Functional Illiteracy

I have to admit I'm a little torn over this issue. Read the beginning of the article below.

TRENTON, N.J. -- A longtime critic of Rutgers University's drive into big-time sports is being criticized over a newspaper article comment that university officials have branded as racist.

At the end of a New York Times article Wednesday about William C. Dowling's failed efforts to get Rutgers to turn away from high-stakes athletics, the tenured English professor responded to arguments that athletic scholarships provide opportunity to low-income, minority students.

"If you were giving the scholarship to an intellectually brilliant kid who happens to play a sport, that's fine," Dowling said. "But they give it to a functional illiterate who can't read a cereal box, and then make him spend 50 hours a week on physical skills. That's not opportunity. If you want to give financial help to minorities, go find the ones who are at the library after school."

Rutgers Athletic Director Bob Mulcahy told local newspapers that Dowling's comment was "a blatantly racist statement."

I remember being annoyed that there were those who received scholarships, but not for any academic prowess. Of course, my annoyance was not in the context specified above ... I was pissed off at anyone who received the ill-begotten assistance.

I'm with the professor. Give the money where it will do the most good.

I wonder what the one or two who read this blog think?

Random Thoughts on a Monday

Aaargh. If only the Brewers had not lost all those games with 3+ run leads. It does highlight their youth, though. I have been surprised that they have contended as long as they did. I truly thought next year would be the year. They're not out of it yet, but with the Cubbies playing the Sisters of the Poor the next six games, it doesn't look good.

My beautiful wife and both lovely daughters are sick with the flu. Can't wait until Wednesday or Thursday when the symptoms start popping up in me. Oh well. I know it will be miserable because Kelly is not a whiner by any stretch, but she has actually complained this time.

The Jena 6: I don't know much about this. I perused some articles. What I gather is this case is not as simple as some clowns on the right make it out to be. There has been anger simmering for some time on both sides of the fence. Kid brings a shotgun to school ... kids take it away and jump him (f**k, I would too). They get charged with theft and attempted murder. Gimme a break. No one is innocent here, but the charges are ridiculous.

Brett Favre looks almost 38 years old ... if judged by his running ability. Man, that arm, though.

Caught a mouse in one of those sticky traps. I named it Fred and then drowned it to put it out of its misery.

Feed 'em a Peanut

Kudos to James Wigderson at Wigderson Library & Pub for taking on the ridiculousness at Carrick Bend Thoughts (an odd name for the site since very little thought emanates). Wiggy said this:

"Dave of Carrick Bend Thoughts posted a picture of Governor Doyle & Lt. Governor Lawton posing with caricature Native Americans from the old TV series F Troop. He captioned it, "The Governor and Lt Governor meet with concerned constituants (sic) to discuss the the impact of indian (sic) gaming on Wisconsin politics." No context, no link.

Dave was a little unhappy when Mike Mathias at Pundit Nation called it "offensive and juvenile."

"Does anyone wonder why Republicans find themselves battling charges of being insensitive to minority groups?

It’s because too many of you don’t speak up when individuals like Carrick sling their vile hash around.

Regardless of how one feels about Doyle or his gaming polices, our politics and political discourse are tarnished by Carrick’s brand of…well, what is it exactly? It looks like the kind of thing that would draw hoots of approval from readers of websites that advocate white supremacy."

Dave replied with two posts to Pundit Nation readers (in the second he refers to visitors as Nazis ... the last refuge of the weak-minded). In the first post he linked to a post, which contained a YouTube compilation of clips of Jesus and God jokes from Family Guy. Dave thought this an example of the lack of a moral compass of lefties.

I left this message for Dave: "God has a better sense of humor than you ... the ultimate joke."

Dave chose not to accept the comment (he has comment moderation turned on). Why might you ask? The comment was fairly innocuous.

The answer is that Dave is the on-line equivalent of those radio cowards Charlie Sykes, Jeff Wagner, etc. They say they accept comments from listeners, but you know the only ones who really get through are those who agree with them.

...or white supremacists.