Forget about Saddam; it's Robbins and Sarandon we must fight

The Seattle Times ^ | 4/11/03 | Steve Kelly

[Seattle]

The juxtaposition would be funny if it weren't so serious.

Scenes of joy in Baghdad were on the front pages of every newspaper in the country yesterday.

Iraq, a very literate country, was celebrating in the streets. The population was filled with the hope that maybe, just maybe, it could celebrate the freedoms that have been denied it for a generation.

Freedoms like the freedom of speech.

Meanwhile, on this nation's sports pages yesterday, baseball's Hall of Fame president, Dale Petroskey, was declaring that, because of the politics of actors Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins, the Hall was canceling its planned celebration of the 15th anniversary of the release of the baseball movie "Bull Durham."

Petroskey, who just happens to be a former assistant White House press secretary under Ronald Reagan, said in a letter to Sarandon and Robbins: "We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important — and sensitive — time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger."

The decision is all bull and no Durham.

Petroskey said he didn't want Robbins politicizing the event, then he politicized it.

McCarthyism lives.

Does Petroskey think Iraqi soldiers were hunkered in their bunkers outside Basra telling each other, "Sarandon and Robbins are against this war. We must fight on."?

There is a saying that truth is the first casualty of war. Apparently, people like Petroskey believe free speech is the second casualty.

Imagine if Petroskey were the NBA commissioner. Dallas' Steve Nash, who has voiced his sensitive disagreements with the war, probably would be banned from the playoffs.

And Golden State's Adonal Foyal, maybe the smartest man in the NBA, would be suspended for having the audacity to criticize the U.S. government.

Aren't the freedoms Sarandon and Robbins exercise part of what the United States says it is trying to bring to Iraq?

If John Rocker still can pitch in the big leagues — I don't know if he can pitch anymore, but he certainly now has the right to try with Tampa Bay — then can't we celebrate the best baseball movie ever made, even if some find the politics of two of its stars offensive?

Petroskey's Hall is full of miscreants. If he saw the movie "Cobb," he might be inclined to pull down the bust of Ty Cobb the way that U.S. tank pulled down the statue of Saddam Hussein on Wednesday.

If Cobb is in the Hall of Fame, there should be room for Bull Durham.

The movie is such a perfect portrayal of life in baseball's bush leagues. Kevin Costner is the perfect embittered baseball lifer. Robbins' Nuke LaLoosh is like every wild prodigy who ever came into the game.

It's a smart movie that takes some sharp shots at the culture of sports.

It deserves this celebration. We deserve to see its stars and writer-director Ron Shelton and hear them talk about this movie 15 years later.

But Petroskey, a 21st-century Joe McCarthy (the former senator, not the former manager), has decided the beliefs of some of its stars are too volatile for the Hall.

This was supposed to be the celebration of a movie. It was about the art, not the politics, of the artists.

Maybe Petroskey never saw the movie. Maybe he was misinformed and was told that LaLoosh was named Weapons of Mass Destruction LaLoosh.

While Iraqis cautiously leave their houses and come back into the streets, believing maybe the worst of the war is over, Petroskey is fighting his own war against dissent. Maybe he should poll all living Hall of Fame members. Are they for or against this war? Are they Republicans or Democrats?

Maybe he should make all of them sign a loyalty oath.

"As an institution we stand behind our president and our troops," he said in his letter to Robbins and Sarandon.

So as they celebrate the hope of freedom in Baghdad, Dale Petroskey denies it in Cooperstown. It seems you're either with Petroskey or against him. And if you're against him, the doors to the Hall will be slammed in your face.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com

[shotgun]

I just sent Mr. Kelley the following:

Mr. Kelley,

I just finished reading your opinion article regarding the Baseball Hall of Fame and I have a few questions to ask you.

1) Was the Founding Fathers intent for the First Amendment that it only be invoked by those who disagree with the position of the government?
2) Why is it that every time someone disagrees with celebrity opinion that person is said to be the second coming of Joe McCarthy?
3) Does the opinion of the President of the Baseball Hall of Fame, which by the way is a private organization, count? After all if Mr. Robbins and Ms. Sarandon can use their celebrity status as a bully pulpit and espouse their opinions, why can’t Mr. Petroskey?
4) What is the importance of the past work history of Mr. Petroskey?
5) When celebrities participate in the so called peace movement why don’t you mention the political affiliations of them or the organizing groups?
6) While the scandal and history of baseball is well documented, what about the scandal of Hollywood?

True freedom of speech works both ways, because one does not care to listen to the opinions of another it is not censorship, but that persons own expression of freedom. This week we saw this great nation’s sons and daughter liberate a nation of people who have suffered for daring to even question why things are the way they are, meanwhile safe in America, the incessant whining about the oppression of celebrity opinion gets louder because other Americans exercise their freedom to tune out.

Respectfully

[Lx]

I posted this on another thread but it's more appropriate here.

