I Support Baseball’s Right to Censure and Fine this Young Man.

Mr. Editor,

I was appalled at the stream of insults that Atlanta relief pitcher, John Rocker, hurled at America via his interview with Sports Illustrated. However, while I support his First

Amendment rights to prove to the world the strength of his moral character, I support Major League Baseball’s right to censure and fine this young man.

I served my nation in the United States Navy for nearly ten years. During this time the military instilled in me from the day of my first enlistment of oath a belief in the

Constitution of the United States. “… support the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic…”

While I may not have fully understood the true meaning and depth of those words, I did take my own meaning to be that the rights of American citizens are worth defending. Rocker has that right. We need not rally behind his misguided words, but as a nation, we must give him that right.

Where I find fault with your editorial is that “suspension that never should have been levied.” I believe Major League Baseball has a duty to protect itself from one of theiremployees. Should for instance, an employee or a contributor to your magazine editorialize about the Holocaust being a fraud, would you feel this person deserves to be heard regardless of the hurt it would cause to those who survived it just to bring about dialogue? Or would you be more inclined to distance your magazine from this person and more importantly, distance that person from your magazine?

Rocker’s words were directed at several protected classes and at the core of what makes America the greatest nation in the world, Diversity. While legally protected by the First Amendment, should not go unpunished by his employer. While hiding the issue of hate under the carpet is not the answer to the problem, neither is allowing those who propagate hate in any of its guises to escape punishment.