More players are speaking out against the Arizona immigration law
May 3, 2010, 10:16 AM EST
Over the weekend Drew noted that Adrian Gonzalez said that he would not attend next year’s All-Star Game if selected due to the Arizona’s S.B. 1070 immigration law. Gonzalez is not the only player speaking out.
The Padres’ Yorvit
Torrealba told the San Diego Union-Tribune “Why do I want to go play in a place where
every time I go to a restaurant and they don’t understand what I’m
trying to order, they’re going to ask me for ID first? That’s bull. I
come from a crazy country. Now Arizona seems a little bit more crazy.”
Mets catcher Rod Barajas told The New York Times, “If
they happen to pull someone over who looks like they are of Latin
descent, even if they are a U.S. citizen, that is the first question
that is going to be asked. But if a blond-haired, blue-eyed Canadian
gets pulled over, do you think they are going to ask for their papers?
No.”
You can expect more players to weigh in on this. If nothing changes (i.e. if the Major League Baseball remains silent) the logical conclusion of all of this is (a) a wildcat strike of the All-Star Game by Latino players and those who sympathize with their position; and (b) a presumed backlash by other players who either support the law or who don’t feel it appropriate for baseball to wade into the political arena like this. In other words: ugliness.
As I said the other day, the only way to head this off is for Bud Selig to show some leadership on the matter. He need not come out in sharp opposition to S.B. 1070, and he need not make any decisions regarding the fate of the 2011 All-Star Game at this time, but it seems essential to me that he publicly acknowledge the feelings of the ballplayers, acknowledge the controversy and offer something approaching an official position for baseball.
If he does that — even with one of his patented “we’ll wait and see how it all plays out” statements which, in this case, may be the best bet — at least the players and the public will know that baseball is paying attention and may dial down the rhetoric for a bit. If he doesn’t, a good many of those same people are going to think that Bud doesn’t care, and it’s going to draw baseball further into the firestorm than it already is.
Yeah, that’s a political calculation, not a business one, but in this case the business of baseball and politics are on a collision course, so that stuff matters.
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- Bill - May 3, 2010 at 10:37 AM
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Why don’t Yorvit Torrealba and Rod Barajas go back to their home countries and play professional baseball, where they can earn almost a hundred dollars a week.
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- Craig Calcaterra - May 3, 2010 at 10:39 AM
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The United States happens to be both of their home countries. Or are you suggesting that Americans are not permitted to opine on matters such as these?
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- Anthony - May 3, 2010 at 10:45 AM
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Bill,
Your type of attitude is typical of most racists.
if they are not white this is not their country.
by the way I am white.
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- BC - May 3, 2010 at 10:46 AM
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Wait for the first person to be searched and challenge the law. I’m just thinking there’s some constitutional basis to do so:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_v._Ohio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reasonable_suspicion
Thoughts?
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- Mike - May 3, 2010 at 10:46 AM
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Bill,
Why don’t you investigate where your family migrated from and return to your families home country. I’m sure they’ll be glad to have you and compensate you accordingly.
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- frisky lamb - May 3, 2010 at 10:50 AM
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From:
“David LaBonte”
My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful
letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course,
was not printed. So, I decided to “print” it myself by
sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so
inclined. Written in response to a series of letters to the
editor in the Orange County Register:
Dear Editor:
So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren’t being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island
and other ports of entry.
Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people
like Mr. Lujan why today’s American is not willing to accept
this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when
there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the
United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a
long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get
down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made
a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in
good and bad times. They made learning English a primary
rule in their new American households and some even changed
their names to blend in with their new home.
They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their
children a new life and did everything in their power to
help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was
handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws
to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.
Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out.
My father fought along side men whose parents had come
straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None
of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought
about what country their parents had come from. They were
Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of
Japan . They were defending the United States of America as
one people.
When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking
for the French-American or the German American or the Irish
American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we
carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of
those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up
another country’s flag and waving it to represent who they
were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had
sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew
what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting
pot into one red, white and blue bowl.
And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same
rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by
playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the
entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their
mother country. I’m sorry, that’s not what being an American
is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on
Ellis Island in the early 1900′s deserve better than that
for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future
generations to create a land that has become a beacon for
those legally searching for a better life. I think they
would be appalled that they are being used as an example by
those waving foreign country flags.
And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty , it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on
the immigration bill. I wouldn’t start talking about
dismantling the United States just yet.
