LADT to Remain Open
I have always tried to keep politics and religion off this blog because it divides us, not unifies us, but this time it is different because the Dodgers, by being part of MLB got involved in something that is so polarizing that it divides this country even more. This all started when MLB moved the All-Star game from Atlanta. “Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and
I have always tried to keep politics and religion off this blog because it divides us, not unifies us, but this time it is different because the Dodgers, by being part of MLB got involved in something that is so polarizing that it divides this country even more. This all started when MLB moved the All-Star game from Atlanta.
“Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box,” Manfred said. “In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.”
In a time when 33% to over 50% (depending upon the polls you believe) of the voter base in America have serious questions about the accuracy and validity of the voting process, we need to make sure that what Rob Manfred says happens: Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.”
The only problem here is that Rob Manfred is a liar! Now, plenty of my friends on the Right and Left hate Manfred, so would it really surprise you that he has it all wrong? If he isn’t telling you the truth, he is a liar! Have you ever been accused of something you didn’t do? I have and I really hate it. When I was 10 or 11, I was playing with this kid at our house and our parents told us to be back at a certain time. Well, we were late (as kids are prone to be) and as we came to the house, both of our parents were scolding us for being late. Charlie said “Well, we were late because Mark hit me in the stomach.” I was incredulous (because nothing of the sort happened), and I guess my parents could tell by the look on my face. I never ever played with that kid again.
I dislike Liars and Bullies. As a gangly 6′ 4″ Freshman in High School, a Senior named Ernie Varvel caught me in the bathroom and as was customary, he tried to give me a “swirly”, which is putting someone head in the toilet and flushing it. What he didn’t count on was the years I had spent on the farm baling hay and lugging around 100 pound burlap feed bags. When we can out of the restroom, his hair was wet and his lip was bleeding. My hair was dry. I hate bullies! I still do to this day.
Some of you know this story. Some of you don’t. In 1987, I was convicted of a crime I did not commit and sentenced to 40 years in prison after turning down a plea bargain for a suspended sentence. My attorney lost an appeal 3-2 in the Indiana Supreme Court and I ran out of money, so I had to represent myself. It took me 7 years, 5 months and 5 days to have it overturned and I literally had my handcuffs and shackles taken off in the courtroom and I walked out a free man. That was August 31, 1994 and all I had left was the shirt on my back! I never looked back and still realize that life is lived through the Windshield, not the Rear-View Mirror! Oh, you should glance back at the windshield once in a while, but that is not where you live.
It has never been about making money. It has always been about helping people and doing good things, but in the process, I have been greatly blessed with more than I will ever need. I can identify with the Biblical figure Job, who lost everything and gained back ten-fold.
I was accused by my ex-wife in a divorce of molesting my 3-year-old daughter. There was never any evidence, but two psychologists told the court that my daughter told them it happened. I refused to plead guilty and was convicted in Kangaroo Court and sentenced to 40 years. It took a long time for the truth to come out, but it did and right about now, my wife and I, My Youngest son and My Daughter and her entire family are in Ft. Meyers, Florida celebrating her 40th Birthday. We have been reunited for nearly 12 years and a couple of years ago, she gave me permission to finish my book (“The Mountainmover”) which I am finally ready to finish.
When we initially got back together, she said “Are you just doing this for your book?” I said, “No, I will not write it if you don’t want me to.” So I shelved it for about 10 years. A couple of years ago, she said: “Dad, you can finish your book. I’m in a different place.” So, I am compelled to finish it this year.
I tell you all of this because I hate false accusations, having experienced in my life. I hate it when people are marginalized and this voter law in Georgia does nothing of the sort. How this all came about is very telling.
Failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams spent weeks spreading misinformation about the state’s new voting reform law. She called it “a redux of Jim Crow in a suit and tie.” Next, the President parroted the same thing. Now that her false claims about the bill have resulted in Major League Baseball announcing that it would move its All-Star game and draft out of Atlanta, Abrams has released a statement denouncing the decision.
Here’s Abrams full statement on the MLB:
Republicans who passed and defended Senate Bill 2020 did so knowing the economic risks to our state. They prioritized making it harder for people of color to vote over the economic well-being of Georgians.
Like many Georgians, I am disappointed that the MLB is relocating the All-Star game; however, I commend the players, owners and League commissioner for speaking out. I urge others in positions of leadership to do so as well. As I have stated, I respect boycotts, although I don’t want to see Georgia families hurt by lost events and jobs. Georgians targeted by voter suppression will be hurt as opportunities go to other states. We should not abandon the victims of GOP malice and lies – we must stand together.
Georgia Republicans must renounce the terrible damage they have caused to our voting system and the harm they have inflicted on our economy. Our corporate community must get off the sidelines as full partners in this fight, acknowledging that the provisions of SB 2020 do not expand voting rights. They restrict those rights, affecting employees and consumers alike. And leaders must publicly support the voting rights provisions in the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to mitigate the harm being done in Georgia and other states.
