God Bless America

NY Bowhunter · 11-29-2005, 02:11 PM

Carlos Delgado was recently signed by the NY Mets. He has a history when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays of protesting by not standing while they sing God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch at every baseball game.
His new contract as well as every other Met contract states that each player on the NY Mets MUST stand during the singing of God Bless America during the 7th inning.
What do you think? Should Carlos Delgado be forced to stand during God Bless America or not?

Charlie P · 11-29-2005, 02:15 PM

I don't think he shoud be forced to stand,but I can't wait to see what the NY fans do to him.

PKnTX · 11-29-2005, 03:09 PM

I don't think he should be forced per se, but
I am happy to hear it's in his contract. Now
we'll find out about his convictions, being as
it will affect his $$.

PK

etothepii · 11-29-2005, 04:47 PM

If he's so principled that he can't stand during the song, then he should have been principled enough to turn down the contract. He signed it, he should live up to it.

bawanajim · 11-29-2005, 07:12 PM

So in the big apple some big a$$hole agrees to to pay a traitor to this country big bucks to piss off his costumers.

Only in New York.[

]

Charlie P · 11-30-2005, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Only in New York.[

]

He was playing in Toronto and was traded from the Marlins.

This is what he has to say.

NEW YORK - As far as Carlos Delgado is concerned, team rules come before personal politics. And that's why he's willing to stand on the field with the rest of the New York Mets when "God Bless America" is played next season.
"I think the most important thing about integrity is to realize what your priorities are," Delgado said. "I'm a baseball player, I'm not a political activist."
Moments after pulling on a Mets jersey at a Shea Stadium news conference Monday, the team's new first baseman was peppered with questions about his protest of the U.S.-Iraq war. Delgado's refusal to stand on the field during "God Bless America" the past two seasons attracted nearly as much attention as his long home runs - especially when he came to New York as a visiting player.
But now that he's been traded by the cost-cutting Florida Marlins to the Mets, the slugger said he has no problem adhering to his new club's rule.
New York manager Willie Randolph expects his players to "stand at attention and honor the flag" during the song. So Delgado said he will be right there alongside his teammates when it's played at big league ballparks during the seventh-inning stretch.
"I'm employee No. 21," Delgado said, referring to his new uniform number. "I'm here to follow orders."
Many major league teams have played "God Bless America" at home since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and Delgado doesn't mind that at all. In fact, he donated $25,000 to New York firefighters and another $25,000 to police soon after 9-11.
But he thought the song came to represent support for the United States' invasion of Iraq, which he called "the stupidest war ever" while he was playing for Toronto in 2004.
"They tied up `God Bless America' to the war in Iraq and I said, `What is going on here?'" Delgado said. "I was against the war in Iraq."

david m · 11-30-2005, 07:41 AM

i don't think it makes him a traitor to the country if he chooses not to stand.

if he chooses to protest, that is his right.

i stand when they play it, but i don't sing along because i think it's ridiculous.

first, if you aren't sure about the existence of said deity, it makes little sense to sing this song.

second, if said being exists, i see no reason why he/she would bestow any special blessing on our country over any other country. i think i remember hearing that"allare equal in the eyes of the lord."

but hey, that's just my my take on it.

bawanajim · 11-30-2005, 08:30 AM

I think the song reprsents more than hurray for the U.S.A. Alot of the good this country has done is quickly for gotten.We have done more good ,donated more money & sacraficed alot of our brothers and sisters in the name of world good.We reciece little in return & we ask for less.
I do not thinkthat standing for the playing of a three minute song is to much to expect for the great things that have been done by the U.S.A.

CalHunter · 11-30-2005, 09:46 AM

I agree with bawana. David M, I don't think asking God to bless America is out of line for christians or other people who chose to sing the song. Standing while the song is played a sign of respect for our country. While people may be opposed to the war, disrespecting our country solely because of that is childish. To put this on another level, I have disagreed with you in this post but I certainly do respect you and your right to your viewpoint. Doing anything less would be pretty childish on my part. While I agree that a baseball player has the same rights the rest of us do as Americans, when he's on that ballfield, he's at work. Many of us have to curb our political opinions at work yet are quite free to express them away from work, just like Carlos. Just my .02 here.

mr-pirk · 11-30-2005, 11:04 AM

Just wondering about something.

If the fellow that own's Charlie's Dry Goods store decides he wants a greeter at the doorand then decides that the greeter is to say the words "God Bless You" to everyone coming in the door to reflect Charlie's beliefs.

Does the Greeter have to say the words? Can the greeter be forced to say the words to keep the job?
Seems like the same thing to me.

Thanks
Mr-Pirk