Progressive Sports columnist Dave Zirin has a great column in The Nation. Zirin brings us the story of Carlos Santana being asked to speak at baseball\'s civil rights game. Much to Commissioner Bud Selig\'s chagrin,speak he did!
Major League Baseball’s annual Civil Rights Game was poised to be a migraine-inducing exercise in Orwellian irony. Forget about the fact that Civil Rights was to be honored in Atlanta, where fans root for a team called the Braves and cheer in unison with the ubiquitous “tomahawk chop.”
Forget about the fact that the Braves have been embroiled in controversy since pitching coach Roger McDowell aimed violent, homophobic threats at several fans. Forget that this is a team that has done events with Focus on the Family, an organization that is to Civil Rights what Newt Gingrich is to marital fidelity.
The reason Atlanta was such a brutally awkward setting for a Sunday Civil Rights setting, was because Friday saw the Governor of Georgia, Nathan Deal, sign HR 87, a law that shreds the Civil Rights of the state’s Latino population. Modeled after Arizona’s horrific and unconstitutional SB 1070, HR 87 authorizes state and local police the federal powers to demand immigration papers from people they suspect to be undocumented. Those without papers on request will find themselves behind bars. Civil rights hero, Atlanta’s John Lewis has spoken out forcefully against the legislation saying “This is a recipe for discrimination. We’ve come too far to return to the dark past.”
But there was Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig, celebrating civil rights in the Georgia, and chortling excitedly about the 2011 All-Star game in Arizona. In the hands of Selig, irony becomes arsenic. Thank God that Commisioner Selig was stupid enough to choose the Civil Rights Game to honor, among others, the great musician Carlos Santana. Santana was supposed to be the Latino stand-in, a smiling symbol of baseball’s diversity. And maybe, he would even play a song!
But Bud picked the wrong Latino. Carlos Santana took the microphone and said that he was representing all immigrants. Then Santana added, “The people of Arizona, and the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves.” In a perfect display of Gov. Nathan Deal’s Georgia, the cheers quickly turned to boos. Yes, Carlos Santana was booed on Civil Rights Day in Atlanta for talking about Civil Rights.
Carlos Santana was not done there, he went to the press box, and continued on:
He said [1], “This law is not correct. It’s a cruel law, actually, This is about fear. Stop shucking and jiving. People are afraid we’re going to steal your job. No we aren’t. You’re not going to change sheets and clean toilets. I would invite all Latin people to do nothing for about two weeks so you can see who really, really is running the economy. Who cleans the sheets? Who cleans the toilets? Who babysits? I am here to give voice to the invisible.”
He went on to say, “Most people at this point they are either afraid to really say what needs to be said, this is the United States the land of the free. If people want the immigration law to keep passing in every state then everybody should get out and just leave the American Indians here. This is about Civil Rights.”
While Bud was sneaking out the back door, Carlos Santana was standing tall! Thanks and way to go!!! It is time for the republican party, Bud Selig, Arizona and Georgia to change their evil ways!
By the way, I recommend Mr. Zirin’s work every week!
Outstanding! I used to have a lot of respect (maybe gratitude better describes my feelings) for Selig, mostly because of his efforts to bring baseball back to Milwaukee. He’s now nothing but a shill for the owners.
I love it when guys turn the tables on others at these feel-good events that are designed to paper over the ugliness below. Jackie Robinson did this at the ’72 World Series where he used the speech to call out the fact that not one MLB team had hired a black manager at that point.
And for those who say “Shut up and sing” to Sanatana. HE WAS INVITED TO A CIVIL RIGHTS EVENT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF HIS RACE. He’s not supposed to talk about these things? Jeesh.
Zirin is a good one when it comes to calling out the hypocrisy of the rich white men who run sports.
I’d like to see more than just Latin people stop working for two weeks to show everyone who’s really running the economy. It ain’t the bankers.
If I was a Latino I would be offended if I was told by a so called icon that I was only worthy to clean the sheets, clean the toilets, babysits. Oddly I see Latinos in many high profile jobs, oh wait I bet he is talking about the illegals who are here illegally and breaking the immigration laws of this country. I guess it should be no surprise that Carlos Santana would support criminal activity.
“If I was a Latino. . .”
Well, you’re not, are you, white boy?!
So, stop talking about things you don’t understand.
AND stop mis-characterizing what Carlos said.
Naw, now that I think about it, keep talking, gabacho. If you get him mad enough, he might just throw his wallet on you, and crush you.
I’d pay a dollar to see that.
Carlos is a beast.
Totally amazing guy. Went thru hell as a younger person and overcame.
But what exactly would they want a guy to SAY at a civil rights game? Oh I know, they want him to say players had it rough in the Old Days but these days it’s just 100% “problem solved”.
I guess that’s part of Ron Paul’s platform. We have evolved (thru an act of God, cuz evolution per se does NOT exist) to a point where we don’t NEED most of our laws. People are SO good now. This, ladies and germs, is Utopia. Heck, Christians can even toss out the Bible and the 10 Commandments. Old News.
and thanks (no sarcasm right now) for the Carlosian Reminder.
I haven’t listened to Carlos in a long time. In spite of the fact that he probably has kept me from blowing my own head off in the past. Lol
o.m.g. Guess who’s blasting Primavera right now? yeeha!
It’s sad that a icon like him would think that they can only be maids or janitors. BTW Carlos they are not invisible, they are right in front of us daily, working, protesting or taking advantage of the system enjoying entitlements saved for legal immigrants and Americans.
Notalib,
You got to change your evil ways…………
And don’t forget the social security taxes and medicare taxes that they pay for benefits they can never receive!
“If I was a Latino. . .”
Well, you’re not, are you, white boy?!
So, stop talking about things you don’t understand.
AND stop mis-characterizing what Carlos said.
Naw, now that I think about it, keep talking, gabacho. If you get him mad enough, he might just throw his wallet on you, and crush you.
I’d pay a dollar to see that.
Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.
Zirin on video explaining this!