As other events, productions and businesses weigh whether to patronize Georgia, I urge those who can to come and speak out, and I urge those who are here to stay and fight, to stay and vote. We need you.
The Washington Post fact-checked various complaints about the Georgia bill, ultimately finding that the experts it spoke to said: “the net effect was to expand the opportunities to vote for most Georgians, not limit them.” In fact, the Post gave President Biden “Four Pinocchios” for his falsehoods.
Specifically, the Post found that while Biden and others claimed the new law “ends voting hours early so working people can’t cast their vote after their shift is over.” As the Post noted, the new law does no such thing.
Critics of the bill also falsely claimed the new Georgia bill would prohibit food or drink from being passed out to people waiting in line to vote. The bill does not prevent people waiting in line to vote from receiving food or water, but politicians and their staff cannot provide it in an effort to secure votes. Poll workers can pass out water or food as they see fit.
The main thing this bill does is to expand voting places, times to vote, and requires voter I.D., and therein lies the problem. I keep hearing “There was no evidence of mass voter fraud in the past election.” Well, duh! How can you prove any voter fraud if no I.D. or signatures are required? California is in the process of recalling their governor and they are painstakingly checking each and every I.D. and signature and invalidating ones that can’t be confirmed. Is that also Racist? It’s called logical and necessary, not racist.
Now, if your side won the election, you may think otherwise, but no rule of law should be forsaken. There is nothing about the Georgia voter law that is racist and Coke, Delta, and MLB all have it wrong. It’s ignorance, intellectual laziness, or deliberate lying… and I am waiting for someone to say that poor or black people don’t have access to I.D.s. Yes they do and the Bill also helps facilitate that.
Dead people should not have a right to vote. People who have moved out of State should not have a right to vote, and someone else should not vote for someone who doesn’t vote. That is exactly what voter I.D. and signatures prevent. It assures us of valid elections… something that many do not feel is happening. It restricts no one, except the fraudsters!
MLB and the Dodgers have taken this position. This is a baseball site and that is why I am going to address it. LA Dodger Talk has been in existance fir nearly 20 years and is one of the best Dodger sites on the web. That’s why I am using the platform to address injustice. In this case, we cannot separate politics and baseball. Feel free to disagree, but don’t reduce it to name-calling. This is America and we have freedom. I want to be sure that process stays fair.
More about Dodger Blue Mom
2 Demeter2 sent this to me:
This song made it on the charts in Canada. Here’s a link:
Someday soon, it will be back to Dodger Baseball
But this is important and we have to address it. I believe that when you see something that is very wrong, you have a duty or an obligation to help right it. I am just one voice, on one blog, but forest fires are sometimes started with one little spark.
Discussion (94)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I am on the beach but will respond later tonight.
Keep it to baseball Mark, if you can’t, leave.
Mark, you raise some fundamental questions, so I would like to raise a few as well.
1. Is this a political blog or not?
2. Who decides when it is political, and when it is not?
3. Was cancelling us your intention when you closed the blog?
4. When are we going to move on from this?
You my friend a a True, Thinking American ,,, maybe people like us, speaking out can right the ship, its kinda looking like (as we have lost the Fourth Estate to partisanship ) like its too late ….
I have a few thoughts;
1 – I prefer not to see sports or other entertainment conflated with politics unless the 2 are directly related – for example, when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, it was an inherently political/social act. Neither the athletes nor the owners should be using their notoriety to inflict a viewpoint on their fans. It ultimately hurts the sport as this kind of posturing alienates a substantial number of fans which are the source of the money which is the lifeblood of the sport.
2 – In an era where Americans seem to be more divided than usual, baseball is something that can bring people and communities of all kinds together — unless they screw it up.
3 – Similarly, the confluence of baseball and politics at LADT threatens to divide readers and posters in the same way and detracts from the primary purpose of thet blog – to follow the Dodgers.
4 – We can choose to boycott baseball in light of the posturing, but I refuse to let the posturing separate me from one of my favorite interests – the Dodgers. I won’t let them control me.
5 – DBM’s family’s great e-mail is an example of the reason why LADT should remain as a platform for fans to come together and express their views. It is a community of sorts and in this day and age, community is a good thing.
i actually wouldn’t mind if the All-Star Game was cancelled and not just moved. It’s a stupid game, and of an era long gone. There’s no need to have a special occasion or “play” or “see” the All-stars from other leagues/cities, you can see them anytime you want.
Give the players some R&R for a week and start the ‘second half’
ps: This will never happen.
Mark, I agree with u a 100percent on what u have written today. I am also saddened that u were falsely accused. Lastly, thank you for re-opening the blog.
