BY BLUE KAUFMAN
Throughout history, immigrants from across the world have traveled to the United States because it is characterized by freedoms that aren’t found in many other places around the world. However, there are times when these liberties extend further then they ought to. Take the first amendment of the U.S Constitution detailing freedom of speech. It states that anyone has the right to express their opinion without fear of punishment. It doesn’t matter if the information you speak is true or false, right or wrong, or just plain unethical, you have the right to speak your mind. But where should we draw the line? Lives have been destroyed, marriages ruined, careers forever tarnished. All because “we the people” have the right to say whatever we want whenever we want. It’s no longer a simple question of morals: freedom of speech has gone too far.
Controversy over freedom of speech is not new. It has been expanded and constrained throughout our nation’s history. However, over the last 10 years, freedom of speech has caused more destruction then ever before. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t because of the new generation or the dubious acts of today’s celebrities. No, the real culprit behind this is social networking. As the internet has become more advanced, the amount and type of information accessible to ordinary people has also changed. Now, news stories, intimate details, and videos are going viral. National security information is plastered all over the news. During the 2008 presidential election, president hopeful Barrack Obama was accused of not being born in the United States. Although this was false information, the news spread like wildfire and once it was posted nothing could be done to quench the detrimental flames. Everyday, words are manipulated and nothing can be done because of the first amendment People should without a doubt be allowed to voice their opinion, just not lie, slander, or insult an entire community.
That’s basically what the new Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen did: with the utmost disrespect, he insulted the little Havana community, home to 52% of the world’s Cuban population. In an interview with TIME magazine, Guillen said “I love Fidel Castro”. Since then, the controversy has resulted in such outrage that it has sent the city of Miami into chaos. Protesters have rallied in front of the new stadium demanding Guillen’s job and refusing to hear any excuses. It’s hard for us to understand how this one comment could anger so many people. But just imagine if a major sports figure said “I love Osama bin laden” in New York City. If that happened near ground zero, there would no doubt be protests there. It’s also a complete lack of respect for people who have lost so much at Bin Laden’s hand. That’s what Fidel Castro is to Cuban- American citizens of little Havana. Castro is viewed as the destroyer of lives, the man who separated families, and tortured his opponents. To them Guillen’s comments are unforgivable. To add flame to the fire, this isn’t even his first issue with the press and the public. A few years ago, he made similar comments about Castro when he was managing the Chicago White Sox. But since it happened in Chicago, which has a relatively small Cuban population, the comments went over without much fury. Guillen is a notorious bad mouth and tried to take the words back as soon as he said them saying it was “ the worst mistake of his life”. However, as the manager of a professional baseball team, Guillen is a spokesperson for the Marlins and the city of Miami. Now he is somebody that nobody would dare cheer on. The beginning of April was supposed to be a week of celebrating the new season and the beautiful new stadium, but Guillen’s comments have ruined that.
Moreover, Ozzie Guillen’s offensive comments about Fidel Castro were a slap in the face for a community who is currently paying for 80 % of the new $515 million dollar ballpark through taxes. Guillen has apologized profusely and has served his 5 game suspension. However, it still may not be enough to staunch the flow of resentment coming from little Havana. Guillen isn’t the first to land in hot water with questionable comments about questionable leaders. Marge Schott, the old owner of the Cincinnati Reds, had also faced a similar predicament when she praised the Nazi Party and Adolph Hitler in the 1990’s. Due to her spewed words of hatred, the MLB prohibited her from managing the Reds for two years and eventually she sold the team.
Since Guiellen’s slurs, there has also been swift retaliation in the city of Miami. According to the Miami Herald “after attracting a sellout crowd of 36,601 for their season opener against St. Louis, the Marlins drew 30,169, 31,659 and 34,232 for games against Houston. Attendance dropped to 24,544, 25,723 and 23,168 for mid-week games against Chicago”
Even if it’s only temporary, this attendance drop is a clear message from the community and all those who have felt the sting of theses comments. It goes to show you that just because you have the right to say something doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to say. Everything you do and everything you say has a price to pay, and Ozzie Guillen and the Miami Marlins are now paying that price.