(signed)
Rosemary LaBonte
KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING. FOR THE WRONG THINGS TO PREVAIL THE RIGHTFUL MAJORITY NEEDS TO REMAIN COMPLACENT AND QUIET!! LET THIS NEVER HAPPEN!!
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- Eric - May 3, 2010 at 10:53 AM
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Bill – statements like yours are the reasons anyone who happens to agree with this legislation are branded as bigots and racists.
I am one of those individuals who do agree with the legislation, and believe the hysteria surrounding it come from ignorance of what is inside the bill.
I show my ID (papers!) everyday: Entering my place of business, paying for smokes or even for dinner (just like you Yorvit!), and even when I get pulled over. I don’t understand the issue with asking somebody to prove they are who they say they are.
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- frisky lamb - May 3, 2010 at 10:56 AM
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Illegal Mexicans coming into this country waving the Mexicam flag, killing innocent American citizens is just plain very very wrong. Illegals need to be treated as such. They are breaking the law in more ways than one. LEGAL immigrants had to wait years to come into this country. What makes the Mexicans any different just because they live right on the border. Does Canada allow anybody to just come into their country illegally?? Or any other country for that matter. What is the matter with Americans?? Have they become so complacent that this country is given away to anybody that wants it with no laws or rules attached?? That is insanity and the fastest way to lose this country!!! EVERYBODY has to follow rules, regulations and laws and that includes the MEXICANS who think they can do what they want and when they want with no laws or rules just because their country is run that way…We need to protect the USA for our future children!!!
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- Judi - May 3, 2010 at 10:57 AM
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I thought Yorvit made his home in Venezuela? Or did he move here permanently after his son was kidnapped there last year?
In any event I don’t think the whole “Canadiens won’t be asked to show ID!” argument holds much weight because Arizona is not fighting a losing battle against illegal immigrants from Canada. Perhaps the immigrants here legally should be a little more angry at those who stream across our border illegally and are ruining it for everyone? Just a thought.
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- Jonny5 - May 3, 2010 at 10:58 AM
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But what are you talking about??? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montebello_High_School_flag_flipping_incident
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- Patrick - May 3, 2010 at 11:00 AM
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Any other country/continent n the world checks your passport and I,d if your foreign….. in Russia you have to carry papers with you at all times …..in Denver Co it’s illegal to not have your Drivers license with you….Can I go to any-other country on a whim stay there and start working…..nope…. Its not profiling Latinos when there the majority of the problem..who is the majority of immigrants in fluxing the us from mexico..MEXICANS…hows that racist??
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- tom - May 3, 2010 at 11:03 AM
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Torrealba was born Venezuela, Barajas in California. As a point of info, while playing professional baseball in Mexico I was issued “working papers” & had to carry them all the time. Periodically the team bus would be stopped & all foreign players would have to show their papers. If some one did not have them the team was fined & the player could be sent home. Another point, all baseball teams in other countries have restrictions on the number of foreign players who can play for each team.
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- roberto - May 3, 2010 at 11:06 AM
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Bill, your comment is very stupid and makes you look like an ignorant racist. Sounds like you’re from ARYANzona.
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- Eric Cioe - May 3, 2010 at 11:08 AM
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Aren’t Bill’s remarks firmly tongue in cheek?
Frisky lamb: yes, illegal Mexicans coming here and killing people is wrong. But you seem to think it’s wrong because they got into this country illegally. For me, it’s wrong because it’s murder. You don’t have to be a legal citizen to be tried for murder, so your argument is out.
Also, I find the spelling and grammar issues of many of the comments here in favor of the law to be telling, quite frankly.
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- Church of the Perpetually Outraged - May 3, 2010 at 11:09 AM
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LEGAL immigrants had to wait years to come into this country.
This comment is hilarious considering all the hyperbole you spewed regarding the immigrants coming into Ellis Island. Those who definitely did not have to wait YEARS to come into this country.
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- MIKE - May 3, 2010 at 11:12 AM
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The problem with this bill is how do you suspect someone is not a US citizen? The only way you can is by there accent, color of skin or the way they’re dressed. You can say it’s not racial profiling but it is, plain and simple. These people do jobs that ordinary people will not do. There is no way that the majority of AZ citizens will work in the fields for 7 dollars an hour in 115 degree heat. I am from AZ, a native and of Mexican desent. I relocated to Colorado when the economy hit the skids. I am so glad that I don’t live in AZ right now. Racism is a horrible thing, the law may not be written in that way but the outcome will be. I’m all for tighter borders but judging and hasseling people because they look “Mexican” is racist and wrong.
