Sunday, November 17, 2013

Bread, Circus, and Beating the Crap Out of Each Other. The sad tale of Rudy Johnson.

Living in Alabama, you can never be allowed to forget its football season. People, who cant be moved by their countries dying economy, mass murder in the abortion clinics, growing tyranny of the pointless endless war in Afghanistan can come to rapt attention by every move made on the football field.

Enter the story of Rudy Johnson QB for Winston-Salem State. at a "celebration Luncheon" for his team and Virginia State players he was attacked and "viciously beaten" by at least five and possibly more,Virginia State players and was, most critically, "unable to play". This is only the latest chapter in the long saga of criminality perpetuated by College and Professional athletes in todays America.

There are lessons to be learned from this. One is that it is ridiculous to pretend that College Athletics today have anything to do with College and Education. At one time College athletes were students who happened to be amateur athletes. Today they are Merely athletes who have to go through the Charade of being students to play.

The Coddling of athletes in America, which in some places, like Texas begins in Elementary school,
is an incubator for irresponsibility. In high school they often are promoted without passing for the good of the team. In college alumni associations of wealthy grads illegally provide them with money and help them with the masquerade that they are college student. They fix any legal problems they have resulting from illegal activity, and we're surprised when they become Felons.

      This of course only harms the athletes and those who sadly have them for role models. The real harm is the hypnotic effect that athletics seem to hold over humans. This is nothing new . one need only look at the Gladiatorial Contests of ancient Rome and Chariot racing. Gladiators became the heroes of the day, (even though contra Spartacus most of them were criminals and army deserters who were sentenced to enslavement as gladiators.) In the Chariot races fanatical fans often rioted and two teams the Blues and the Greens became the most popular, so much so that they became representatives of political factions. As is noted in Wikipedia

"Adopting the color of their favorite charioteers was a way fans showed their loyalty to that particular racer or faction Many of the young men in the fan clubs, or factions, adopted extravagant clothing and hairstyles, such as billowing sleeves, "Hunnic" hair-styles, and "Persian" facial hair. There is evidence that these young men were the faction members most prone to violence and extreme factional rivalry.[ Some scholars have tried to argue that the factional rivalry and violence was a result of opposing religious or political views, but more likely the young men simply identified strongly with their faction for group solidarity. " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chariot_racing

These sorts of "bread and Circus" elements are replete in America today, whether its "American Idol", or reality Television, EBT or Obamacare. The Time has come for the thinking American to put the beer can down, shut off the TV, and fight for the welfare of himself and his children!


 
 

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