Full Throttle

Michael Yaki is a lawyer of Japanese-American descent. More specifically a lawyer with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. He’s also a NASCAR fan.

In today’s Star Telegram he writes an editorial, The race cars and the racism, that centers on Toyota’s entry to NASCAR’s premier series.

In it he describes some of the hateful screeds that have come about in various quarters including Jack Roush’s “going to war” remarks, Jimmy Spencer’s intemperate comments when Toyota entered the truck series and he blinks in “disbelief when I read in a chat room that Michael Waltrip and Brian Vickers, the two most prominent NASCAR drivers with Toyota, are called traitors.”

As my readers know I’ve taken to task the idiots that run the Fans Against Racing Toyotas website and a couple other nonsensical buffoons, but I have to call out Mr Yaki on a couple points.

He seems to hold most of his scorn for postings in chat rooms, forums and blogs. Chat rooms and most forums are very well known for hateful vile speech on any range of topics from sports to politics to how bad Sanjaya Malakar sucks.

That type of behavior seems to be the nature of the beast and why I avoid them at all cost.

I won’t call Mr. Yaki a liar, just misguided, and in doing so I’ll defend the racing portion of the blogosphere. I read all of the top rated racing blogs. and I DO mean ALL of them. (for those of you I hardly ever comment on, sorry, time is my enemy) It has been as rare as hen’s teeth when any racist, hateful comments have appeared on any of them.

That’s not to say it hasn’t happened, but it damn sure isn’t the norm and a very sad mis-characterization on his part.

I certainly wouldn’t argue his feelings aren’t real and heartfelt. I have never walked in his shoes or his father’s who he so elequently describes as one that suffered in America’s internment camps during WWII.

And he’s most assuredly correct is saying “resorting to ethnic slurs and race-baiting is un-American. That’s true whether you live in Boston or Birmingham, Lansing or Lubbock. You can be pro-American but not anti-anybody.”

All well and good, but then Mr. Yaki (a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights) jumps the shark. He goes onto say:

NASCAR’s head-in-the-sand approach on the racism around Toyota’s entrance underestimates the breadth and depth of its appeal and overestimates the intolerance and prejudice within its own ranks.

It can and should ask all the fan forums, blogs and chatrooms to refrain from ethnic slurs. And it can certainly tell team owners like Roush to focus on their cars and tires, not the trade deficit.

Boldface mine.

Mr. “member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights” Yaki wants NASCAR to deputize the Thought Police and attempt to censor “fan forums, blogs and chatrooms.”

You lost me guy.

Whatever goodwill you may have had in a generally well written editorial just got tossed into the circular file at the end of my desk.

It just sucks to be you doesn’t Mr. “member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights” Yaki?

Did I mention Mr. Yaki is a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights?

Civil Rights; Right to free speech. Somehow I think they are connected.

Did I mention he’s my Fool of the Day on April Fools Day?

Full Throttle, sports, NASCAR, NEXTEL Cup, Auto Racing, Motorsports