Indiana flaws

This is just sad, no matter how you spin it.

Hard truths at Ball State

Also, I have a tremendous respect for the following two sports writers who often give strong opinions on race issues but who also often speak more intelligently and eloquently on the subject than so-called leaders Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

Michael Wilbon

Jason Whitlock

--It's sad because of the lack of understanding between the East Coast mentality/attitude and the Midwest mentality/attitude.

--It's sad because of lingering racial tension in a state which is, at the same time, the heart of the old underground railroad and of much racial bridgebuilding (I have first-hand experience), but which is also the heart of significant, unsavory, Ku Klux Klan activity.

--It's sad because the university sits in the heart of basketball country, where communities truly rally around their teams, and this school, often an also-ran in the state basketball culture, has had some truly shining moments.

--It's sad because Muncie is really a good town with a lot of good people in it.

--It's sad because BSU is an outstanding place for students who can't get into a more prestigious college; it is an excellent bridge for first-in-their-family college graduates and has highly underrated programs in music, education, and architecture.

--It's sad that these things get in the way of success.

The article says that the school and the town are old. small places that don't want to change. There is some truth to that, but that truth has little to do with race. It has more to do with a system of beliefs and culture about how people in a town should interact and how a regional state university should conduct itself. It has little to do with the color of someone's skin, though there are people who occasionally confuse the two. I've been around these towns and people more than enough to know that there are many strong connections among races in that region and that most people have a healthy respect for the struggles of our nation's past.

The sentiments of one of the players, Peyton Stovall, within the article are much more representative of the local environment. People aren't generally comfortable using the "N-word", which is based more on an understanding and respect for what has happened in the past than any negative connotation in the present. Fortunately, we don't have the level of conflict in the United States that exists in most of western Europe, primarily due to frank conversations made possible through the national/regional media.

To be honest, though, this situation truly breaks my heart.

It is the kind of thing I want to have an influence over in my lifetime.

Note: The author grew up in a similarly sized town in the same region, knows people attended and who work for the university, and has visited both the city and campus on dozens of occasions.