Minding my own business in the grocery store today, I happened upon the magazine rack, and there, staring me in the face, was a special magazine edition with Dale Earnhardt’s picture. This, in itself, is unremarkable – you see a lot of such commemorative editions. But on this one, the headline was, “Tribute to an American Hero.” Let’s face it, the man was no more an American hero than anyone sitting in their living rooms watching NASCAR. I can’t stand it when accidental death, brought on by reckless behavior, makes a man revered.
It’s been said in recent days that people don’t watch NASCAR to see people die; they watch NASCAR to see people crash and walk away. Not exactly the most admirable occupation for an American Hero.