Typically, when someone in the sports world goes on a Twitter rant, it makes headlines for all the wrong reasons. But over the weekend, Orioles COO John Angelos took to Twitter to respond to a series of tweets sent out by Baltimore broadcaster Brett Hollander that were critical of the Freddie Gray protesters that gathered outside of Camden Yards during an Orioles game against the Red Sox. Baltimore and Boston fans were asked not to leave the stadium right after the game on Saturday, which led to these texts from Hollander:
Hollander certainly wasn't the only person who shared that opinion. But Angelos apparently saw those tweets and responded to them with a steady stream of tweets of his own. During his ensuing Twitter rant, he defended the protesters and explained his position on the subject. His tweets have since disappeared (and he says he wasn't the one who deleted them), but Deadspin transcribed them. You can read everything Angelos had to say here:
Brett speaking only for myself I agree with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest and the observance of the rule of law is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela, and all great opposition leaders throughout history have always preached this proper precept. Further, it is critical that in any democracy investigation must be completed and due process must be honored before any government or police members are judged responsible.
That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s property damage nor upon the acts group but is focued rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the US to 3rd world dictatorships like China and others plunged tens of millions of good hard working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.
The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, an ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importance of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the US and while we are thankful no on was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights and this makes inconvenience at a ball game irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans.
Kudos to Angelos for speaking up on such an important issue and for standing behind what he said later.
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[via Deadspin]
