The Nation's Dave Zirin is taking MLB Commissioner Bud Selig to task for his refusal to move the All-Star game from Arizona because of Arizona's harsh anti-immigration laws. Major League Baseball is filled with immigrants, some of whom are boycotting the All-Star game and have called for it to be moved.
In a segment on PBS's Need to Know, Zirin points to May 15, when the MLB holds its Civil Rights Game, as an example of the hypocrisy of the league, which invited legendary singer Carlos Santana to perform at an Atlanta Braves home game.
Zirin noted the duplicity of having Civil Rights Day in a state that had just signed HR 87, an anti-immigrant law. Santana took the microphone and challenged the law and those who would vote for it. Zirin states, "Carlos Santana was booed for talking about civil rights on Civil Rights Day." As with Selig's hands-off approach to moving the All-Star game, he neglected to address the crowd's mistreatment of Santana.
Kudos to Zirin for calling out Selig and MLB for its glaring duplicity. How ironic is it that America's favorite pastime depends on immigrant players to even exist, yet continues to ignore the blatant civil rights injustices that the players and their families face? We guess baseball really is as American as apple pie.
Watch video of Zirin's commentary on PBS.
In other news: South Africa's Leon 'DJ Solarize' Dies From Progeria.