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  • From: Michael Winslow Czeiszperger <michael AT czeiszperger.org>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] First in flight?
  • Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2003 21:45:52 -0400


On Sunday, April 27, 2003, at 02:29 PM, Sil Greene wrote:

On Sun, 27 Apr 2003, Jim Allman wrote:

Michael sez:
I can't believe the citizens of NC have the gall to believe
NC has anything but a tiny claim of involvement with the Wright
Brothers, who never were citizens of the state.

Personally (and I, for one, am 100% native N.Carolinian), I've never
mistaken the catchphrase "First in Flight" with the concept "we did it
all". It refers to the first controlled flight, plain and simple. Anyone
who's been through their NC history class in 4th & 8th grades should
recognize that.


You may get it, but I've met NC natives that believed that the Wrights lived in NC for years. The difference is crucial, because if the Wrights were born somewhere else, but moved to NC at some point, NC would have a legitimate claim as having contributed to the development of the first practical airplane. All this wouldn't matter except that NC uses the Wrights as the most important symbol of NC.

I think NC should pick a phrase for their license plates that reflects on the proud character and history of the state rather than trying to bask in the glory of a couple of Ohio inventors. I humbly suggest the following for a future NC license plate motto:

1. First in Smoke*
2. Lucky Strike
3. Marlboro Country

* NC has the largest number of acres committed to tabacco production of any state, and the 2nd lowest cigarette tax (5cents) of any state. (Kentucky is the lowest at 3 cents.)

________________________________________________________________________ _________
Run, run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me, I'm the stinky cheese man!
-- michael at czeiszperger dot org, Chapel Hill, NC




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