As a long time Oakland Raider fan I found the recent "My Turn" column in The Press very disturbing.

For years, I lived in Northern California and was a season ticket holder. And now living in North Idaho I still cheer the Black and Silver on, and look for the days when the glory of the Raiders will return.

We in Raider Nation can be found in virtually every city and town in the United States. The sale of NFL team clothing is big business and the Raiders and Dallas Cowboys team logos, are unquestionably the most recognizable, and worn, in the U.S.

It's not unusual for me to pass a Raider fan in Coeur d'Alene on any given day. They wear the Raider gear proudly. We always have a high five or "Go Raiders" comment as we pass one another. I cannot remember the last time I saw a 49er shirt or hat.

To degrade the Oakland Raider fan by calling them "...from lower economic backgrounds" is sad indeed, and probably has been one of the reasons why Oakland residents have such disdain for the San Francisco 49ers.

San Francisco for decades has been a community of liberals who look down at those from outside their "pearly gates." Somehow they see themselves as the chosen people to tell the rest of the world how we should live. With one breath they claim they are fighting for the rights of the poor and less fortunate, and with the other wish the minorities would just go away and let them enjoy their Bay Area lifestyle.

Oakland is, and has always been, the "working man's" town of California.

It still is a city of port workers, factory workers, and construction crews. They don't make their living crossing the bridge every morning to work in plush offices in downtown San Francisco.

To blame fights during a Raider-49er game on those from Oakland is a pretty small minded, closed view of the current situation in professional sports. There are more and more incidences of violence throughout the professional sport scene - not just in Oakland. Pittsburgh, another working man's town, is another example of rough and tough fans with plenty of action both on and off the field.

Most of us in Raider Nation are die-hard fans, win or lose. The Raiders and their fans create excitement, and sometimes that gets carried too far by a few.

We don't go to games to fight, or bully others. We are appalled at those in the black and silver who are at the games for a day of just drinking and confronting others. We have been there through the glory years of the 1960s, '70s and '80s. We have been there even when they moved to Los Angeles, and we were there when they returned to Oakland in the '90s. And we have watched and left many games in pain as our beloved Black and Silver have faded in recent years.

Several years ago I travelled to Seattle with about a dozen of my Raider fans to watch a Seattle/Oakland game. We dressed in our gear, some painted their faces in the colors of the Raiders, and off we went to enjoy a morning in downtown Oakland before the game. At a restaurant - full of Seahawks fans - we proudly marched around, and everyone joined in the fun. An elderly couple called me over to their table and she said: "This is our favorite day of the year, just to come here and see you boys from Oakland, all dressed up!"

I have attended several games in San Francisco (not just Raider appearances) and I have witnessed fights in the stands and in the parking lot. Perhaps the 49ers should stop playing any team on its schedule if it results in a fight between the 49er fan and the fan from the opposing team.

Once I watched two nicely dressed middle aged men fight over a bottle of wine at a tailgate party. Yes! Over a bottle of wine! Sitting, enjoying our ribs and beer we got a real laugh out of that! Yes, it's true, Raiders drink beer and San Francisco liberals go to games with table cloths, candles and wine glasses and try to outdo their friends with the most expensive bottle of wine.

And, now, here in North Idaho, I read that Al Davis, owner of the Raiders, is to blame for all of this. Come on, don't we think it's time to stop hitting poor ol' Al with every problem in the NFL? When are we going to give this guy his due recognition? He saved the AFL. He fought for a strong NFL. He has created some of the most memorable teams in professional sports. For every "bad guy" on a Raider team he fielded a team of hard playing, decent men.

Al Davis built the Raider Nation with simple phrases like "Just Win, Baby." And, we in the Nation proudly follow a tradition that is unheralded in football.

So, I will continue to be a part of the Raider Nation, the most loyal fans in the NFL!

Earl Parker is a Twin Lakes resident.