Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Racism today: Just like the old racism, but dressed a little better.

Atlanta Braves get hate mail after Hank Aaron says reaction to Obama shows we have 'long ways to go' (Click here to read more)

Rss@dailykos.com (hunter)
Wednesday, April 16, 2014, 9:20 pm
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Baseball legend Hank Aaron was asked last month why he still keeps the old hate mail that resulted when he broke Babe Ruth's home run record:
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    "To remind myself," he said, "that we are not that far removed from when I was chasing the record. If you think that, you are fooling yourself. A lot of things have happened in this country, but we have so far to go. There's not a whole lot that has changed.
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    "We can talk about baseball. Talk about politics. Sure, this country has a black president, but when you look at a black president, President Obama is left with his foot stuck in the mud from all of the Republicans with the way he's treated. We have moved in the right direction, and there have been improvements, but we still have a long ways to go.
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    "The bigger difference is back then they had hoods. Now they have neckties and starched shirts."
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This of course did not go over well in our brave new post-racial society:
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    The Atlanta Braves have been deluged with hate mail after baseball great Hank Aaron's recent comments about racism in America and President Obama's critics.
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    According to USA Today, the Braves organization has received hundreds of letters, emails and phone calls since Aaron made his comments a week ago.
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So the response to Hank Aaron saying that racism in America isn't over yet is hundreds of letters attacking him for saying it:
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    Edward invokes the epithet five times in four sentences, closing with, "My old man instilled in my mind from a young age, the only good (racial slur) is a dead (racial slur)." [...]
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    Marion calls Aaron a "racist scumbag.'' Ronald won't attend another Braves' game until Aaron is fired. Mark calls Aaron a "classless,racist.'' David says that he will burn Aaron's I Had A Hammer autobiography.
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Seems an odd reaction to Aaron's statement that Obama's treatment from Republicans shows "we have a long way to go." We may have to get Brit Hume and the Fox News crew to better explain it to us.

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