Straight Line
By Jim Jack
The Crime of the Century
Contents
If asked,“ What do you think is the crime of the century?”, we’ d all probably have a different answer, depending on our age, environment, family heritage, and how much education we‘ ve experienced.
If you grew up in the mid-to-late twentieth century, your answer would vary from those who grew up in the mid-to-late ninetieth century. Strange as it sounds, many people today do not know anything about world history( or biblical history either).
Since organized drag racing is not yet a century old, it really can’ t claim to have a crime of the century— but it does have some history of catastrophes. Someone outside the world of drag racing would be unable to answer an inquiry if drag racing was the premise of the question.
A sad pronouncement is many people in this day-and-age really don’ t give a hoot about what happened in the past— good or bad— even if it affects them personally.
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Drag racing has had plenty of misfortune in its history, but you really couldn’ t say a crime took place. The blemishes of racing incidents can’ t be described as criminal, but to a surviving loved one it feels like they were violated, and the violation can feel like a crime.
If we look back in world history, the crime of the century, in the twentieth century, may well be the horrors of the Holocaust, or the hideousness of Hiroshima. Maybe in the ninetieth century it was the Civil War, or in the eighteenth century the Revolutionary War and so on as we delve back into history.
I’ ve been attending drag racing for almost six decades and the only crimes I know about happening at the races are fights, robberies, drug abuse and drug transactions. Sad to think these crimes could be committed at a drag race, but unfortunately, there are sinister people everywhere you choose to go.
Many racers throughout the years have felt they were figuratively beaten, robbed or raped, thus outwardly repulsed because they were denied a victory. People need to understand when bad things happen, it has the outward appearance of being unfair at the time of the incident, but no one is guaranteed a perfect life without any problems.
The phrase things happen for a reason is a misnomer( but too many people believe this statement is fact). Things happen because; First: You reap what you sow, if you sow good things you may reap good things, but if you sow bad things you may well reap bad things. Second: Other people also sow good and bad, and fortunately, or unfortunately, you may be the recipient of reaping their good or their bad. Third: We live in a fallen world, so things will happen, things will break, and things will simply let you down with no reason!
In drag racing, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you just have to get by singing the blues. When it’ s your weekend to take home the trophy, things fall in place and your hot rod simply runs to [ almost ] perfection. When it’ s not your weekend, stuff happens, things break, nothing seems to go your way— but that’ s how racing goes. No reason needed!
Why do unpleasant things happen? Because no one knows you’ re going broke … or you committed a small offense after you woke … you said it was only rum and coke … you indulged in a small toke … you think your child deserved a minor poke … you faked the impression of being the best bloke … so following worldly things is no laughing joke.
Because of mankind’ s fallen nature and living in a sorely depraved world— after sin entered in— there’ s only been one innocent crime, and it took place back in the first century. The corruption and rebellion continued to escalate between the Garden of Eden and the Garden of Gethsemane. God knew it was time to sow His grace and truth. It was not only the crime of the century. It was the crime of eternity happening right be-
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