The NAACP called on members of professional sports leagues to not sign on with teams in Texas. It’s a purely political move, calling out only one Texas politician – Governor Greg Abbott. Abbott is running for reelection. NAACP took it straight to the media, giving it first to ABC News.
What took them so long? Frankly, I’m surprised that those who make a living off political and social victimization, like the NAACP, haven’t called for a large-scale boycott up until now. There were rumblings by major corporations headquartered in Texas who took a knee for the perpetually aggrieved and vowed repercussions over bills passed in the state legislature. Specifically, there was loud opposition to the new fetal heartbeat law and the election integrity reform law. Nothing much came of all the faux emoting from CEOs. They soon discovered that their customers weren’t all liberal social justice warriors.
The NAACP lists three grievances with Texas right now as outlined in its two-page letter – the fetal heartbeat law, election integrity reform, and a lack of coronavirus mask mandates. It called on members of the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and WNBA to consider not signing with Texas teams in protest of the new legislation. Taking a jab at Texas lawmakers in general, the letter calls Texas “a blueprint by legislators to violate constitutional rights for all, especially women, children, and marginalized communities.” Free agents should just avoid signing on with a team in Texas, you see.
“As we watch an incomprehensible assault on basic human rights unfold in Texas, we are simultaneously witnessing a threat to constitutional guarantees for women, children and marginalized communities,” NAACP National President Derrick Johnson and NAACP Texas State Conference President Gary Bledsoe wrote in the letter. “Over the past few months, legislators in Texas have passed archaic policies, disguised as laws, that directly violate privacy rights and a woman’s freedom to choose, restrict access to free and fair elections for Black and Brown voters, and increase the risk of contracting coronavirus.”
“If you are a woman, avoid Texas. If you are Black, avoid Texas,” the letter continued. “If you want to lower your chances of dying from coronavirus, avoid Texas.”
We’re all gonna die. How’s that for dramatic effect?
SB 8, the fetal heartbeat law signed into effect on September 1 has made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court fast-tracked oral arguments. The law bans abortion after the fetal heartbeat is detected, usually at six weeks. The twist in the Texas law is that is allows private citizens to report doctors and clinics who violate the law, instead of relying on the state to bring charges.
The Democrat opposition to election integrity reforms is well documented. All summer long, there were posts about the Texas Democrats who ran away from doing their job and instead went to take a vacation in Washington, D.C. to garner national press attention. It worked for a little while but soon public attention waned and they returned to the state. The passage of election reform was inevitable and it happened during the third special session. The objections from Democrats are farcical. The new law increases the early voting period and makes election law and proceedings uniform across the state. Delaware, home of Joe Biden, has no early voting option.
The complaints about the ban against coronavirus pandemic mandates in Texas? Make of it what you will. Governor Abbott has banned mandates by companies and local government officials. His reasoning is that it protects the jobs of workers and allows individuals to take responsibility for their personal health decisions. He didn’t ban masks and vaccines, as Democrats want you to believe, he left it up to the individual. We can debate whether or not this is a traditionally conservative move and I would argue that it is not. Conservatives don’t usually support government interference in private businesses. Nonetheless, the NAACP’s claim that death is imminent in Texas is crazy.
The signing of free agents isn’t even on the table right now. It will come later in 2022. The Houston Astros are currently in the World Series, by the way. Houston is known for its loyal support of the team – Houstonians love that team.
There are nine Texas teams playing the leagues mentioned by the NAACP: the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets; the NHL’s Dallas Stars; the WNBA’s Dallas Wings; MLB’s Texas Rangers and Houston Astros; and the NFL’s Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys.
With the NHL, NFL and NBA seasons less than halfway over, the leagues won’t welcome free agency until well into 2022. MLB free agency begins five days after the end of the World Series, where the Astros are currently playing.
The NAACP is nothing if not hyperbolic. “Texas isn’t safe for anyone.”
The civil rights group is calling on athletes to “seek employment with sports teams located in states that will protect, honor and serve your families with integrity.”
The group added, “Until the legislation is overturned, Texas isn’t safe for anyone.”
There are reasons to not feel safe in big cities in Texas, as there are in other cities around the country. Crime is up, and that makes people nervous. Big cities in Texas are run by Democrats who have all but abolished bail requirements and have allowed criminals back on the street when they should be sitting in jail, away from society.
The NAACP is an obsolete organization, it outlived its importance long ago. An athlete isn’t going to turn down a good opportunity for himself or his family just to appease an organization that depends on fanning the flames of racial division for its economic success. American sports fans are tired of politics seeping into games. Sports are a diversion from everyday life. That’s how it should remain. And, in Texas, victimhood doesn’t play well.
This article was originally published by Hot Air. Read the original article.