One of the earlier comments said baseball and music kept them going. That is really all I have left also. Politics took over the NBA, NFL, and now MLB. I know I should dump baseball as what they did truly makes me sick to my stomach. But there is not much left. All the media and television shows focus on politics and their slanted viewpoints do nothing but make me mad. I will continue to follow my Dodgers but do whatever I can to make sure I spend nothing on baseball. I sure hope a lot of other fans to the same. The elite group of socialist running our country can’t continue to run the US off a cliff with so many good people sitting back wondering what happened. I fear for my 14 grandkids. Mark, I agree with your concerns and am so sick of politics coming into all parts of our lives. I will continue to enjoy discussions about the Dodgers.
MT-I commend you for the honest and straight-forward blog and appreciate that you are a man of common sense and integrity. Thanks for offering this space for us to comment and we should all commit to keeping this a Dodger blog once this all passes and it will. After my comments on this topic I will endeavor to keep it all baseball moving forward.
The notion that we must “cancel” someone by erasing history, encouraging lawlessness, muting or shaming others we don’t agree with, or violating the free exchange ideas, thoughts and speech has to stop. The never-ending public backlash, often through social media to end careers, a call for boycotts or worse yet an employer cancelling an employee for words expressed on their own time and not at all related to their employment, must end.
For me the hypocrisy is what is so alarming. Coke, Delta Airlines and others encourage a move of the All-Star game out of concern they won’t be “woke” enough if they don’t call for such move. Will they rebuke an actor when one makes a homophobic comment, will they chastise an Hollywood elite who wants to lecture us on climate change but yet take a jet to Palm Springs from LA rather than drive? You’re immediately called a religious zealot if you believe in the right to life or the looting we saw last Summer is a movement or a right borne out of an oppressive society. Your opinion doesn’t matter and to prove I’m right and you’re wrong I’ll just yell louder and worse yet I’ll label you a racist, homophobe or xenophobe just because you have an opinion that doesn’t match mine.
Some cop in middle America is involved in a shooting by himself and while facing a life threatening event and before the facts are known some politician is calling it a racist act and calls for the officer to be fired. The officers who lost their lives at the Capitol were heroic and courageous and I pray for their families, but don’t we find just a bit hypocritical when the politicians laud those officers for protecting them, but they’re all too quick to question an officer who acted to protect himself or others via social media without the benefit of at least minimally gathering some facts before rendering an opinion. It’s all done for power and politics.
It’s time for all of us to blur the lines between entertainment and sports and politics. If I want to learn about current events I’ll read or watch the news. If I want to be entertained with sports I’ll watch a game. If I want to learn who won the Best Actor award I’ll watch the Academy Awards. Unfortunately, we are all now lectured at when watching sports by athletes and actors who make millions by hitting a baseball or by making a movie and is my soft drink of choice socially diverse enough for my business or is the flight I need to take going to be from an airline carrier that is woke enough.
It’s a complete disconnect from corporate America and the consumers who buy their product. I buy my soda by what is on sale and I purchase airline tickets by the cheapest fare without consideration to brand. However, if this “woke cancel culture” continues with corporations preaching to the masses about what is politically correct, I’ll make my purchasing decisions accordingly.
The PGA made the right decision when it elected to keep the Tour Championship in Georgia while sending a message that the PGA efforts has generated more than $38 million for local charitable organizations and noted that effort helped transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and thriving ones, which is a key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty. The PGA further said they fully support efforts to protect the right of all Americans to vote and to eliminate any barriers that may prevent citizens’ voices from being heard and counted. It is the foundation of our great country and a critical national priority to listen to the concerns about voter suppression – especially from communities of color that have been marginalized in the past – and work together to make voting easier for all citizens.”
That’s real leadership. Manfred is a joke. And as Vinnie would say after announcing the out-of-town scoreboard, “lets get back to this one.” It’s all about baseball and ITFDB!
Mark, the Washington Post link you posted the other day (April2) highlighted Biden’s misstatement on ending early voting hours. The article you site specifically sight, says there are others issues that are of concern. You make it sound like the Post is stating they feel that the law is fine when they don’t (check the editorial board). This past election was, in the words of DHS “this was probably the most secure election that’s ever been run in the United States.”
You have your beliefs, fine. But to quote Singing the Blue’s post;
“Although I do not share your viewpoint, I understand your anger and frustration with the MLB decision. We, as a country of citizens with very divergent opinions need to stay connected somehow or we will all go down in flames. Baseball brings people together. This site is one way we can do that, as long as you continue to keep a handle on the way we treat each other here.
And may DMB Rest In Peace.
