The Phoenix Suns Will Make A Bold Statement Against Unjust Arizona Immigration Law

It is not an official NBA move, necessarily, but the Phoenix Suns are doing their part to combat an unjust (some say racist) law designed to target illegal immigration in Arizona.

The Suns, the professional basketball team based in Phoenix, will be wearing “Los Suns” jerseys (with the name in Spanish) on Wednesday when they host the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals round of the playoffs on Cinco de Mayo. From a protest standpoint, this is a good start and the Suns are to be commended for their willingness to step forward and make this gesture. Although, it will be interesting to see how it is received when the team takes the court. Generally, in sports, when the home team wins - all is forgiven. Still, what is perhaps most interesting about this move is that the owner of the Suns, Robert Sarver, is apparently a Republican.

Here is what Sarver said in a statement released by the franchise:

"The frustration with the federal government's failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law. However intended, the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question, and Arizona's already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them."

Sarver has stated that this move is indeed a political statement. It's fantastic to see individuals involved in professional sports taking a stand against issues of great importance. This issue is too important for those involved in professional sports to sit on the bench or rest in the dugout.

The Arizona Republic: The bill, SB 1070, makes it a crime for a person to not have immigration documents and empowers law enforcement

agencies to question about the status of people based on "reasonable suspicion."

Is Notre Dame A Closed Society?

Fox News has been working hard to drive the controversial nature of President Obama giving the commencement address and receiving an honorary degree from the University of Notre Dame. While media outlets like Fox News may be attempting to use this as an issue to attack the president, what about the collateral damage? What is this doing to the image (particularly in regard to tolerance) of Catholicism in the United States and abroad? Notre Dame and Catholicism are taking big hits as conservatives use the abortion, Notre Dame and Catholicism to attack President Obama.

From Fox News:

According to organizers of ReplaceJenkins.com, a Web site critical of Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins’ decision to host President Obama, more than 1,400 pledges have been received from alumni and donors promising to withhold future donations, a tally of nearly $14 million.

“Most of the donors were at least loosely aware of the university’s trend away from its Catholic identity,”spokesman David DiFranco said in a press release issued on Tuesday. “But the invitation of President Obama to speak and to receive an honorary degree, combined with the weak responses presented by Father Jenkins as a defense to those (who) have criticized the decision, is what drives most alumni to our site.”

In “nearly all cases,” DiFranco said, alumni who contacted the group had already decided to cease donating.

Now, Fox News.com has published an article discussing the potential economic fallout related to donations (or, potentially, the lack of donations in the future). The University of Notre Dame will survive the hypocritical bigots who will turn their backs on this great institution because they disagree with one commencement speaker on an issue or two. Notre Dame can do without people like that. Notre Dame should do without people like that. You can be strong with your core values and still be tolerant of those who differ. If some people are that close minded, then what does that say about them and what might it say about Catholicism and the University of Notre Dame? Has the grip of intolerance become that tight? We have a man who has started a Web site dedicated to having the current Notre Dame president dismissed. How sad and intolerant is that? How can people call for a president’s dismissal because he invited the president of the United States of America to speak at graduation. These extremists who think they are doing something good for the University of Notre Dame and Catholicism, might just be doing the very opposite.

Fox News:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/17/notre-dames-standing-catholics-risk/

Rep. Steve King, Of Iowa, Continues Whining About Hate Crime Legislation

Think Progress has a story quoting far-right extremist Rep. Steve King, of Iowa, who is crying about the hate crime legislation, known as the Matthew Shepard Act. Why did Iowans put this individual in office? Of course, the same could be said about some of the people in Minnesota who helped get Rep. Michele Bachmann, another right-wing nut, reelected. Check out the Think Progress story to see the fit that some on the far right are throwing and all the fear-mongering they’re creating.

KING: If they’re one of God’s children let’s protect them equally and when you go down the path of special protected status, then you end up with the sacred cows walking around the street that have another extra shield around them that actually would put the victimizer’s focus on someone else. I think it’s unequal protection of the law that results from it.

Rep. King seems to be worried that if penalties are too harsh in protecting some people (such as gays and ethnic minorities) then it will lead to attacks on white people. That seems to be his implication. But, if people are specially targeted then why shouldn’t they be specially protected?

Think Progress:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/06/king-sacred-cows/