Re: [Marxism] Bonds Hits No. 756 to Break Hank Aaron's Record,

[David Walters <dave.walters@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've have yet to hear anything from anyone that is remotely racist 
*openly* about Bond's suspected use of performance enhancing drugs. This 
includes Bob Costas' ramblings on The News Hour tonight or anyone on 
talk radio. This is much is obvious. Nor has Bonds received the sort of 
racist deluge that occurred when Hank Aaron was approaching the Babe 
Ruth record.

That Bonds is not "convicted" of anything is totally irrelevant to the 
debate. It's not even illegal to use these drugs, some of them, so it's 
not a question of legality. It's a question divided two ways:

1. Did Bonds record rise in the stats (in baseball, it's all about the 
statistics) result from using drugs.
2. Does the discussion such as it is in the press involve an *objective* 
form of racism in that the controversy would be *less* if Bonds was say 
Latino, or White.

On pt. 1. Indeed, everything is "alleged" when it comes to drug use. 
 From what I've read about this early years then and his 1 year rise to 
super-player, his bulk, etc all done in a time that many physicians say 
is impossible simply by rigorous training certainly raises questions. It 
is true that nothing is proved. I live and work in San Francisco. The 
town has gone crazy as everyone (including yours truly) is taken up with 
the record breaking achievement. I would argue that among his fans, 
including all my in-laws, co-workers, of every race, we are all happy. 
We also 'believe' that Barry has been using drugs. No one I can find 
ever doubts this, not even for a second. We also don't give a shit. The 
only one, I think, who doesn't believe it, is Bonds, who is sort of in 
denial. Like I said, however, we simply don't care. That he did or 
didn't will simply go down as an interesting side light to this record 
breaking achievement.  At the end of the day there is no "asterik", or a 
"but", there is just the record, broken with the fireworks reporting 
play it deserved. The press and radio shows will play this up every time 
he continues to hit homers, then it will fade. Bye-bye, like one of his 
homers.

On pt. 2. The idea, to me anyway, that there is some sort of latent 
racism involved in raising/pointing to/concluding that Barry Bonds broke 
the home run record *already broken by an African American* among REAL 
racist threats and taunts, is, really, absurd. If any other player was 
using performance enhancing drugs who was White (or whatever) there 
would be as much news about this as there is about bonds. Don't you all 
remember the lead story-on-national-news when MLB was in the pits over 
various users of drugs by White and Latino players? Are your memories 
that short? Do you think THAT news was downplayed because many of these 
players were White???? Seriously?

David Walters

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