers have said we shouldn't mix Politics with our Motor Racing, to which I
say those lines have long since been Crossed 'N Blurred!
Especially when not only does a major
Sanctioning Body's CEO publicly endorse a Presidential Candidate, but then said
NASCAR Organization allows itself to be used purely for Prostilizing by this
individual by allowing that same President to exploit NASCAR solely to Pander
to his Base by Driving his Presidential Limousine on their racetrack during
their signature "super Bowl" event!
As many are aware, we've had a few major incidents revolving
around Race during recent virtual i Racing series events, most notably Kyle
Larson's inappropriate choice of using the N-Word, for which he's been severely
punished, albeit primarily Monetarily. For which NASCAR's only African American
Driver Bubbah' Wallace lost his sponsor for Quitting during a virtual race...
But IndyCar isn't prone from this happening
also, for which Conor Daly's been personally affected previously, when losing
his sponsor Eli Lilly for a NASCAR XFinity race in regards to what his Dad
Derek Daly said some three-plus Decades ago.
Yet it seems somewhat telling that in the
110-plus years of Open Wheel Racing, and specifically it's signature event at
Mother Speedway', nee the Indianapolis 500 there's only been two African
American, i.e.; Willy T. Ribbs and George Mack to ever contest the event.
Typing this before the Texas Motor Speedway
IndyCar race, I could only ponder would IndyCar be courageous enough to rightly
Hold A Minute's Silence for George Floyd, and All of the other Black Men and
Women Killed by White Law Enforcement Officials?
Presumably Not,
since NBC and its other TV Networks are owned by Comcast, a fine
"Outstanding" Conservative Republican leaning Capitalistic
Monstrosity!
(Note: IndyCar did Hold A Moment of Silence, but it
felt like a Token Effort to Mwah, and was Done before the Race coverage
switched over to Network Television on NBC when supposedly the
"Whole" Nation would be watching...)
Or will any of the IndyCar Drivers be Brave
enough to adorn some sort of recognition regarding Black Lives Matter on their
Helmets, Firesuits or Racecars?
While Lewis Hamilton, Formula One's Only
Black Driver had to Chide his fellow Competitors into Action by Calling Out the
lack of Diversity in his Sport...
As I do Not need to try putting into words
the totally Reprehensible Actions of Four White Male Minneapolis
Police Officers who effectively carried out a 21st Century Lynching! And until
All Four ex-Police Officers are tried and successfully convicted for the Murder
of George Floyd should we expect Peace to Resonate over our Nation.
And while we as A Nation need to Laser Focus
our Attention upon Changing the Political Landscape by Electing Officials who
will Hear the voices of the People and work for Positive Changes, which needs
to occur on Both Sides of the Aisle, be it Red or Blue. Sadly this theme is
Echoed Over 'N Over thru the Decades with little change while Racism Continues
Unabated!
And Karmically for Mwah, in another perfect
example of Capitalism, and yeah I know many will say I cannot expect everything
for Free. But when it comes to National News, for which I'd love to be able to
have my Arse-Steamed' Screen Reader Lucy' be able to read to me, so I could
note All of the Names of Black victims in the story...
Once again, I find myself fighting the never
ending, ever increasing World 'O Capitalistic Pay Walls, since I couldn't get
my Screen Reader to read me this Amazingly Insightful Boston Globe Article I
fortunately was allowed to listen to via my NFB Newsline for The Blind
telephone service.
Since Ain't It Crazy the Insane amount of Cash
we're forced to Spend Monthly just to stay "connected" to Thee Wired
World, i.e.; Cell Phones, Internetz' and Television?
And I'm sure that some will Disagree with
Mwah, but I now find the COVID 19 Pandemic and the Pathetic Response to It,
both Physically and Economically to be Directly linked with the Righteous
Outrage over the Senseless Killing of George Floyd!
Do we really wonder why the Oppressed are
Angry or Bitter? And is it really a surprise that the most Socially
Downcast are the Ones Paying the
Heaviest Price for trying to survive in the Outbreak of the Corona Virus?
VIDEO: Whitey' On the Moon
Although Racism in our Country obviously
isn't something New, since it's Roots go back at least 400 Years ago to
Slavery, for which I will not even pretend to know the whole sordid story of.
What I find most Saddening, and I suppose, perhaps somewhat Hypocritical? Is
that we as a Nation have Failed to truly
Advance as a Nation of Human Beings in nearly Three Decades since the infamous
Rodney King Riots! When White Police Officers were Acquitted after being Caught
on Videotape...
While I found myself when watching; Err
listening to three hours of nonstop News regarding the National Riots occurring
Saturday Night, I immediately thought of the Chicago Riots of 1968 and the
"Chicago 7!" And how little we've progressed since then.
Or turning the page back even further,
without discussing our current Racist President and his views towards that
S.O.B. Black San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick! Hmm? What was he taking A
Knee For? Or Quoting a White Southern Sherriff's Racist Taunt; Oh Never Mind!
Ironically, albeit not nearly as Striking, it
seems somewhat synchronistic that while we were trying to launch our latest
Astronauts into Space, a similar phenomenon occurred in 1957.
Y'all recall when the majority of the world
was mesmerized by Sputnik whilst then President Eisenhower had to call in the
U.S. Military's 101st "Screaming Eagles" to protect less than a Dozen
African Americans from integrating into Whites Only Public Schools!
Or as Dr. Cornel West points out in his interview above regarding how
Unfortunately, White Supremacy will be Around a long, long time, in the words
of Samuel Beckett:
"Try Again,
Fail Again,
Fail Better!"
Yet to truly grasp the Political situation of
Our Country, and the Systemic, Overt Racism of Four-plus Century's, then you
really need to watch the following Amazingly Powerful Tamika Mallory speech
from a Peaceful Minneapolis Rally held on Friday, May 29th below.
Or in the Immortal words of the late Rodney King,
"Can't We All just Get Along?"