[altura]

There are so many good replies on this thread, I wish someone would send the whole thread to the paper.

[jim35]

"<>" Yes, true enough. And also, enough is enough. The commanders have been given orders to try to stop the looting now, but don't forget, the shooting may interrupt those efforts. But you are indeed correct. I'm only saying that it's not unexpected for these people to be going on a rampage after so many years of hell. It's ok with me, though, if they loot gov. buildings, and private holdings of the late, unlamented regime.

[Jael]

You are right. That movie wasn't that great. They could of left all the sleaze out and had a decent movie.

"The Rookie" is a great one.

But, my favorite baseball movie of all time is "The Sandlot"!!! It's so great, so fantastic!

[doug from upland]

Yes, its true they can invite and disinvite whoever, but it does matter whether the reason has validity.
======================================================

Nonsense. Freedom includes being allowed to be a jerk. If you are a jerk, however, you may have less friends, less fans, and less economic success. Your actions may have consquences, but as long as they are legal, you have a right to those actions. Jennings was a jerk for what he did but he had the right to do it. Toby Keith ultimately probably benefitted from the controversy.

[jim35]

Is that a "yes?" Just curious. I wouldn't want to abridge your free speech, the way DU did mine, when I was kicked off the site for espousing my opinion. All opinions, no matter how poorly thought out, are allowed on this site. Even 4th grade level insults. BTW, I managed to get past the 4th grade. You can too, if you keep trying.

[jim35]

<"Yes or No question: Can something someone in this country says regarding their support for President Bush kill U.S. troops in Iraq?">

Firstly, yes, I am sane.

Secondly, yes, if statements made by our own people encourage the enemy to believe that we are weak, and divided, it may encourage a them to fight harder, and surrender later. This could get our boys and girls killed.

[optimistically_conservative]

Let's see how many McCarty-ists Steve missed:

TakeBackTheMedia.org MichaelSavageSucks.com SavageStupidity.com Coalition Against Hate Radio CAPITAL (the Council of Asian Pacific Islanders Together for Advocacy and Leadership) ...

Found this interesting tidbit at StopDrLaura.com:

THANKS: There are so many people to thank for standing by us and helping from day one. We'll try to list some, but I'm sure we'll miss many. The StopDrLaura.com co-founders: John Aravosis, Joel Lawson, William Waybourn, Alan Klein and Robin Tyler. Our local organizers in over 34 cities, including Andy Thayer, John Selig, and Corey Johnson who did a lot of national work in addition to working in their local cities of Chicago, Dallas, and San Francisco. Organizations like the Horizon Foundation, Communication Works, TomPaine.com, Don't Panic, and the Human Rights Campaign (which gave us a generous donation). Celebrities like David Lee of "Frasier" fame, Susan Sarandon, Pat Schroeder, Christopher Landon, and Bruce Vilanch. Great reporting by Mike Signorile, GAYBC, the LA Times, Hollywood Reporter, New York Times, Variety, Access Hollywood, Broadcasting & Cable, Gay.com and Reuters (among many others). And the assistance of friends like David Goldman, Stuart Paul, and so many others who helped this campaign become a success.

Seems hypocritical for activists Sarandon and Robbins, that have abridged the free speech rights of others, to now complain about their tactics being used against them.

I wonder what a journalist with a little research could turn up?

[jim35]

Oh, that is just rich! Not a big surprise, though, to see proof of leftist hypocrisy.

[Ga Rob]

I agree it is a credibility issue.Maybe some jumped up and down with the Jennings/Toby Keith thing...I didn't. I understand the way it is. Like someone said earlier, the HOF did not want to alienate it customers.

I guess kinda like ABC/Jennings did not want to alienate it's "customers"....leftists.

[doug from upland]

Good. We basically agree on the issue of free speech. In this case, we'll disagree on Petroskey being a jerk. I love to see this payback.

[Jael]

A big difference is that Peter Jennings lied about Toby Keith. And it did wonders for Toby Keith. He's on top now, especially after his performance at the awards.

And no one on the left mined then.

[optimistically_conservative]

"Maybe he should make all of them sign a loyalty oath."

Weren't loyalty oaths the things the Democrats made their candidates sign saying they would never allow desegregation?

[Alberta's Child]

The HOF made a business decision -- pure and simple. They would have reacted the same way if they felt that a lot of Americans didn't like people with two b's in their last names.

Madonna recently refused to air her much-anticipated anti-war music video, for the exact same reason. Should we give her a lot of grief for violating her own right to free speech?

[Jael]

Maybe you should take a look at what Jane Fonda's comments did.

Either way, the guy has the freedom to cancel the sorry twosome.

[Alberta's Child]

Celebrities like Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon can't have it both ways -- If they use their celebrity status to attract attention to their positions in areas that are not relevant to their profession, they can't turn around and complain when they get disinvited to events that are not relevant to their political views.