Kate Smith
I know God Bless America is not a racist song. You know it's not either.
It is not God Bless White America or God Hate Mixed America.
It is a song, and Kate Smith sang it beautifully. You assuredly know this too.
(I also know that the folks that do the excellent work on The Free Press page of this paper wrote about this too. Here's that story.)
The hubbub over the weekend - she had a statue covered-up and the Yankees quit playing her rendition of God Bless America - was the fallout from the words and lyrics from a couple of Smith's earlier songs that are racially offensive to some in today's way, Way, WAY more politically sensitive time. To others it was simply the time in which she was performing, raised and educated.
Please note that she did not write the two songs in questions - words nor music - and one of them was intended for a Broadway show that was supposed to be satirical. ("That's Why Drakes Were Born" was the title and it. according to reports, was also used in a Marx Brothers comedy.)
Is that an excuse? If you think that, well, OK.
Is that at rationalization? Again, if that's your argument, well, God bless the rationalization because it would be tough to get through a week these days without a couple meaty rationalizations here and there.
More than anything, this is a direct indictment of the perils of viewing history through the modern prism as well as trying to play comparative anything. It also is the next - and damaging - ripple of the over-reactionary antics of the social morality mob.
Because whether we're going to historical markers because they owned - and in Thomas Jefferson's case slept with - slaves or ban "Gone with the Wind" or Huck Finn, the extended focus of this much transforms the hindsight is 20/20 into something entirely different.
And, knowing the dangers of comparative properties, if we are going to focus that lens on so many through history, well, what about someone who had a popular opinion of the time in terms of same-sex couples.
He termed it a mental issue - imagine the hubbub these days if a popular leader or public figure dropped that view point - and condemned it in his early writings.
"You are already on the right road toward a solution, since you honestly recognize the problem and have a desire to solve it."
Those were the words Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in an advice column in Ebony Magazine in the late-1950s.
And in no way, shape or form does that change one iota of King's amazing and life-and-society-changing impact on the world as we know it.
This image released by HBO shows a scene from "Game of Thrones." The final season premieres on Sunday. (HBO via AP)
Game of Thrones essay 102
Giddy up.
OK gang, if you are in the "Goodness the first two episodes have been all about the set-up" well, relax.
I, as a GoT fan who has watched every episode at least twice, am happy they have taken their time and set up the final four episode with this much care.
To do so otherwise - and to pretend everyone picked up an iRaven and text (or scrolled) each other - would have shortchanged a marathon, rolling epic that deserves a fitting and comprehensive conclusion.
And buckle up, because new week when the White Walkers and Night King come to Winterfell this mother is on. How much carnage is there expected to be? The over/under from OddsSharks for the first living character to be killed next Sunday is 9:15 Eastern. (Under is the play there friends.)
But before we get there, let's review a few of the larger plot lines from Episode 2, Season 8.
First, Jamie Lanister is going to get got - maybe directly by the Night King, who many believe is the Crazy King who Jamie killed before we started watching to get the name Kingslayer.
Jamie has come full circle, made his amends with everyone, had the touchy-feely moment with Brienne of Tarth, who vouched for him in a trial for his life. He made amends with Bran Stark. He's ready to meet his maker.
But he's far from alone in the death toll that likely will reach double digits of known characters.
Who, other than Jamie, do you think is a goner?
Theon guarding Bran? Goner. (Side question: Bran is weird as all bleep, right? Wow. Still his line about how the Night King his coming from him to erase the memory of mankind actually ties so much of this together.)
Brine of Tarth? Yeah, I think she gets got too. (May be some sappy scene with Jamie too. Side point: I do not have an issue with the slow play stroll through these first two episodes, but let's cut the sap, can we? The dragon ride "When Jon met Danny." The nip slip from Ayra in a love scene. Hey, if we wanted a Rom-Com we'd look anyplace else but GoT.)
Grey Worm, the leader of the unsullied? Yeah, those dudes on the front lines are in trouble. Same with a lot of the familiar names like Jorah and Podrick too. Sadly, Tormund too, because that dude is hilarious. And if you have to believe The Hound's demise is going to be awesome, right?
Everyone save Tyrion in the crypt. In a war against the dead, I'm pretty sure the place where more dead people live is not the safest of places. (Side prediction, Gilly kills little Sam in an emotional scene to protect him from becoming part of the Night King's army.)
Whatcha got in terms of picks, if you watch?
And now, after seven years and the first two episodes of this season, it's all about to hit the Iron Throne.
Giddy-up.
Draft time
OK, this one is a labor of love, because simply put, we love the draft. You know this.
Our Dodging the Draft While Feeling the Draft and Drinking a Draught Draft Doohickey is here. It normally is our lowest number of entries each year. There are a lot of specific details and detailed specifics. (We have about 20 entries so far. Deadline is Thursday at lunch.)
But here we go with the five questions:
> Number of SEC players drafted in round 1?
> First SEC player drafted?
> Second quarterback drafted?
> Falcons' first pick?
> Which team makes the last pick of the first round?
If we have a tie Thursday night, we will have an emergency tie-breaker on Day 2. Good times.
OK, as we continue to sprint toward the draft - love the draft; you know this - let's discuss this topic.
What stat/measureable do you think is the most important? And yes, you can blend for positions, so of course the 40 is truly important for WR/CB, the dudes who, you know, actually have multiple chances to run 40-yard sprints.
We ask this because of news that the Wonderlic test scores for the quarterbacks have been released.
Here's the story from 247sports.com.
And there will be some who are curious about Kyler Murray's relatively low 20 (out of 50) that was the lowest released scores of the quarterback prospects.
This and that
- Here's today's A2 column on the ridiculous idea from Elizabeth Warren about forgiving all student loan debt. Hey the student loan pyramid scheme needs to be overhauled, but forgiving the billions of dollars in student loans owed the government while our national debt - the biggest crisis no one apparently wants to discuss (way bigger that Tweets or statues or all the other things we are spending way too much energy and angst on) - continues to expand is downright laughable if not was not so tragically stupid. Is she trying to out Bernie, Bernie?
- Mess with the bull get the horns, Bender. Here's a story about a Texas family who used stolen IDs and bulk mailing lists to scam the Masters lottery process and sell those badges on the secondary market. The ring leader could get 20 years in prison, and if the trial is in the greater Augusta, Ga., area, they may try to execute him.
- Hey, Utah is the Beehive State, right? Check out the photo of this woman at the Jazz-Rockets game last night. How much spray would that take? Seriously. Asking for a friend.
- And the sports-gambling Jeopardy! dude continues to smoke all comers. Dude has won 13 straight and averages more than $71K per win. Before he started winning the single-show record was $77K. He's almost averaging the previous record. That's Ruthian.
Today's questions
True or false. I'll go true.
True or false, forgiving all the student loans out there is a good idea.
True or false, if you had a ticket to the NFL Draft, you would drive to Nashville to take it all in.
True or false, Kate Smith's statue outside the Philadelphia arena should be taken down.
True or false, the Wonderlic test matters for QB prospects.
Today is April 23. Let's explore.
Today is International Nose Picking Day. It's also Talk Like Shakespeare Day. Ol' Willie was born on this day in 1564. Ol' Willie also died on this day in 1616.
Shirley Temple would have been 91 today.
Hank Aaron hit his first MLB homer on this day in 1954. Ted Williams hit his first MLB homer in 1939.
On this day in 1989, Troy Aikman was picked first.
Let's do this: Rushmore of best NFL drafts first rounds, because the Aikman 1, Barry Sanders 3, Derrick Thomas 4 and Deion Sanders 5, is a loaded top half.