True Blue Texan: RTT - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

RTT - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It's Tuesday. Time for another enlightening round of randomness. Grab the button and join the fray at the Unmom's.

So, let's start with the ugly and move our way towards better things, shall we? Have you heard the latest from the world of sports? Seems that CNBC's Darren Rovell thinks that Meb Keflezighi, who recently won the New York Marathon is, and I quote, "an American citizen thanks to taking a test and living in our country" and thus his victory, hailed as the first American win in over two decades, is "not as good as it sounds".

After the shit storm that his comments stirred up, Rovell wrote this as way of apology:

"I said that Keflezighi's win, the first by an American since 1982, wasn't as big as it was being made out to be because there was a difference between being an American-born product and being an American citizen. Frankly I didn't account for the fact that virtually all of Keflezighi's running experience came as a US citizen. I never said he didn't deserve to be called American."

Hmm, maybe not. But you sure as hell implied that being a naturalized citizen is somehow less than an authentic American. And as for the idea that African-descended folks are better distance runners and that 's what you really meant. Let me ask you this. If Keflezighi's spouse is also African-descended, will their children, who will certainly meet the "American-born product" notion you so inelegantly propose, qualify as American enough for you?

Just so you know, Keflezighi was born in Eritrea and immigrated at age 12 to escape that nation's civil war. And thus did almost all of his training for distance running here. Thus making him about an American an athlete as one can be.

Moving on to the Bad. That would be me. Bad as in spending way too much time on Facebook playing poker. (Farmville is so yesterday's news). Not blogging, not working out on the Wii, not even vegging out on the sofa. I have been bad.

Also. I will most likely skip voting today. Nothing on the ballot but a gazillion amendments to the state constitution. Which really should just be tossed out and a new one started from scratch. But it would take an amendment to get that to happen...

And the best for last. We saw a victory last week with the signing of the Hate Crimes legislation and the lifting of the HIV travel ban. Both important steps in the ongoing civil rights struggle for LGBTs. Now if the Maine vote goes our way, this week will be even better. Seems that the turn-out there has been better than expected so far, so that's point in the progressive column.

Go visit the Unmom for better randomness. You'll be glad you did.