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Show PAGE 8 THE ZEPHYR OCTOBER 1993 controlled circumstances. Ulented teams of atheletes to engage in confined warfare under highly of the game, sudi as the Vikings, These teams have mascots representative of the manly nature and warrior priests of old ensure a druids the Bears, and the Cowboys. Offidals similar to the the finest of these teams fair contest, and make mystical gestures at critical junctures. Annually, for one year. And we are very democratic about this. gather to battle for the right of supremecy next year's. the One year's champion is not necessarily Football carries many terms which reflect its martial nature. Sudden death overtime, entire concept is obviously a carryover blitz, guard, and the run and shoot, for example. Hie from the days of the Roman circus and the Medieval joust. Other traditions of Manliness and the warrior spirit also exist. We have expressions and words that are similar to a secret warrior language. I have included a few examples with translations: From the Seattle Desk of the Zephyr red-do- g "Bud" - A name used in greeting another member of the warrior elite. Loosely translated, it means Taker of Heads". "How they hanging?" - A greeting or query, expressing deep personal concern for the wellof the body and spirit of another warrior. This is usually accompanied by the traditional being handshake, which requires each party to try to crush the others hand. "Co ahead. Make my day." - A warning given to us from dint Used to warn off others before copious blood is spilt. We express playful taunts to each other, as a sign of our deep respect for one another. We view with inner pleasure as Bruce Willis dispatches a lower human to his reward with five rounds from a machine pistol. We revel in the performances of Montana, Elway, and Arnold the Barbarian, as they demonstrate the pinnacle of the modem warrior tradition. We are adaptable, granting warrior status to women as cultural systems and values change. Tool calendars, and that they carry their own All that we ask is that they not object to Snap-On rifle. By Robert Fulghum this month, Hunter Fulghum) (Pinch-hittin- g We have traditional manners of dress, such as baseball caps worn backwards, white bucks and matching belt, and in higher circles, the three piece suit and tie. We are in our tradition. The statistics and histories of our sports teams are poised in our forebrains, and we demonstrate our ability to synthesize information by using this data to predict the outcome of the annual battles. We have no need to glom onto another culture. We are the mighty and the strong, and we will conquer all who stand in our way. w'ell-educat- ed think that this makes it clear that my friend is trying to find the wrong tradition. Afterall, d when the lost warrior tradition is on display every why run around in the forest ABC? fall on monday night in the I half-nake- The Men'a Movement I have this friend. Very bright fellow, a man of remarkable skill and unusual imagination. I have always been impressed with his sense of emotional balance. But lately he is suffering from a sense that he is not whole, that some part of his soul has become lost. It seems that he misplaced it somewhere and cannot remember the last place that he had it. I Us response to this sense of emptiness has been to join the Men's Movement. On weekends, when we used to do my version of (watching football and using power tools), he is now spending his time in the woods, chest bared to the elements, beating a drum, and sitting in sweat lodges. ! !e says that he is searching for his lost warrior tradition. He engages in vision quests. It is all very mystical, he explains with a dreamy look in his eyes, based on the beliefs of the American Indians. Right. I see. But I believe that he is missing at least three points of fact. One, he isn't an indian. Two, his warrior tradition isn't what he beUeves it to be. Three, he looks reaUy stupid running around in the woods without a shirt on. If the goal of the Men's Movement is to reconnect the Lost Soul of the WASP male with its roots, I would like to suggest that perhaps these guys need to reexamine what their roots are, and examine better ways of finding them. For starters, let us think about who we really are. 1, as an example, am a white, anglo-saxomale, of a protestant background. My ancestors arrived in this country in the 1640's, and proceeded to either eliminate, subjugate or relocate the indigenous culture. My heritage has included such traditions as the Hundred Years War, the Crusades, transporting criminals to Australia for stealing bread, and the Industrial Revolution. My ancestors invented such concepts as Manifest Destiny and used it as justification to conquer other peoples. We are the only culture that not only engaged in wholesale expansion and imperialism, but made sure we had a damn good legal reason. My ancestors did not worship the great spirit and nature. They gathered in stuffy churches to feel bad about all the things that they enjoyed doing. Our warrior tradition has been glorious. We are in the last 200 years, having come from behind at least three times. Our tradition does not include hunting buffulo with bow and arrow. It does indude hunting deer from the back of a Ford 4x4 with a semiautomatic assault rifle. We have even dvilized and commerdalized our warrior tradition. It is called football We play at it directly amongst our friends and with members of other dans, and we select small, male-bondi- CASTLE CANYON NURSERY Plants for the Canyon Country Landscaping Design Drip Irrigation Headquarters Sprinkler Irrigation Parts Automatic Irrigation Parts Systems Design & Installation Licensed Landscape Contractor n CVSR 2106, Moab, UT 84532 259-827- 4 10-1-- 1 & NICHOLS EXPEDITIONS BRINGS THE HOUSE DOWN SALE PLEASE STOP BY POISON SPIDER AS WE SAY GOODBYE TO OUR OLD BUILDING TO MAKE WAY FOP THE 497 N-- MAIN NEW- - A 259A7882 A 800A63SAI792 |