DONNIE JOHNSTON: Bad Bunny
"But that’s who we have become, a nation that hates foreigners and each other."
By Donnie Johnston
COLUMNIST
We have come to the point where politics—and hate—are controlling almost every aspect of our daily lives.
The rift between Republicans and Democrats grows larger every day and is causing business, religious and yes, even personal relationships to fracture.
Not even during the turbulent 1960s, at the height of the Vietnam War, was the rift so evident and so wide, and I suspect we must go all the way back to the beginning of the Civil War to find America in such turmoil.
The effects of our political divide and hate for anyone who is not “us” has even entered the sports arena, as evidenced recently by the shameful display of sportsmanship at the Ryder Cup golf matches in New York.
Golf has always been a gentleman’s sport, and a certain decorum was expected of both players and fans. But at the Ryder Cup, which features matches between the top golfers of the United States and those of Europe, hospitality for the visiting players turned to hate and almost became a riot.
Fans called the European players names and even threw beer at the wife of one of Europe’s top players, Rory McElroy, who came down on the American fans with scathing—and well-deserved—criticism afterwards.
The situation was already tense when President Donald Trump arrived, but then it spiraled almost out of control. Perhaps some of the animosity was sparked by those who do not care for the president, while others who share his political beliefs wanted to show Trump that could be just as mean to foreigners, and he could.
Now there are calls from European players never to hold the Ryder Cup on American soil again. And given the potential danger that existed during that tournament, the event probably won’t be back again for decades.
America First is fast becoming America alone, even in sports. No one wants anything to do with our arrogance.
But the recent political turmoil in sports didn’t end there. Fast forward to the National Football League which announced last week that Puerto Rican entertainer Bad Bunny would headline the Super Bowl halftime show on February 8.
This news was not welcomed with great applause by all football fans, many of whom are big-bellied old men who have a hard time getting out of their Barcalounger to get a beer during commercials.
Not that these fans would prefer to see Lawrence Welk up there on that temporary stage, but something a little less raucous would better help them digest their pizza.
But the NFL seems to get more and more radical every year when it comes to halftime entertainment at America’s biggest sports event and, no matter whether these old geezers like it or not, Bad Bunny seems here to stay.
That decision played right into the hands of the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrants, and it was announced that ICE agents would likely be in the Super Bowl crowd looking for Hispanics who are not properly documented.
Some even referred to Bad Bunny as a foreigner, apparently not understanding that Puerto Rico is an American territory and its inhabitants are citizens of this country.
So now we are faced with the prospect that violence—from within—may erupt at the Super Bowl. We have long worried that some foreign terrorist might disrupt this event, but now the possibility looms that our own government might create an incident.
What do we do? Does Trump send the military into the parking lots, the stands, and onto the field during the Super Bowl? Will the military be called out to preserve order at future golf tournaments that feature foreign players?
Rory McIlroy is Irish. Ireland is our friend. Why would we hate a citizen of one of our closest allies? The same goes for the other European players. All hailed from strong U.S. allies.
Whether or not you can stand his music, Bad Bunny is a U.S. citizen and yes, he has a Hispanic following. And yes, he has criticized some of Trump’s policies. But as an American citizen, that is his right. To brand him a thug and create a scene at his halftime show is not the American way.
But that’s who we have become, a nation that hates foreigners and each other.
An isolationist nation cannot last in today’s world and, as Abraham Lincoln stated, a nation divided against itself cannot stand.
To the rest of the world, we have become a symbol of hate, much as Germany was viewed in the late 1930s.
And it only took us nine months to achieve that dishonor.
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