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General Category >> Contest Stories >> American Fairy by Adrienne Ray
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Message started by Adrienne_Ray on Feb 7^th, 2010, 5:15pm

Title: American Fairy by Adrienne Ray
Post by Adrienne_Ray on Feb 7^th, 2010, 5:15pm

Okay, I have to explain why I wrote this story.
My husband has a friend, Wayne, who has a son. I never met his son but you might say I 'listened' to him grow up. My husband would come home from work and tell me stories about Wayne's son.
This Martin Luther King Day, my husband got up early to watch Wayne's son on tv. He had won an award for an essay he'd written about Martin Luther King. He had won 2nd place but he should have won first. His was the best. But I digress.
Another essay winner read her essay. She said she was just like Dr. King because she saved animals and he saved people. She hinted that she might be more important than Dr. King because he only saved people and she was trying to save the whole world.
It was on of those throw something at the tv moments.

Title: Re: American Fairy by Adrienne Ray
Post by Adrienne_Ray on Feb 7^th, 2010, 5:29pm

Let me continue. (I had to quit because it still upsets me.)
I guess young guys don't really 'get' what Martin Luther King was.Some of you probably remember that I grew up in a home that was trying to hide a trace of possibly black blood in my father's side. As such we were ultra redneck and not friends of the civil rights movement. But we respected Dr. King. He was an honest man that fought for what he believed in and he gave up his life for it. Even bigots had to admit they had respect for Dr. King.
I don't really think I'm expressing it well. You kind of had to be there.
I guess that was the point of writing the essay.
So why did they let an essay like that win?

Title: Re: American Fairy by Adrienne Ray
Post by Jeangoldstrom on Feb 7^th, 2010, 7:01pm

Why they let an essay like that win...because probably (IMO) like most "contest" the Fix was In.

Sad to say, the more I hear, read and learn about contests, the more I realize that an un-fixed one almost doesn't exist.

Disgusting, isn't it?

You're right, the "first prize winner" had to be somebody's dumb relative's kid...sigh.

Cheers for the kid who should have won.

-- Jean

Title: Re: American Fairy by Adrienne Ray
Post by Webbie on Feb 8^th, 2010, 5:46am

Kinda reminds me of the "Best Pizza In Town Award"

One vote per store, um, Pizza Hut wins again?

With only 60 stores in the metro area they won again?
Must be their great Pizza not their number of stores.
Glad I cleared that up.

Title: Re: American Fairy by Adrienne Ray
Post by Jeangoldstrom on Feb 8^th, 2010, 6:48am

True words!
-- Jean

Title: Re: American Fairy by Adrienne Ray
Post by Adrienne_Ray on Feb 18^th, 2010, 3:13pm

Actually the idea that the contest might have been fixed makes me feel better. I would hate to think that somebody was that misguided about the value of people like Martin Luther King.
As a matter of fact, after the student read the offensive essay, the teacher sort of apologized to a member of the King family that had attended the ceremony. I can't remember exactly what she said (I was too busy having a hissy fit) but it was something about the student not knowing any better. Here's a thought, Teach, MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE TAUGHT HER BETTER!!!!
(Ahem!) But I digress...
Hopefully the contest was just fixed.