Baseball’s all-time greatest home-run hitter
Barry Bonds will soon pass Babe Ruth and may well eclipse Hammerin’ Hank Aaron’s home run total. But even if he does surpass Aaron, Bonds will not be the all- time home run champion. That singular distinction belongs to Josh Gibson, who amassed more than 800 (maybe as many as 1,000) homers during his remarkable, yet largely ignored career. Ironically, Gibson, who played in the same era as Ruth, is credited as the only slugger to hit one over the third deck in the House That Ruth Built (Yankee Stadium).
Why was Gibson ignored? Because he played in the Negro Leagues. Although records from the league are not counted in Major League Baseball record books, Gibson’s feat should not be ignored. He accomplished it while facing pitchers who, by all accounts, were superior to those that their white counterparts faced. Negro League pitchers like Satchel Paige proved they were at least equal if not superior to those pitching in MLB.
As a proud African-American, Bonds should acknowledge and honor Gibson’s accomplishments if he does surpass Aaron.
Steve Feld, Englewood
Local reaction to immigration rallies in Denver and around the U.S.
American citizens and their representatives are the only ones who have a legitimate right to decide immigration policy. Illegal immigrants, who are uninvited guests here, have no right to vote or to try to influence policy. Monday’s marches showed that numbers breed audacity, but they do not confer legitimacy.
We Americans have a huge problem that we have allowed to become almost unmanageable. We must fix it in a way that shows respect for law and order as well as for human rights. How can we legitimize the demands of lawbreakers? We are a nation of immigrants, but not of illegal immigrants.
Americans are generally good people and we will not attack the problem in an unfair way. But it is our problem, no one else’s. If we don’t have the courage to protect our society and teach our children respect for our laws, then we are not worthy of the legacy that our forefathers fought and died for.
Marsha Budz, Boulder
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On my drive from Denver to Boulder Monday morning, I encountered considerably lighter traffic than usual. I’m guessing it was the result of the “Day Without an Immigrant” march – which for me is the whole point.
It’s got nothing to do with whether or not they’re hard workers, or the fact that many endured hardships to come here to make a better life for themselves or their families. It’s the sheer volume, which, if we don’t get control of our border soon, threatens to overwhelm our highways, our schools, our social systems.
I realize it’s a very emotional and complicated dilemma and there is no easy solution. But Congress needs to work on legislation that secures the border with Mexico to greatly reduce the flow of illegal immigrants and that presents a realistic plan to “legalize” the millions of illegals already here.
Jeannie Dunham, Denver
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I stood along the route of the march to the Capitol Monday morning and spoke with dozens of participants. My words of encouragement were received appreciatively and politely. I was moved by the number of families marching together, pushing strollers bearing their beloved children. One couple, proudly holding American flags, told me, “All we want is something that is fair to everyone.” It brought out the best in us.
Then I saw the worst in us at the rally in the shadow of the Capitol, where screaming protesters, their faces contorted by anger, hurled cruel invective at these peaceful, decent people, taunting them, telling them to get out of our state and our country. And I thought how much I welcome these newcomers to our community, and how much I lament the presence of their tormentors among us.
Arnold Grossman, Denver
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After viewing the immigration rallies that, in part, touted the economic contribution of illegal immigrants, I couldn’t help think about the positive economic impact that might occur if the illegal immigrants just kept marching back to their native countries. American businesses that have exploited illegal immigrants through low wages and poor working conditions just might have to offer jobs with decent wages and benefits. Suddenly the jobs that no one else will do just might be desirable to those American citizens who got displaced by the illegal immigrant hordes. And the exploitation of government services by illegal immigrants would also stop. A positive economic impact, indeed.
Peter Lyon, Broomfield
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Our country, our laws and our society have been thoroughly insulted by an illegal population that is demanding a change in current law and special treatment. Why do they not show the same vigor and determination in changing the corrupt countries from where they came?
The illegal aliens say they are not criminals. In order for an illegal alien to live and work in the U.S., he commits violations of law far more numerous than just being here.
If our elected officials ignore this situation or condone it by new or weakened laws favoring the legalization of these criminals, it is a failure of our politicians to live up to their oaths of office. Our representatives must act. If not, they are helping destroy this sovereign country by an act of omission or commission. The vote this fall will reflect the mood of the legal citizens of America.
Todd Knurr, Aurora
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What a coincidence that on the day that “Les Miserables” opens in Denver, we have extensive coverage of the immigrants, an article about the deplorable situation of the Palestinians, an article about Darfur, and a letter to the editor about the genocide against the Armenians and a Genocide Awareness conference.
In “Les Mis,” Jean Valjean is sent to jail for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread. Javert is obsessed with punishing people who break the law. The similarity is that immigrants come here to put bread on the table. The U.S. and Israel continue to make it harder and harder for Palestinians to put bread on the table.
Sometimes the U.S. plays Jean Valjean on the world stage, as in World War II and the Holocaust. We are playing a weak Jean Valjean in Darfur. Sometimes we play an obsessed Javert, as in denying services to the Palestinians, and treating our immigrants as though they are invisible, with some of us wanting to treat them as criminals. More and more of us are realizing that we need to side with Jean Valjean.
Peter Peterson, Denver
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From my office window, I had a bird’s-eye view of the so-called “immigration rights” parade Monday, and my conclusion is that Americans are victims of a big con.
The chief con artist in the immigration debate is Vicente Fox, the president of Mexico. His government has done nothing to help the economic refugees who take flight to America. Where is the unemployment insurance for Mexican workers? A “guest-worker” program should be a bilateral treaty between the U.S. and Mexico in due respect to our mutual sovereignties.
Instead of doing the hard work to benefit Mexican citizens, Fox is relying on America’s natural sympathy for the underdog. He hopes that gullible American politicians will ignore the bottom 25 percent of families that have been hurt by low wages in the U.S., just as he has ignored them in Mexico.
John Maslanik, Denver
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