The World Comes Crashing In
Tonight outside of Wrigley Field, members of the U.S. Army, either in fatigues or in "AN ARMY OF ONE" t-shirts, were passing out little American flags to fans coming into the ballpark. Memers of the military, in uniforms, berets, etc. will be at the park all night, throwing out ceremonial first pitches and the like.
Count on me, a skeptic, to think this whole thing is fishy and out of place, but the U.S. Army is a military organization engaging in a quasi-legal armed conflict that many Americans find distasteful.
I wonder if the Cubs would allow members of a peace-oriented organization to pass out flyers on their property, or invite them in to throw ceremonial first pitches. I bloody well don't think so. I find this kind of public relations for governmental policy disgusting, and it has absolutely nothing to do with baseball.
posted by Stuart Shea at 4:08 PM
3 Comments:
But baseball is not really a private industry. It's a national pastime, and whatever else they've called themselves to earn their position as exempt from antitrust laws. In fact, they play the "national pastime" and "public trust" cards so much (to help finance stadiums, to name one instance of public whoring), it's a wonder fans don't have to sign pledges when they come to the ballpark.
8:14 PM, June 14, 2005
Jim,
I agree...baseball loves to play the America card. Remember how respectful everyone was at games after 9/11? But when congress tries to get baseball to follow federal labor laws, or institute testing on steroids, or settle territory disputes, the office of the commissioner gets huffy, pulls back and says, "we're a private business, and you have no authority."
10:50 AM, June 15, 2005
Well, it WAS Flag Day...
Although I would love to see the Church of Satan, for instance, have Satan's Day at Wrigley.
12:05 PM, June 15, 2005
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