It’s been a busy few weeks. Hopefully I’ll have more insight to share with you all soon. For now, here’s what’s been on my mind:
Political Baseball
I always have reservations about writing just about anything that is so saturated with opinion and commentary, but since it involves Colorado, I feel it is worthwhile to add my two cents to the conversation. As we know, Major League Baseball decided to move the All-Star Game from Atlanta, Georgia to Denver, Colorado over Senate Bill 202 in the Georgia legislature.
Arguably, this bill wouldn’t exist without what has now been dubbed “the Big Lie,” but that doesn’t mean it’s the worst piece of legislation imaginable.
What did liberals do? Plenty of talking heads on the left referred to the bill as “Jim Crow 2.0” and President Biden said that the bill made Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle. No, that’s not a joke, and it wasn’t an SNL skit. He said Jim Eagle.
Democrats again exaggerated how terrible this bill is. It has some bad aspects, some actually pretty good.
Then, MLB moved the All-Star game in protest.
What did Republicans do? They also decided to rip out their own eyeballs and proclaimed that Georgia’s new voting law is nearly identical to Colorado’s own voting laws.
No, not really.
Regardless of voter I.D. requirements for in-person voting, how much time you have to vote early, etc, the truth is that Colorado literally mails everybody a ballot. Period. 99% of our votes are via mail ballots. Until Georgia goes to an all-mail ballot system, there is really no comparison.
Long story short: everybody has lost their damn minds. It’s just another example of hyper-partisan garbage, exaggeration, and fear-mongering.
Do better.
Actual Baseball
This year I decided to get a little more active and joined the Denver NABA (National Adult Baseball League). I joined a team called the “Inglorious Batters” - a play on the Quentin Tarantino film “Inglorious Bastards” - and we had our first game two Sundays ago.
While I’m the least experienced player on the team - by a wide margin - it feels great being on a sports team again and getting on the field.
I did get a “hit” - but then surrendered that hit by throwing my bat backwards and smacking the catcher in the face. Guess I forgot what to do after one actually makes contact. I ran to first, dodged the first baseman, slid, and ended up spraining my ankle.
It’s getting better, but I couldn’t even walk on it the first day. Thankfully, last Sunday’s game was cancelled because of weather. I’m hopeful I’ll be at 100% this week when we get back at it.
If you’re looking for a fun activity and your Sundays are open, certainly give NABA a consideration. If you’re wondering, the above shot was taken by me during our last game.
“Summarized, Democrats are scrapping a bipartisan solution — that they campaigned on — that would’ve put $3.5 billion into our roads and bridges without raising a dime of taxes or fees. In exchange, they will push for what will undoubtedly be one of the most hyper-partisan pieces of legislation that arguably violates both TABOR and Proposition 117 — either directly or in spirit — and raises fees on Coloradans struggling through the COVID-19 pandemic.”
I wrote an op-ed as a little history lesson as Colorado Democrats move forward with legislation that burdens Coloradans with a plethora of fees on gasoline, Uber rides, Doordash deliveries, and more. You can read more about their proposal in this Colorado Sun story. I hope you enjoy the piece. Your feedback is welcome.
Derek Chauvin
There isn’t much to say about the Derek Chauvin trial that hasn’t already been said by somebody more important than myself, but a few thoughts that perhaps are worth consideration:
George Floyd should be alive today and there is no doubt in my mind that Chauvin’s actions are the reason he’s not. I don’t particularly care what drugs that Floyd had in his body or what condition his heart was in. It’s not relevant.
Police reform is very necessary. We’ve taken steps in Colorado, so should the rest of the nation. There will always be more work to do. Government-sanctioned power should always be scrutinized.
I was personally surprised to see the jury find Chauvin guilty on 2nd degree murder. I imagine that will be appealed as I believe it’s the hardest of the charges to prove. Regardless, Chauvin belongs behind bars.
There is zero evidence that the murder of George Floyd was racially motivated. Apparently, Chauvin had used similar force in previous arrests. He supposedly had many previous complaints as well on his record. Regardless, those who seek to make this an issue of purely race are intentionally distorting fact to further a political agenda.