FIRST-PERSON: Hall of Fame, 1 Tim Robbins, 0
MULKEYTOWN, Ill. (BP)--For years, actor Tim Robbins has used his celebrity status as a platform to espouse -- at practically every opportunity -- his ultra-liberal views.
Now that someone has stood up to him, he's crying foul and claiming his rights have been violated.
Baseball Hall of Fame president Dale Petroskey recently informed Robbins that the Hall of Fame was canceling a 15th anniversary celebration of "Bull Durham," a classic baseball movie starring Robbins and his companion/partner/girlfriend Susan Sarandon. Petroskey cited Robbins' constant criticisms of President George W. Bush and the war with Iraq as the reason for the cancellation.
"We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important -- and sensitive -- time in our nation's history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger," Petroskey wrote in a letter to Robbins. "As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict."
Robbins was outraged. He responded with a harshly worded letter to Petroskey, in which he accused the Hall of Fame president of attempting to politicize baseball.
"I am sorry that you have chosen to use baseball and your position at the Hall of Fame to make a political statement," Robbins said. "I know there are many baseball fans that disagree with you and even more that will react with disgust to realize baseball is being politicized."
Excuse me? Robbins is one of the most radical left-wingers in Hollywood, and he never misses a chance -- no matter what the circumstances -- to express his political views. What basis does he have for accusing Petroskey of politicizing baseball?
Quite the opposite is actually true. Petroskey canceled the Bull Durham anniversary precisely because he feared Robbins would seize the opportunity to make yet another liberal anti-war political statement.
Robbins also accused Petroskey of "using what power you have to infringe upon my rights to free speech and by taking this action hope to intimidate the millions of others that disagree with our president."
Again, this is absurd. How is Petroskey infringing upon Robbins' right to free speech? Petroskey is not restricting what Robbins does or does not say. He has simply decided that Robbins will not say whatever he wants at an anniversary celebration. Robbins has no constitutional right to celebrate Bull Durham's 15th anniversary, but this is what his letter claims.
It's amazing how leftists like Robbins are the first ones to denounce people like John Rocker when they say things that are offensive, but yet are sanctimonious enough to be enraged when someone like Petroskey has the guts to stand up to them for their offensive language.
As an American, Robbins has every right to his viewpoints and the freedom to express them whenever he wants. But freedom comes with responsibility, and exercising your rights doesn't make your actions devoid of consequences.
Robbins has sown the seeds of free speech and political grandstanding for a long time. Now Petroskey has exercised his constitutional right to free speech by criticizing Robbins and canceling a celebration for fear of what Robbins might say.
The Bible says that whatever a man sows, that he also will reap. This is a truth Robbins obviously hasn't grasped, and one he should seriously consider.
Ellsworth's column appears each week on BPSports, at www.bpsports.net.