I appreciate you response Mark. I’m so tired of all the misinformation presented in the headlines of all the news media. I’m also so sick of corporations inserting themselves into politics, which is nothing more than bribes when it comes right down to it. I hope going forward we can stop the talk of covid and other political issues on this site and just make it a safe space for people who just want to talk about sports. I’m really disappointed that MLB took this stand and got involved in the way they did. It isn’t fair to the Braves, the people of Atlanta and fans of baseball to punish them for something that Georgia’s politicians did. It’s especially disgusting that the same party who opposes ID in Georgia embraces it in California when it comes to the recall effort. If that doesn’t open people’s eyes, nothing will.
Thank you Mark
I am conflicted as to what to do as well. My initial response was to say I’m done with baseball. I turned off the game I was watching when I heard about the decision to move From Atlanta. I also cancelled all subscriptions I have related to MLB.
After thinking over things this weekend I realized that what I missed most was the camaraderie of fans with a common interest. The word that DBM passed reminded me that I look forward to reading everyone’s posts and comments. Community and friendship is part of what makes us human.
I will be watching less games and sources of information are more limited, but like days of my childhood, I will still be checking the box scores, reading about the games and listening to some games on radio.
As I read in a comment on MLB trade rumors a few day ago (I think the comment or was “David C.” that baseball if as much a game of sounds – crack of the bat, ball hitting the mitt – and stories as a visual game. It works in the imagination. That’s part of why Vin was special. That’s how I got hooked with my transistor radio under the pillow.
I will do my best to avoid directly enriching the coffers of MLB but friends are still friends despite our disagreements.
Thank you again to Mark and all the writers and commentators.
I won’t even address the politics because I’d rather talk about the Dodgers.
Congrats, Badger!
Anyone from this group going to Opening Day this Friday? If so, it’d be great to meet up and toast to our champs!
Well said Mark. I have not read the bill, just the reactions to it. There are going to be strong opinions on both sides. Me, I want to keep politics out of sports. But that is nearly impossible. I have seen our government go after various sports for different reasons. For baseball, it was it’s anti trust exemption back in the day. I was in Munich when the terrorists killed the Israeli athletes. We sat up by the Olympic stadium watching the police and German army surround the village with armored cars. And it still ended badly. We were camped not far from the airport and were awakened by gunfire and explosions. One of the few times in the 70’s when I saw people of all races and religions join together was that day we all went into the Olympic Stadium for the memorial service for the athletes. Probably one of the most heart wrenching and moving moments I have ever been a part of. One thing I know more than anything else. I love this country. Always have and always will. There have been those in charge who I did not believe in or trust. And others that I would have willingly followed into hell defending this country. I took and oath in December of 1965. And that oath in my mind has no expiration date. To those who seek to destroy it, you are my enemy. I may be old, and my reflexes are not what they used to be. But I will always fight back. I do not agree with the policy’s of the left. And I do not support the far right. I support what is best for everyone, not just a select few. You had to fight being unjustly accused. I had to fight being brought up in poverty and thrown into a system which by it’s nature lends itself to child abuse. There are things that happened to me I never have and never will speak of. But they have made me a stronger person. What I lack in education, I make up for with drive and determination to not let my past control my future. Baseball, music and the Dodgers kept me sane. I am not dumb by any means. I have a lot of street smarts, and common sense. I know what is right, and I know what is wrong. I spend probably 80 percent of my time alone. Especially since the pandemic started. But being a part of this blog with all these fans has been a godsend simply because it’s keeps my mind active. And those of us who are older know how important that is. Sometimes I cannot remember where I put my frippen car keys, but my mind can go back to a game I was at in 1973 and I see everything as clear as if it was today. I thank all of the posters on here who’s support and acceptance of my posts has been appreciated more than I can ever express.
There is no way to respond to this political post without stating a political opinion. I don’t know why you do this, but, you often do, so, on the topics you’ve presented I’ll just say this:
I think you are completely off base with your position on what Republican legislators are attempting to do.
Bullies left me alone. I had the reputation of a badger at age 6. I climbed up on a garage roof, jumped on a big kid named Don and damn near killed him. Almost bit his finger off too. He had been beating up on Timmy and I couldn’t have that. I was left alone after that.
MLB is an enormous business looking for new income streams. China? I don’t know the details but I’m certainly not surprised.
I’m sorry for Mikki’s family loss. DBM was always gracious, often in the middle of testosterone storms. I admired her for that. I don’t believe in death, it’s my belief our consciousness moves on to higher dimensions.I believe DBM is flying the inner skies now. Good for her.
Thank you for keeping the board open. I’m of the belief that mature adults should be able to talk about anything if they remain respectful. Slamming the door shut with a political comment (and a visual of how stupid we may be) is not exactly exemplary of mature behavior. Let’s all try to do better and we should be fine talking about Dodgers moves, Georgia, China, all lives matter, Covid, and its effects on baseball, or banning firearms at MLB ballparks in Open Carry states.
Hope everyone had a relaxing Easter. I became a grandfather for the 4th time over the weekend. All boys.