The Hammer

[57Brave]

Can't say I disagree with this.
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Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron thinks President Barack Obama's Republican detractors aren't too far off from the individuals who threatened him as he approached Babe Ruth's home run record forty years ago.

In an interview with USA Today published Tuesday, Aaron described the racist letters he received as he closed in on Ruth's milestone. Four decades later, Aaron says he still keeps the letters in his attic to remind himself of the United States' persistent racism.

"We are not that far removed from when I was chasing the record," he said. "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."

Aaron pointed to Republicans' obstruction of Obama as one area where not much progress has been made.

"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," he said. "The bigger difference is that back then they had hoods. Now they have neckties and starched shirts."

Aaron, who is now 80, made history on April 8, 1974 when he hit his 715th home run, breaking Ruth's all-time record. Aaron ended his career with 755 homers, which stood as the record until Barry Bonds hit his 756th in 2007. He was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1992, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002.

In 2012, Aaron endorsed Obama in his reelection bid, urging Wisconsin voters to help the president "hit a grand slam."

[sturg33]

LOL

[AerchAngel]

Still waiting for Obama to do something for our race. Crime is worse, we are dumber and making more kids than ever with no father in the house to keep it stable.

Let's address that issue first, Mr. Aaron.

[weso1]

BJ Upton is a member of the K K K

The second quote is a really dumb comment. Nobody with any intellectual honesty would take it seriously. I would hope Aaron has enough intellectual honesty to consider restating that comment.

[bravesnumberone]

Not going to sit here and pretend I understand what Aaron went through, because I don't and never will.

But what an incredibly ignorant statement. So if a Republican agreed with Obama on something, say, a decision to go to war somewhere, he would cease to be a KKK member?

I do have to wonder just what was entirely said.

There are plenty of people that are against Obama because he is black, which is an embarrassment.

There are also plenty of people who will defend him no matter what because he is black. Also an embarrassment.

[zitothebrave]

I don't think that he's that far off. Especially as far as race in this country has come. It's come some ways but it's now just more deeply hidden.

[bravesnumberone]

But every Republican is not a card-carrying klansman. Some just don't like the government. If it were Biden, they'd give them the same grief.

Now, a few Congressmen.....maybe so.

Still a generally idiotic statement.

[zitothebrave]

But every Republican is not a card-carrying klansman. Some just don't like the government. If it were Biden, they'd give them the same grief.

Now, a few Congressmen.....maybe so.

Still a generally idiotic statement.

Part of Obama is race. For sure. This country is racist still.

[bravesnumberone]

Part of Obama is race. For sure. This country is racist still.

Most definitely. I'm sad to say I've heard it first-hand from bigots. It isn't just white Republicans who are racist though. America and the world in general has a race problem.

[zitothebrave]

I know it's not only white folk, but in this country it's prmarily white folk as they're the majority race

[Krgrecw]

Racism is primarily white folks. What do you base that on? Stereotypes of southern people?




I have no doubt that a larger percentage of blacks are more racists than whites. You can disagree and argue that I'm wrong but I'm sure AA will agree with me and you still won't think it could be true.


Aaron was an idiot for what he said.

[zitothebrave]

You have no doubt that black people are more racist.

Do I even need to make an argument?

[The Chosen One]

My experiences everywhere I've been in the deep south, black people were more openly racist (like making fun of my ethnicity or skin color) whereas whites have always made me feel uncomfortable because their racism is usually pretty subtle or subliminal.

Rarely do I have a white person say CHING CHONG CHING like blacks will do. They just stare at me as if I'm a wild animal or say go back to China.

[The Chosen One]

Although I had one experience, where when I was younger my parents took me grocery shopping. They'd stand there picking fruits and veggies, they would speak in their native dialect Tagalog. One time this redneck couple was a few feet away from us, the husband turned around and told my parents "SPEAK ENGLISH THIS IS AMERICA", and my dad said "F--- you".

As a kid I didn't realize what just happened but as I'm older I laugh every time I think about it.

The sad part is, a lot of the people who are on this SPEAK ENGLISH brigade can't speak fluent English themselves and in plenty of instances my parents whom are immigrants speak English better than a lot of rednecks and uneducated blacks in the South.

[bravesnumberone]

[Tapate50]

No one, not whites, not blacks, not asians, or hispanics want to have an honest open discussion about race.

[AerchAngel]

My experiences everywhere I've been in the deep south, black people were more openly racist (like making fun of my ethnicity or skin color) whereas whites have always made me feel uncomfortable because their racism is usually pretty subtle or subliminal.

Rarely do I have a white person say CHING CHONG CHING like blacks will do. They just stare at me as if I'm a wild animal or say go back to China.

They won't hide behind a hood, or serve you crappy meals (spitting in your food) or other subliminal things, they will act racists. My race is not known for being nice about it. Hell, Farrakhan and other prominent blacks openly said, "I hate white people". You think the media will eat that up, no way, too scared, but if a white person says the opposite, they will get railroaded.

[AerchAngel]

You have no doubt that black people are more racist.

Do I even need to make an argument?

Sorry Zeet, but he is right, the elder generation, 70 onwards despised whites because of the period they grew up in. My dad and mom are not like that because some of their nieces and nephews and my children are mix and being more a forgiving type (they say don't trust whites and that is how I am with anyone). But the horror stories my mom told me about growing up in Louisiana would make me so mad I would want to hunt down every white person that thrown big rocks at her when she was just trying to go to school. She said they try everything to keep them from going to school, the harassment she had to endure makes my temperature go way up.

[50PoundHead]

I never take the political stances of any celebrity--athletic or artistic--very seriously. That said, it probably wasn't a whole lotta fun for Hank Aaron to open up scads of hate mail on a daily basis and that experience likely informed his worldview.

[AerchAngel]

I never take the political stances of any celebrity--athletic or artistic--very seriously. That said, it probably wasn't a whole lotta fun for Hank Aaron to open up scads of hate mail on a daily basis and that experience likely informed his worldview.

Yes, there was a book written back then I had and lost. The language in my 10 year old mind couldn't fathom. The N word was used a lot in it, because they were literrally writing down what people said about him and the letters he got.

But he shouldn't blame America on how Obama is being treated. I don't like Obama because he is a LIAR and a CON ARTIST not because he has a D in front of his name. I vote on either side on anything that fits what I want to see.

Hank, it is okay for a black to not vote for another black or like the other black, it has nothing to do with whites keeping him down which they aren't. If it was Joe Biden in office, the Republicans will still do their thing.

Right now Hank, you've disappointed me. Do not patronize blacks like they are sheeps and see Boogeyman's around everyone corner or a white person will do this to you. It is petty. You'd overcame the racism, now you need to overcome the hate.