Absolutely mind-numbing......


Henry Aaron’s record-setting 715th home run off Al Downing on April 8, 1974 still stands today as one of the greatest milestones in Major League Baseball history. By breaking the four-decade mark of the great Babe Ruth, Aaron strode out of the shadows – and stepped into a cauldron.

This accomplishment transcended sports. By his own accounts over the years, we can recognize that Aaron went through hell during that time. It was tough enough when reporters and camera crews chronicled his every at-bat and invaded his privacy. But that was the least of it. Here, a black man stood poised—while playing in the Deep South, to boot—to claim one of the sports world’s most storied marks. Bigots hounded Aaron and made his life miserable, at a time when he should have basked in the glow of both his historic achievement and the recognition that had eluded him for decades.

Still, you know what? We might conclude that Aaron got off easy four decades ago, long before social media dominated every facet of our lives and removed any shred of privacy.

Just try to imagine how much more intense and challenging his predicament would have been. Can you picture the potential for incessant racist taunts on Facebook and Twitter, not to mention the blogosphere? In the 1970s, the haters reached Aaron by what we call “snail mail.” Today, in our sped-up-world of modern communications, Aaron would have had no escape.

Racism existed before Aaron challenged the Babe and it continues to pervade our society today, all over the world. I made a cursory Google search to check out “sports racist taunts on Twitter” from 2014 alone and found numerous examples, such as:

“Cops Investigate Racist Taunts at Stan Collymore After He Accused Luis Suarez of Diving”; “Students Suspended After Racial Slurs at Basketball Game”; “Racism Rears Its Ugly Head: Peruvian Fans Shout Epithets at Black Brazilian Soccer Player”

Plus, we witnessed the possible racial overtones in the bullying furor late last year that engulfed the former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin, and the reaction to Richard Sherman’s post-game comments after the NFC championships game. Even in those simpler times, Aaron, caught up in a media whirlwind that he did not sign up for, surely paid a price for his lofty accomplishment. Indeed, Aaron had gotten death threats during the winter before the start of the 1974 baseball season. The Atlanta Journal discreetly crafted Aaron’s obituary, just in case.

http://time.com/49920/hank-aaron-babe-ru...-home-run/

As things get better, leftist complainers resort to more hyperbole, b/c they are of no substance. They've never been producers, just critics. So when their time is passed, they cannot participate in society, even one they helped form.

Unfortunately, many of this type found refuge in academia, and are working to create generations that are incapable of participating in society.

Odd...the title of the story doesn't really fit what he's describing in the article. To me it reads that Aaron would have had a much rougher time if twitter and other social media outlets would have been around back then.

I don't buy the premise that he would have faced worse racism today...it just would have been easier to get it out to the public...and then to him. That in no way changes the level of hatred that would have came his way.

Some liberal millionaire should create a racism channel for guilty liberals. If I had the money, I'd do it. It would be a very lucrative venture.

That whole column feels at least 5 years, maybe 10 years, too late.

I mean, really... Time found a bunch of knuckleheads exploiting the semi-anonymous nature of the Interwebz to hurl profane, ignorant and offensive comments and insults around?

What a shocking revelation.

(04-07-2014 12:18 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Odd...the title of the story doesn't really fit what he's describing in the article. To me it reads that Aaron would have had a much rougher time if twitter and other social media outlets would have been around back then.

I don't buy the premise that he would have faced worse racism today...it just would have been easier to get it out to the public...and then to him. That in no way changes the level of hatred that would have came his way.

Yep, I was thinking the same. There's simply more instant and easy access to such racist comments now than decades ago, but it doesn't necessarily mean that overall racism is "worse" today.

Someone (a black man) in the comments section of that Time article says it well: "I'm not sure this says much. Every act of hatred from the past would have been augmented and expanded upon by today's Twitter and social media, not just hatred related to race."

Aaron would face more hostility just walking down the street named after him.

(04-07-2014 12:18 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  Odd...the title of the story doesn't really fit what he's describing in the article.

This.

Editor is pimping the story. But even the story is questionable.

I agree with the article. Blacks and Democrats would call him an Uncle Tom and "ventriloquist dummy"

http://weaselzippers.us/168485-nc-naacp-...ight-wing/

(04-07-2014 02:29 PM)Jerry Falwell Wrote:  I agree with the article. Blacks and Democrats would call him an Uncle Tom and "ventriloquist dummy"

http://weaselzippers.us/168485-nc-naacp-...ight-wing/

You're just a clown. Geez.

International Civil Rights Walk of Fame - Hank Aaron

I totally disagree with the article and I offer as proof Bobby Bonds. That guy wasn't ever racially hounded or ridiculed. Now the steroids thing is another issue and even that never turned racial.

(04-07-2014 07:49 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  I totally disagree with the article and I offer as proof Bobby Bonds. That guy wasn't ever racially hounded or ridiculed. Now the steroids thing is another issue and even that never turned racial.

I think you mean Barry. Bobby didn't have many problems with steroids.

(04-07-2014 03:01 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  

(04-07-2014 02:29 PM)Jerry Falwell Wrote:  I agree with the article. Blacks and Democrats would call him an Uncle Tom and "ventriloquist dummy"

http://weaselzippers.us/168485-nc-naacp-...ight-wing/

You're just a clown. Geez.

International Civil Rights Walk of Fame - Hank Aaron

(04-07-2014 08:24 PM)dfarr Wrote:  

(04-07-2014 07:49 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  I totally disagree with the article and I offer as proof Bobby Bonds. That guy wasn't ever racially hounded or ridiculed. Now the steroids thing is another issue and even that never turned racial.

I think you mean Barry. Bobby didn't have many problems with steroids.

You're correct. I'm old enough to remember both of them and often get them mixed up.