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- hank - May 3, 2010 at 11:13 AM
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i am white, and i have absolutely no problem with what arizona has done. if you are a legal citizen, and are asked for proof of citizenship, then provide it. if you are illegal, then leave! we have enough problems here keeping our legals employed, not to mention healhcare. discrimination comes in form of harrassment. as long as authorities do not violate that, there should be no gripes when a “legal” citizen is asked for proof if there are questions. if you dont like it, then leave !!!
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- Dug - May 3, 2010 at 11:15 AM
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I am guessing that tossing the constitution is just fine with most Americans then. We are permitted to move FREELY about our country. When the government gives itself the authority to stop you and ask for your proof of citizenship, the very government of the people, by the people and for the people, is interfering with that very basic of rights.
I won’t ever be asked to prove my citizenship to a police officer. I am white. The only people who will be asked are people of color and those who speak with an accent. This is not an America I would be proud of. I am not willing to give up freedom in the name of safety. I will not bend to terrorists. I will not blame illegal immigrants for every crime that occurs in America. I will not blame them for using up our public assistance when they can’t receive it in the first place.
I am willing to give up no less than my life for the freedoms we enjoy. I am not willing to act as if we are under siege.
The solution is in making reasonable laws that will allow the undocumented aliens who are productive, paying taxes and contributing to apply for residency and remain here without being subject to deportation.
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- Vince - May 3, 2010 at 11:19 AM
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The Arizona law is not racist. One is not born an illegal immigrant. It is a matter of choice and behavior, not skin color. It is hard to ignore that over 99% of illegals in the American Southwest are of hispanic origin. But it is not their ethnicity that they are being targeted for, it is their criminal status, entering America illegally.
Regardless of ones skin color this is breaking the law. It also stretches the social welfare system to the breaking point. And in the case of Arizona it has led to an epidemic of crime.
Law enforcement cannot randomly walk up to people and ask for identification, there has to be a prior reason, such as being stopped for a traffic violation. I have numerous speeding violations, during each I have been asked to produce my papers, actually a drivers license. In Arizona, a person stopped in an alleged violation of the law can be asked to produce proof of citizenship.(A drivers license would suffice)
When a huge majority of people breaking the law are of one particular demographic, the law could be interpreted as racist, but rather is simply the reality of the situation, no race offense intended.
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- Professor Dave - May 3, 2010 at 11:20 AM
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American exceptionalism includes exceptional protections from the government. The “but other countries do it” line seems fundamentally un-American. Real patriots defend the constitution from enemies foreign, domestic, and the Arizona legislature.
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- Patrick - May 3, 2010 at 11:21 AM
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So you would like Barajas to return to his home country of the United States? He was born in California dope.
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- spiro - May 3, 2010 at 11:22 AM
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everyone needs to read the law that was passed before making comments. people cannot be asked about their status without first being stopped by law enforcement for a legitimate reason. skin color is not a reason.
can this be abused by law enforcement? sure. but, so can’t all the other laws on the books.
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- Patrick - May 3, 2010 at 11:22 AM
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In fairness to this gentelmen’s otherwise charming idiocy, why do you assume someone named Bill must be racist and more importantly white?
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- Jason - May 3, 2010 at 11:23 AM
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Why should Selig come out against a law designed to protect the LEGAL citizens of this state? No where in this law does it state that you will be asked for immigration papers at a resturant or at the ball park, it DOES state that if you are stopped for committing a violation of the law, you can be asked for your ID. Why is that any different then me getting asked for my driver’s license?
Stop screaming racsism, and start looking at the illegal’s that are a drain to society, point your anger at them, they are the reason for all of this. And by the way, this law IS NOT racist….ILLEGAL IS NOT A RACE!!!
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- Dug - May 3, 2010 at 11:23 AM
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My God. To think I walk the streets with the yahoos who are commenting here.
It makes on shudder when I see the spelling, grammar and semantics (or lack thereof)of those that favor the proposed “law”.
A “law” by the way that will be struck down as unconstitutional before it ever takes effect.
Who would have thought that Arizona would morph into the the new Alabama? Complete with police harassing people of color. The only things missing are the water hoses and dogs.
