Politicaly Incorrect? Wrong? Right? Thoughts?.....

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Aug 2, 2002 4:29 PM (EDT)

NEW YORK (AP) - Jim Bowden was fined by commissioner Bud Selig on Friday, a day after the Cincinnati Reds general manager compared a potential baseball strike with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Selig did not disclose the amount of the fine, levied after the commissioner consulted with Reds owner Carl Lindner and chief operating officer John Allen. A statement issued by the commissioner's office called Bowden's remarks "insensitive and inappropriate."

With union head Donald Fehr close to completing his meetings with players on the 30 teams, the union's executive board could set a strike date later this month.

"If players want to strike, they ought to just pick Sept. 11, because that's what it's going to do to the game," Bowden said before Thursday's game. "I don't think there's going to be a work stoppage. I don't think anybody's that dumb.

"If they do walk out, make sure it's Sept. 11. Be symbolic. Let Donald Fehr drive the plane right into the building, if that's what they want to do."

After the game, the Reds released a statement by Bowden apologizing for the analogy. "Earlier today while speaking to a group of reporters, I made a horrible comparison between baseball's labor situation and the tragedy of 9/11," the statement said. "I regret making such extremely insensitive remarks, and I apologize to anyone I may have offended. I am truly sorry."

-- capnfun (capnfun1@excite.com), August 03, 2002

Answers

Total bullshit. If I was Jim Bowden I'd get a lawyer and make Bud Selig shove his fine right up his ass. It's a free country and people should be allowed to say whatever they want. I'm sick of these fucking thought police invading our society lately. Kill 'em all.

-- (down@with.fascism), August 03, 2002.

Jim Bowden has totally free speech insofar as he will not get into trouble with the law for his remarks. However, if in the judgement of his employer his remarks bring discredit to that employer (and his overall employer here is the baseball business) then punitive action can be taken.

Anyway, I don't think this is a case of non-PC. (John Rocker's case sure was.) And even if Bowden's case did involve non-PC, one should distinguish between what is acceptable to decent people and what is not.

At this point, I anticipate an angry shout from someone, "define decent people." Fuck him in advance.

-- Peter Errington (petere7@starpower.net), August 03, 2002.


Hiya Cap'n. It's a striking analogy. (Pun intended!) ; )

I think people are still pretty 'raw' in regards to September 11th. I read an article about American AND European airlines cutting flights because of no bookings for this September 11th. Fear is part of the reason listed by the flyers, but also honor and respect for those who died... sort of a 'Memorial Day'.

Still, I think it's a sad day in America when people can't voice their opinion without being fined.

-- Pammy (pamela_sue57@hotmail.com), August 03, 2002.


I thought his statemnt was pretty accurate and not at all offensive. Perhaps if I lost loved ones on that day I would feel differently though.

-- dr. pibb (drpibb@new.formula), August 03, 2002.

He might have been OK if he hadn't added that driving the plane into the building part.

And he might be right. I am not a big fan of the game but among folks who are I don't hear much sympathy for whiny crybabys who can't make do on $10,000,000 a year.

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeeD@yahoo.com), August 03, 2002.



Pammy, if you had a business, and one of your employees made an offensive remark to a customer, are you saying there should be nothing that you should do about it?

-- Peter Errington (petere7@starpower.net), August 03, 2002.

Of course not, Peter. An employer can do just about anything they want if they think you've diminished their ability to make a buck.

I'm speaking of the PC 'movement' in general. I'm no Bowden fan, but don't you think a fine was excessive after the guy had already apologized? I agree with Unk that he should have left out the part about the airplane, but the analogy makes sense. He believes it will be the 'death' of baseball, so to speak. It took a long time to regain fan support after the last strike.

-- Pammy (pamela_sue57@hotmail.com), August 03, 2002.


I'm really getting sick of hearing all this oversensitive reactionary bullshit from the inflated head pugs every time 911 is mentioned. Yes, America is a great country, but now Dumbya's even got these morons sold on the idea that the American brand of suffering is superior to any other, lol. In reality this has little to do with patriotism, Dumbya is just exploiting it for his own political and financial benefit. Thousands of people are dying all over the world EVERY DAY, many in much more horrible ways than 911, but pugs don't even acknowledge them because they haven't figured a way to capitalize on it yet.

