How should N be defined?  It is derived from the Latin word for the color black.  It is a term used to impose contempt upon some as an inferior race.  It has seeped into every form of American culture, from literature to popular debates, from cartoons to song.  Throughout history it has cropped up in children's rhymes.

Randall Kennedy - Author

It has been a familiar form of the vocabulary for whites high and low.  It has been used in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Huey Long, "The Kingfish" used the term with no awareness that it might be offensive.  Judges in Georgia and Mississippi seemed likewise ignorant of the posibility that the word might be offensive.  U. S. Supreme Court Justices used the term.

For many blacks the word has constituted a menacing prescence and has influenced significant course changes in the directions of their lives.  No one has more seriously dramatized N-as-insult than Richard Wright.  Malcolm X remembered that during his childhood after the murder of his father whites serving as his guardians openly used the term.  When Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers, the manager openly questioned whether or not blacks were human.

Carl Rowan was denied the right to buy a paper in the white waiting room at a train depot.  I didn't even know Rowan was black.  I love his journalistic writings.

Carl Rowan - Journalist

Michael Jordan was suspended from the school bus for hitting a white girl that called him N.  Tiger Woods was tied up in kindergarten by older students who called him N.  Branford Marsalis says he was called N from the time he was born.  Hank Aaron, my number one sports hero of all time, in 1973, on the brink of breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record, received hate mail calling him a N. 

Oh no, according to Sporting News writer Lee Spencer, Mark Martin is considering pulling another George Foreman (Michael Jordan).

For those who thought Mark Martin was cutting back, think again. He was expected to run a limited schedule in 2007, but that could change if he is in points contention entering the Bristol race in March. Martin expects his Chevrolet to be competitive when his team arrives at Daytona. He says Ginn Racing G.M. Jay Frye will give him the flexibility to race as much as he wants. -- Lee Spencer

Sterling Marlin fans are a little upset about this, maybe because they don't want to play second fiddle to a lot of hype about whether or not Martin will run another full season.  Martin left Rousch Racing at the end of last season and will drive the 01 Army Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Ginn Racing next season.  It was originally announced that Mark would drive 20 races with David Regan driving the other 16.  Joe Nemechek will drive the number 13 next year for Ginn Racing.  Sterling Marlin drives the 14 for Ginn.

KYSterlingfan is not too happy.

KYSterlingFan



Age: 29

Location: Jackson,KY
Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:05 pm  

Oh for the love of pete...

How many more years are we going to have to put up with him retiring...then deciding not to retire...

This is getting old...

If you are going to retire...retire like Rusty did..Don't drag it out...
 

rhendryx


Age: 52

Location: Cigar City
Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:04 am   Here is your local resident contrarian, again!

I hope Mark Martin races the entire year. If he is doing well, I believe that will translate into better performance for a certain other driver that a lot of us around here like. And a certain other driver who all of us respect who qualified well. It may help with sponsorship dollars, too.

I can understand why some people may take issue with the way he is resisting retirement, but Ginn Racing may be better off with him on the track. And whats good for Ginn racing, is good for me as a fan of Sterling Marlin.

Not to mention, the word retirement is going to be creeping into Sterling's vocabularly more and more in the next year or two and I'm wishing for anything possible that might help him have something decent to drive.