Thread: AZ immigration law met by silence from Major League Baseball

Arizona immigration law met by silence from Major League Baseball
Jul 10, 2011
By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY

PHOENIX — Boston Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, inundated with letters from immigration support groups, discards them.

Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, barraged with phone calls and requests for a boycott, ignores them.

Michael Wildes, an immigration attorney, has called for baseball to back immigration rights at the All-Star Game but gets the indifference.

Puente, a human-rights organization, is among the groups scheduled to protest Arizona's anti-illegal immigration law Tuesday outside Chase Field. Luis Avila, president of Somos America, Arizona's largest immigrant-rights coalition, has asked players to wear white ribbons in support. Their outcry has been met with silence.

Gonzalez was among several players who attacked Arizona's immigration initiative, SB 1070, a year ago, saying he would consider boycotting the All-Star Game if it wasn't moved out of Arizona. Gonzalez, born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, not only plans to play — voted as the American League's first baseman — but also remain silent on the issue. He told USA TODAY he will decline to answer all questions on the subject in today's news conference.

"What I said was misinterpreted," Gonzalez said, "especially the way the question was asked. At the time, I didn't know much about the law. I still don't. It's not something I'm even going to get into."

The bill makes it a misdemeanor for non-U.S. citizens to be in Arizona without carrying citizenship or immigration papers. Several key passages were struck down in federal court, but critics still say it still encourages profiling.

"I understand this is not a comfortable platform," Wildes said. "People may resent the political undertones, but ...if they speak out, it can have a dramatic effect."

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... baseball/1

"I understand this is not a comfortable platform," Wildes said. "People may resent the political undertones, but ...if they speak out, it can have a dramatic effect."

Time to wake up and smell the reality, Wildes. WE have spoken and we stand behind Arizona, Alabama, Georgia! DEPORT!!!!

Sounds like some of us LEGAL UNITED STATES CITIZENS have been bending some ears on this subject I know I have

They just want to play baseball, end of story.

Good for Baseball. I'm going to start watching it again. Play ball, not globalism.