Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL
Date:	7/25/2012 11:04:37 AM

The discussion is about the hatefulness of the Auburn-Alabama rivalry. 

I went to Old Dominion University… which, until recently… had no football team.  Having gone to graduate school at Virginia Tech… the Hokies became my team. (PLEASE! Both Vicks should never be allowed to play professional football again.) 

However, I married into the Auburn-Alabama rivalry.  I really enjoy it when it is good natured even irreverent… sometimes outrageous.  However, I have seen it raise its ugliness on numerous occasions. The put-downs get very personal and insulting.

Both my wife and I own and wear AU clothing… though neither of us went to school there (uh… well, my wife is enrolled in the OLLI program at Auburn).  For the Auburn-Alabama game, we are Roll Tide!  On ALL other occasions we are for the appropriate Alabama team.

As a military family, we have lived in many venues… and seen the very same juvenile, low-class behavior applied to other rivalries.  I wonder at the psychology of the bitterness.  I suspect it is born of gloating versus humiliation.  Gloating has never made anyone more attractive. 

To disparage a person because they are being true to their school is very short sighted and hypocritical.  Look in the mirror and say to yourself, “You are stupid because you went to ________ !”    See any value in that? 

As soon as it is not fun anymore… it loses its value… and demeans relationships.

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	Huh?
Date:	7/25/2012 12:33:28 PM

Fishy… did you have trouble with reading comprehension in your public school education? 

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	Huh?
Date:	7/25/2012 1:57:07 PM

On second reading… an implausible conclusion is that we might wear AU clothing to the Alabama game and root for Alabama.  Hmmm… if read THAT way… yes, FISHY might conclude that.  Unfortunately, we are late re-entrants to Alabama and can’t get tickets to the Iron Bowl except at scalper prices… which we can’t afford.  If we could go, we’d wear Alabama colors… and root for Alabama (where my wife went).

THEREFORE, in clarification… we watch the AU-Alabama game AT HOME… wearing red-and-white… and screaming Roll-Tide. 

For games where these two are not playing each other… we root for the appropriate Alabama team! For example:  When Auburn is playing Georgia Tech, we root for Auburn.

Name:	MAJ USA RET -	Reply
Subject:	Apology
Date:	7/25/2012 3:55:24 PM

I too attended public school (Virginia, Maryland, and Florida) and state colleges (Virginia).  My public education was very complete and sufficient.

Then, the Federal Government got involved (DoE began operating in May, 1980).  The quality of public education has declined ever since.  We have gone from preparing for life… to pandering to self-esteem.  Abolish DoE... give the money directly to the states.

I do, however, apologize for offending anyone about their public education… whenever it was completed… or credit given to them.