Today marks the 145th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. Yet, there are still lingering feelings of dispute between those from the North and those from the South.
I don't understand why Gov. Bob McDonnell felt the need to proclaim that Confederate History Month will be celebrated again in Virginia. But doing so without mentioning anything about slavery (which I believe was the main issue of the war) seems incredibly arrogant or incredibly stupid. (He admitted that he made a mistake omitting that detail a couple days later).
Aren't there speech-writing people that would maybe write and proofread a state-(or Commonwealth)-wide proclamation? There may be a job opening soon in Virginia.
Actually, the whole thing seems a bit off to me. If my recollection of 6th Grade U.S. History is correct, I believe the Confederacy lost. I don't regularly celebrate losses, but go ahead Virginia, and proclaim a month of greater awareness for defeat. Knock yourselves out. Please.
(My apologies for digressing; I just twisted my ankle getting off my soapbox).
I also have a hard time with the North-South conflict in my own backyard. And this is the time of year when this conflict is most prevalent in my little section of the world. White Sox vs. Cubs.
Now, the two baseball teams have co-existed in Chicago since long before I was born. I used to go to White Sox games with my father and friends, but also used to watch the Cubs on WGN when I came home from school. I like baseball, and always have. However, the conflict between the two fan bases has seemed to escalate exponentially since I was a kid. My guess is that the 1997 beginning of inter league play, when the two teams began to play each other in meaningful games during the year, had a lot to do with that.
I defy anyone over 25 years old who lives in Chicago to admit that they have never asked or been asked by someone in this city if they are a Cubs or Sox fan. Now, I like conjunctions as much as the next guy, so I choose to answer that question with an "and" instead of an "or". For this, it has been suggested that I am non-committal and without soul.
But, I do root for both teams. After all, they are from Chicago and so am I. Why wouldn't I want them both do win? When I go to Sox games with friends, I root for the Sox. When I watch Cubs games (I don't go to Wrigley anymore - its novelty has worn off me), I root for the Cubs.
But, you may ask, "What about when they play each other?" If forced to make a choice, I will give everyone an answer, just not the same one. I will root for the team that you don't support (and maybe even hate - as it seems that Sox fans hate Cubs fans more than vice versa), since the reason that the question is asked in the first place is to find common ground with others, or to spark debate.
I'll take debate; to me it's way more fun.
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This post just may be grounds for divorce. I'm a Soxsider & will always be one. Doesn't mean I HATE the Cubs, but pick a team already. As far as I'm concerned, rooting for both teams is like saying you root for the Hawks & Wings. By its very nature it's mutually exclusive....
ReplyDeleteWar end? Civil? You must be talking about the War of Northern Aggression. LOL
ReplyDeleteSince you don't go to Wrigley (largest beer garden filled with people who know little about the game they are watching) you no longer need to root for them. You're a sox fan and you don't like the smell of urine - admit it already!
ReplyDeleteHere are some of my thoughts:
ReplyDelete1) I have been to probably 40 Cubs games in my life, but well over 200 Sox games.
2) At the end of the day, if the Cubs and Sox play, I want the Cubs to win. When they are not playing each other, I am a fan of both - I see nothing wrong with that.
3) I know many Cubs and Sox fans - but my experience is overwhelming that close to 100% of Sox fans are Cub-haters, but only a small percentage of Cub fans are Sox-haters. Not sure why, but that is my experience.
4) Also from experience, it seems that hard core Cub fans spend 0% of their time talking about the Sox, but Sox fans continually talk about the Cubs. Again, not sure why they should even care. I play cards once a month with neighbors. Generally about 16 people. 13 are Sox loving Cub-haters, and 3 of us are labelled Cub fans (since we actually like the Cubs but all of us are actually also Sox fans - so we are like outcasts). The 13 spend more time talking and griping and whining about the Cubs than they do about the Sox - even when the Sox game is on the TV!!!! I have never understood this. I hate many competing teams that I hate such as the Detroit Red Wings - but I do not walk around all day talking about them. I choose to focus on the Blackhawks and screw the Red Wings - I just don't care about them. I think Sox fans need to adopt this same approach. Support your team rather than denigrate a competitor - positive energy is much better than negative energy (and that is no feng sheui).
5) I have never been an Ozzie Guillen fan. Why do hard care Sox fans NOT see that this man is simply an egomaniac, and in his mind, it is Ozzie first and the Sox second? What is up with that? Maybe bringing a World Series to the city clouds judgement. There will soon be a huge clash between egomaniac Ozzie and egomaniac Kenny - it will be interesting to sit on the sidelines see who exits the cage with his job (and much larger ego) intact.
6) Okay, the Red Wings still suck.
That is my rant response to the Idiots response. Apparantely he rubbed off on me when we shacked up together (okay, get your minds out of the gutter please) - does someone have a Kleenex?)