I was saddened to hear that
Dale Earnhardt met with an
untimely death at the
Daytona 500 Sunday. I feel for his family and fans. I am sure he will be missed greatly.
As sad as Dale's death is, I find the public reaction to his death facinating. People have time and time again said that the crash didn't look that bad. The crash that occurred earlier in the race is supposed to have been much worse and the driver walked away from the accident. Rather than be amazed that the other driver survived, people seem to be suggesting that Dale Earnhardt's death was inequitable, because the crash seemed relatively mild. They seem to be saying that Mr. Earnhardt, because of his standing in his sport, didn't deserve to die in such an unspectacular manner.
To those who may feel this way, I must remind them that inertia is a harsh mistress. Hitting a wall head-on at over 180 miles per hour is a one-way ticket to eternity. No matter how good you are or successful you are, you are never exempt from the laws of physics. Perhaps, instead of being shocked at the death of those in this sport, we should be amazed that more people don't die.