Donald Trump Returns To Boycott Baseball, Support Georgia Voting Laws
MLBbro.com’s David Grubb has a laser-sharp take on Donald Trump’s threat to boycott America’s pastime.
Contributor | Devon POV Mason
MLB is considering moving the Mid-Summer Classic (All-Star Game), out of Atlanta in response to recently signed legislation that tightens voting laws in Georgia and is an obvious attempt to suppress the vote of Black and Brown people.
President Joe Biden was even asked about it and he said he’d support the move away from the “ATL.”
MLBPA union chief Tony Clark had this to say:
“Players are very much aware” of the Georgia voting bill, which places restrictions on voting that some believe will make it particularly difficult for Black voters to reach the polls, said Tony Clark in an interview with the Boston Globe. “As it relates to the All-Star Game, we have not had a conversation with the league on that issue. If there is an opportunity to, we would look forward to having that conversation.”
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred also mentioned that “he was talking to various constituencies within the game and he’s just “not going beyond that in terms of what to and what not to consider.”
The Georgia Law that has things in disarray, was signed last week by Gov. Brian Kemp and has become a flashpoint in the debate over GOP efforts to restrict and hinder voting access in wake of losing the 2020 Presidential election. The Georgia legislation expands early-voting hours, requires additional voter ID to complete mail-in voting, grants additional authority to electors to challenge voter eligibility and makes it a crime for non-election workers to provide food and water to voters standing in line.
On the other hand, Democrats have denounced the law, arguing that it disenfranchises voters while curtailing access to the ballot. Several other Republican legislatures are considering similar measures after former President Trump made repeated false claims that the 2020 election was riddled with voter fraud.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts who is Black and Asian says he’d consider declining the honor of managing the National League team. Roberts is one of only two Black managers along with Dusty Baker (Houston Astros). Roberts is also just one of two Black managers to win a World Series, along with Cito Gaston (Toronto Blue Jays).
His platform continues to allow him to speak out and be heard on high-profile issues, such as the recent wave of recent hate crimes that have targeted Asian-Americans.
This has happened in the NBA and NFL before. MLB moved their 2017 All-Star Game, from Charlotte after North Carolina adopted a “bathroom bill” that limited anti-discrimination protections. As for the NFL, it moved the 1993 Super Bowl out of Arizona after voters rejected a proposal to honor and make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a state-mandated and recognized holiday.
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