-- lol (pugs think @ they are. sooooooo superior), August 03, 2002.

Can anyone translate that babble?

-- (roland@hatemail.com), August 03, 2002.

It's a fucking ballgame deal and it's their game not ours. We like to think it's ours and they love that fantasy too so we'll buy the tickets that keep them alive. Still, hoping my Angels wup them Yankees tonite.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), August 03, 2002.


Roland, it's in English, but it helps if you have an intelligence level at least slightly above that of your fearless leader Dumbya. In your case, no such luck, lol.

-- (you needs @ more. lurnin), August 03, 2002.

Carlos, buying tickets for baseball is almost as bad as investing in Enron while Kenny Boy lies to your face. The best course of action by the American people to put these greedy bastards in their place would be a long term boycott.

-- (get @ entertainment. elsewhere), August 03, 2002.

Sign me up, get. Watched the dogers lose to philly 5-4 in '64. Last ticket I bought.

-- Carlos (riffraff@cybertime.net), August 03, 2002.

Roland, it's written in Babblese, an extinct pidjin language that evolved in the Pacific island state of Babbleonia. The words used are English, but the grammar is unique. It was intended to be the original Code Talker language but Navajo was easier.

-- (Funky Wagnall @ reference.desk), August 03, 2002.

LOL!

-- (just an@anonymous.one), August 03, 2002.


Hmmm, guess I misunderstood. When you said this... "We like to think it's ours and they love that fantasy too so we'll buy the tickets that keep them alive." I thought you were saying you will keep buying tickets.

-- okie dokie (say one thing @ do. another?), August 03, 2002.

Roland, I can translate idiot into English. Unfortunately this is written in moron which is slightly harder to translate, but I think I can get pretty close.

I'm really getting sick of hearing all this oversensitive reactionary bullshit from the inflated head pugs every time 911 is mentioned.

I hate Republicans and will oppose everything they stand for, no matter how good it is. If they stand for God, Country, Baseball, and Chevrolet, I will stand for Zues, North Korea, Water Polo, and rusty '87 Yugos.

Yes, America is a great country, but now Dumbya's even got these morons sold on the idea that the American brand of suffering is superior to any other, lol. Like John Walker Lindh, I love America and won't be truly happy until all Americans are dead.

In reality this has little to do with patriotism, Dumbya is just exploiting it for his own political and financial benefit. I fear George Bush is doing the Republican "cha cha" on the national political scene, while all the while cutting my welfare benefits. I even have to fill out a couple more forms to recieve MY entitlement. It is my money, and George Bush is using tragedies like this in order to divert attention to the fact that he is cutting my welfare benefits.

Thousands of people are dying all over the world EVERY DAY, many in much more horrible ways than 911, but pugs don't even acknowledge them because they haven't figured a way to capitalize on it yet. Mommy told me that Republicans are bad, and since I don't trust most people and think they are basically idiots, she must have been right about the Republicans.

-- idiot translator (helping@out.trollboy), August 03, 2002.


Sorry to say but your translation is not at all accurate, it appears to be specifically designed to comfort the feeble-minded who lack the intellect to properly process reality. You translated it into Repugese, obviously using the standard "we can't handle the truth" denial filter. Then you applied the highly overused and much abused "liberals are out to get us" distortion of reality technigue.

You really should read those warnings that came with your translation package. It specifically states that severe psychosis and paranoia will result from a constant misuse of these distortion effects. They are not intended to be used in real-world scenarios because simple-minded users may eventually start to believe that the translated output is an accurate representation of reality and they will suffer from chronic delusions. Please refer to the Rush Limbaugh case history, a classic example of this disorder.

-- Cyber Freud (many repugs @ disconnecting. from reality), August 04, 2002.


Attacking the messenger because you can't stand the message.

-- pugs (are@evil.incarnate), August 04, 2002.

OMG, Cyberfreud = trollboy.

-- (roland@hatemail.com), August 04, 2002.

Cyberfreud, I'll match my dittoheads against Rush's any day of the week.

-- Ralphie Nader (nonsense@nonsense.nonsense), August 04, 2002.

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