American Martyr

A day has passed since I saw the truck with the decal reading, "ONLY GOD KNOWS WHY," stretched across the top of its windshield. At first, I thought it was making a rhetorical statement, mirroring the inner conflict I'm sure we've all had about why things happen the way they do. But, that assumption was folly, for at that time I had not been close enough to see that the decal banner was flanked by the numeral 3. The statement the Black Truck was posing is better expressed, "ONLY GOD KNOWS WHY DALE EARNDHART IS DEAD."

I don't mean to be callous. Here at Weapon Mods, we hope to express the greatest respect for life. Perhaps that is not always clear, nor even addressed in our writing, but surely can be seen through our charity efforts.* But, it struck me as odd that that the death of Dale Earndhart (which was nearly ten years ago) is the event in which Black Truck chooses to keep the torch burning. There are any number of causes out there (ask any Subaru owner) to support via bumper stickers, and this is the rallying cry Black Truck issues?

However, Black Truck has been instrumental in opening up some discussion here, at the offices of Weapon Mods. I like to think that it has allowed a lot of us here to open up about personal experiences that would have otherwise been left untouched. This has brought a certain catharsis to the office, and I don't think there was anyone who didn't call home that night, after work.

Despite this, there are some questions that the staff were still pondering that night, and probably still grace some neurological doorway: Had Black Truck never lost anyone? Is that why it was clinging to the death of a NASCAR driver, in some appreciation of its first real loss? It was, after all, doubtful that Black Truck had known Dale Earndhart on any personal level, it can be argued that anyone who had known Earndhart on a personal level probably chose a more subtle way to grieve. However, I do seem to see an awful lot of headstone decals on the back of many a S.U.V., (un)tactfully placed below or above a dreamcatcher.

Also, aren't there more relevant issues to lament than the demise of a race car driver from (Google) North Carolina? There must be an allowance of relativity here, as well. Weapon Mods doesn't wish to be insensitive, so we must recognize the possibility that Black Truck felt the way about Dale Earndhart as some feel about....well, anything that generates enough remorse to emblazon your windshield with, "ONLY GOD KNOWS WHY".

I'm tempted to take a turn here and further explore the consequences of Black Truck's actions, but I would have to use a Star Trek reference and I'm not prepared to do that.

*To date, Weapon Mods has not contributed to any charity, whatsoever.