Life is a journey, not a destination.
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RONNIE’S RAMBLINGS
vol. 01 Issue 60 04.09.2015 PUBLISHED BY Wilson Photography
established Viii-Xiv-mmxiv
Cover photos: Avon’s David Schall at Plainfield.
WHAT TO EXPECT
In this issue...
Ronnie’s Ramblings
Four Softball
Six
Track & field
Twelve 2
Don’t Insult the Alligator until after you cross the river. --
follow us on twitter! @Ronniesrambling
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PUBLISHED BY Wilson Photography
RONNIE’S RAMBLINGS vol. 01 Issue 60 04.09.2015
To purchase/view photos go to hcsportsandmore.smugmug.com
Masthead RONNIE WILSON -
FOUNDER PUBLISHER EDITOR WRITER PHOTOGRAPHER
&
NOELANI LANGILLE - CREATIVE DIRECTOR - ART DIRECTOR - DESIGNER - PHOTO EDITOR - PHOTOGRAPHER column photo, pages 4/5
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RONNIE’S RAMBLINGS
I
by Ronnie Wilson
t is about time! I have been cooped-up in this house for more than three weeks. Due to weather, spring breaks and the gap between winter and spring sports seasons, I had only one local softball game and one track meet to cover, and the track meet was cancelled due to weather conditions. My shutter button finger has gotten soft, weak and out of shape. I am again going to broach a subject I mentioned more than once in my Deliberate Divarication column in Sports & More, when it was in publication. (Maybe the powers that be will reconsider the idea.)The high school softball and volleyball high school seasons in Indiana need to be switched. The reasons being, in no particular hierarchy: 1 - The number of games permitted are almost a wash, Volleyball teams are allowed 25 games plus two tournaments and softball is allowed 28 games with no tournaments or 26 games and one tournament. 2 - Volleyball can be played in most any weather; it is indoors.
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3 - Spring weather in Indiana is at best unpredictable and fickle, including frequent heavy rain, snow, ice, sub-freezing temperatures, all in the same day, in the early part of the season, which necessitates game postponements or cancellations. 4 - In Indiana, softball clinics and off season instruction are heavily concentrated during the summer break, after the season / state tournament has completed. 5 - Fall weather, in Indiana, is much less mercurial and much drier than spring. 6 - Less opportunity for clinic and offseason training deteriorating due to coming out of clinics and offseason training and going
directly into the playing season; rather than waiting seven months for the most recently honed skills have well begun to diminish/totally fade. Let me know what yo think. Usually this column has two themes or topics, one serious and one on the lighter side. This week neither topic will be on the lighter side. The soft-
ball/volleyball treatise is a suggestion to potentially improve high school sports scheduling and game scheduling in Indiana. The second one (below) is very serious and disheartening. (ED. note. The following was written the day the initial legislation was first signed. Modifications to the original bill have made it slightly less offensive.) Recently, the Indiana state legislature and the governor have legalized discrimination in Indiana. They vehemently deny it is discrimination, but if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it is a
duck. The guise of this legislation is, it gives businesses and individuals the right to refuse to serve patrons who exhibit behaviors the merchant feels are contrary to the service/product providers religious beliefs. I am wondering will this refusal of services extend to. 1 - People of a faith that does not agree with the business or its owner, 2 - People who take the name of their lord in vain, 3 - Those who work on the sabbath or demand their employees to work on the sabbath, 4 - Offspring, young or old who act in defiance of their parents, 5 - Murderers, 6 - Adulterers, 7 - Thieves, 8 - Liars, 9 - Greedy or envious people, 10 - Those who lust after another married person. Are these behaviors less offensive to the service provider’s religious beliefs than the LGBT community? If not, then
the application of service denial must be applied to anyone who meets the above list’s criteria. If the service denial is not applied equally, then by definition, this law sanctions discrimination and bigotry. I am also concerned about the passage of a second bit of legislation needed to “explain” this legislation. What comes to my mind when I hear the need for legislated explanation is, “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.”, seems very apropos. All of the red lipstick in the world will not change this pig (the legislation’s true intention). I am embarrassed to admit I live in a state that would produce and whole heartedly endorse such bigotry and hate mongering. The saving grace is that I know this piece of government sanctioned discrimination is not the mind set of most Hoosiers. The people of Indiana are warm, friendly, welcoming and inclusive. The Indiana state legislature and governor, not so much. (Strike that last phrase, it should probably read, “not at all unless it directly profits them and their agenda”.) I am hopeful, the state’s supreme court will declare this piece of wanton discrimination Continued on page 29, see RR-2
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Danville’s Robin Ford makes a catch in center field for an out versus South Putnam.
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Danville’s Haleigh Kelly
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versus South Putnam.
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Danville’s Keara Schroder makes the throw to first for an out versus South Putnam.
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Danville’s Samantha Glasser versus South Putnam.
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Track &
Photos by Ronnie Wilso
Avon’s Katrina Hopkins at Plainfield.
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field
y on
Plainfield’s Delaney Salton versus Avon.
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Plainfield’s David spray versus Avon.
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Plainfield’s Jordan Clements versus Avon.
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Avon’s Diamond Mitchell wins th
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he 100 meter Dash at Plainfield.
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Avon’s Marcus Griffin wins the
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e 100 meter Dash at plainfield.
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Avon’s Madison Keele at Plainfield.
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RR-2, continued from page 5 to be null and void. I strongly feel people should be free to practice their religion as they see fit, but the free expression of their religion ends when it infringes on my civil rights. Much like the old adage, (Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.�) I do not want to be religiously converted or have their belief system foisted on me in the name of religious freedom. What I also find appalling was the threat of physical violence directed toward a business that supported the original legislation. As much as I think the legislation is blatant bigotry and discrimination, disagreeing with it is not a reason for directing a threat of violence and harm to those who disagree with your interpretation. That type of behavior is indicative that those promoting that type of response as whackos, when in fact it is an extreme fringe. Like most belief systems, political parties and other organizations there will be extremist factions entrenched on both ends of the spectrum. Fast forward to the Thursday following the initial signing of the original bill. Language was
drafted and passed by the legislature to specifically prohibit the thinly veiled discrimination contained in the original law. That was a bit of good news. What I find telling and of interest, is the governor adamantly denied the original legislation would be modified or repealed, because he categorically denied it was discriminatory in any way...until it began to have profound negative financial repercussions from local and national businesses and other states doing business with Indiana; ie the loss of significant amounts of revenue to the state as well as a significant portion of the state and local economy. The next time you think money does not play an overwhelming role in politics, keep in mind the above series of political events and the outcome.
I am pleased the governor signed the “explanation� legislation rider, even if it was instigated by the potential huge loss of dollars. It may prevent a modicum of the financial drain from occurring, but I have a suspicion some of those businesses/states will follow through on their threats and continue to avoid Indiana until the entire state is covered by nondiscriminatory legislation. Another sad part of this fiasco is, it puts the good people of Indiana in a very bad light. It does significant harm to the image and reputation of the state as a whole and will for many years be a factor influencing the business and economic growth of the state of Indiana. I am hopeful that sooner than later the shadow of this scourge passes; though I doubt it.
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Life is a journey, not a destination.
follow us on twitter! Ronniesrambling
RR
PUBLISHED BY Wilson Photography
RONNIE’S RAMBLINGS vol. 01 Issue 60 04.09.2015
To purchase view photos go to hcsportsandmore.smugmug.com
established Viii-Xiv-mmxiv