Sunday, May 23, 2010

SOUND OFF: BORDERLINE BASEBALL

Last month the Arizona State Legislature passed a bill designed to crack down on illegal immigrants within the state, a bill with harsh provisions that were criticized by President Barack Obama and others.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D.-N.J.) has sent a letter to the Major League Baseball Players Association, asking its members to boycott the 2011 All-Star Game, which is scheduled to be played in Phoenix.

Would it be right for the union to take a stand on the Arizona immigration bill? Or is it wrong to mix baseball with politics?


Post your thoughts here by clicking on "comments" or "post a comment" below. Please include your name, hometown, and state, province, or country. Readers' comments may appear in an upcoming column. Or e-mail your comments to me at rightthing@nytimes.com.

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Jeffrey L. Seglin, author of The Right Thing: Conscience, Profit and Personal Responsibility in Today's Business (Smith Kerr, 2006), is an associate professor at Emerson College in Boston, where he teaches writing and ethics. He is also the administrator of The Right Thing, a Web log focused on ethical issues.

Do you have ethical questions that you need answered? Send them to rightthing@nytimes.com or to "The Right Thing," New York Times Syndicate, 620 Eighth Ave., 5th floor, New York, N.Y. 10018.

c.2010 The New York Times Syndicate (Distributed by The New York Times Syndicate)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

First, I do not consider the Arizona legislation to be "harsh", since it mimics the federal legislation nearly word for word and is in reaction to the fact that the federal authorities are not enforcing their own legislation, and this is resulting in terrible lawlessness and drug trafficing and murders. Second, it is near un-American of athletic leagues and their players to officially condemn the Arizona legislation, since most criticism are wrong headed and false, saying the action is racist. Unless you would agree (and you cannot do so) that the federal immigration laws are "racist", then you cannot turn around and characterize the Arizona law as racist. Actually, what all these criticisms are about is the liberal viewpoint that taking control of illegal immigration is racist. In other words, such persons would agree illegals can come into the U.S. willy-nilly and take advantage of the country. Also, the Democrat party is pushing for all the illegals to be assimilated so they can assure themselves of votes.

Charlie Seng

M. Lawrence said...

It does seem to me, in light of the fact that the Arizona legislation is simply trying to do what the Federal legislation says it will do - but doesn't - that an Arizona baseball boycott is just another simple-minded grandstand. I'm waiting for the rally when everyone starts chanting "Two legs bad! Four legs good!" Orwell knew how easy it was to train large groups for political purposes.

Anonymous said...

Charlie Seng is dead on. There are no “harsh provisions” in this law. Readers can see the text of Senate Bill 1070 for themselves here: http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf. Section 1. “Intent” states “The legislature finds that there is a compelling interest in the cooperative enforcement of federal immigration laws throughout all of Arizona. The legislature declares that the intent of this act is to make attrition through enforcement the public policy of all state and local government agencies in Arizona. The provisions of this act are intended to work together to discourage and deter the unlawful entry and presence of aliens and economic activity by persons unlawfully present in the United States.”
I guess that’s a “crackdown.” If a police officer stops me for speeding and asks to see my driver’s license, is it a “crackdown” when he notices it has been altered, so he asks some questions about my legal status – regardless of my ethnicity?
Most of the bill is concerned with employment of illegal immigrants. It concludes with the following statement: “This act shall be implemented in a manner consistent with federal laws regulating immigration, protecting the civil rights of all persons and respecting the privileges and immunities of United States citizens.”
The union has no business getting into this. Passivity about illegal immigration and its potential for enabling more terrorists access to this country has already had a hugely negative impact on our economy and our way of life. It is wrong indeed for baseball players to propose a boycott of a game because it would take place in a state that is trying to do what the federal government is unwilling or unable to do properly.

Phil Clutts
Harrisburg, NC

ECS said...

and you know this "impact"is negative" because...??

This country has a Constitution and TWO of the freedoms it guarabtees is spech and association. The baseball folks can speak or associate as they please.

I am Jewish-- but I supported the anti Jewish march in Skokie! its about the rights of everyone, it just the folks I agree with, BTW...