Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

Okay, I know many of us aren't into the "symbolism" of events.

For example, we watched "Two-Lane Blacktop" for the sounds of a tunnel-rammed Fat Block and the rockcrusher whine of an M-22 Muncie, and not because it was pregnant with symbolism about the end of the 1960s and the original muscle car era.

And the racing community tends to be more about doing rather than finding "deeper meanings" in life. (As an aside, I strongly doubt that pea-brains such as Clay Bennett, Mick Cornett and hatchet-man Tim O'Toole do much "symbolic" thinking)

But I couldn't help thinking of the symbolism in the demolition of Fairgrounds Speedway when I read this quote today:

"When the adults of a great nation feel long-term pessimism, it only makes matters worse when those in authority take actions that reveal their detachment from the concerns—even from the essential nature—of their fellow citizens. And it makes those citizens feel powerless."

The author was writing about the growing feeling that our children and grandchildren aren't going to have it better than we did and will, in fact, be worse off.

But that's also part of what some of us are feeling about Fairgrounds Speedway: we're losing something that can and will never be replaced (at least with something that is as good or better than it was). Our children and grandchildren won't have it as good as we did. They won't have first-hand experience or independent knowledge of why so many of us valued Fairgrounds Speedway.

And the authorities "have revealed their detachment" from us by destroying what we love. They've crushed some of our hopes. They've trampled our dreams. They've rendered us powerless.

In moments of self-doubt, we wonder: Will Clay Bennett's proxy Tim O'Toole really miss a few thousand disgruntled racing fans at this year's state fair? Will anyone at city hall miss sales taxes that have been lost from racers and fans avoiding trading in Oklahoma City? Will any of the vandals ever understand the emotional loss and hardship that their mindless jihad against the storied tradition of Fairgrounds racing has caused?

Yet some of us must fight on, even if just to prove to ourselves that they can lay waste to our grand meeting place . . . our temple of speed . . . our traditions . . .our history . . . our Friday night "shows," but they cannot take from us our desire, our passion, and our freedom.

We must fight on to keep our memories alive. We must fight on to remind those detatched authorities that they've grossly abused their power and position.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that somehow, what's happening now at our beloved Speedway is symbolic of a greater decay of our society at large and our chosen way of life. And we can either lay down and just "take it." Or we can somehow fight on.

Boycott,

I could not agree with you more, your thoughts and words match mine. I spent all of my life at the speedway.