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Hank Aaron compares GOP to KKK

ValuJet

ValuJet

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I've always liked Hank and thought he had a lot of class. He did come up in a different era, playing in the Negro League early in his career. He's always been the recognized HR king by millions of his fans. He still apparently has that chip on his shoulder, but there's a lot about history folks would like to change.

As for the color of Obama's skin, if he thinks folks talk bad about the president, he ought to hear what they say about Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

Hank is reported to have a net worth of $25 million. We live in a different time than we did in 1974. It's unfortunate he still plays the race card whenever it's convenient.
 
B

Bodhisattva

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It always disappoints me when people I find talented I like (athletes, musicians, actors, etc.) that have really dumb political opinions. I should be used to it by now.
 
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Crimson1967

Crimson1967

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Given all he went through when he was chasing Ruth's record, I can understand him being a little touchy on the issue of race. But at some point, you need to let it go. Most of the people who wrote the hate mail are now dead. Him keeping all that mail for all these years says he has some serious psychological issues. I mean, does Willie Mays have a closet full of mail from those idiots? Did Jackie Robinson save his?

One of my earliest memories is him in the summer of 1973 as he began the final assault on the record. I was six years old and thought it was cool a guy from my home state playing for my favorite team was trying to break a big record. At the time, I did not understand the historical and social significance of what he was doing. I was just a little boy who liked baseball.

His comments are not surprising and something I learned to accept about him years ago. He is still a fond memory from my childhood and that will never change.
 
Catfish

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Crimson1967 said:
Given all he went through when he was chasing Ruth's record, I can understand him being a little touchy on the issue of race. But at some point, you need to let it go. Most of the people who wrote the hate mail are now dead. Him keeping all that mail for all these years says he has some serious psychological issues. I mean, does Willie Mays have a closet full of mail from those idiots? Did Jackie Robinson save his?

One of my earliest memories is him in the summer of 1973 as he began the final assault on the record. I was six years old and thought it was cool a guy from my home state playing for my favorite team was trying to break a big record. At the time, I did not understand the historical and social significance of what he was doing. I was just a little boy who liked baseball.

His comments are not surprising and something I learned to accept about him years ago. He is still a fond memory from my childhood and that will never change.
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If I had gone through what he did when he was chasing Ruth's record, I have no doubt I'd have felt almost exactly the same way he did. It's gotta be terrifying getting countless letters from idiots vowing to kill you and then going out in front of thousands of people every night. Not knowing if one of those people were in the stands somewhere. Obviously 99.99% of them were just spewing hatred with no intention on ever following up on the threats. But, all it takes is one.

I'd like to think that I'd have let it go at some point, but I think living in constant fear for a long period of time can warp a person and make it hard to forget and forgive.
 
Crimson1967

Crimson1967

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I read somewhere that when those guys ran up to him after he hit #715 he was afraid they were going to kill him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Bazza

Bazza

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Famous people have a responsibility, IMHO, to act and speak in a way that doesn't create further division in our country.

I'm a bit disappointed he doesn't take advantage of his fame to promote a more united country.

Shame on you, Hank.

:(
 
selmaborntidefan

selmaborntidefan

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I've long thought Aaron was a classy guy for the pressures he had to handle. And given denial of things such as the Holocaust by people who were alive at the time (admittedly not the best comparison), I don't blame him for holding onto letters so as to avoid the years later of "no, they never did that."

But that said - stay out of the political arena or get in. Don't halfway do it. And seriously - does Hank really believe there's any difference in how the GOP treats Obama and how they would treat a white President? They impeached the last white Democrat!!! (I could point out how Hank's party of choice housed a former Klansman who tried to filibuster the Civil Rights Bill in 1964 while Hank was playing in that bastion of integration of Milwaukee, but it would be a waste of time).

Look, Hank is 80 and can say what he wants. But just don't be surprised if this lowers the view people have of you. They might decide, Hank, you're not all that different than Barry Bonds. And that can only be bad for Aaron.
 
C

crimson fan man

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I bet if you know who the supporters of George Wallace in the early seventy's were I would say some of these are the ones that wrote hank his letters. The democrats were the racist ones in his era. Now they just use the minorities to help in their election.
 
Bamaro

Bamaro

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crimson fan man said:
I bet if you know who the supporters of George Wallace in the early seventy's were I would say some of these are the ones that wrote hank his letters. The democrats were the racist ones in his era. Now they just use the minorities to help in their election.
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Really, we've been through that before ad nauseam on this board. :rolleyes:
 
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