Coffee with Chuck

I must admit that I am a huge baseball fan, and I was rather excited for it to come back. I was looking forward to seeing Giancarlo Stanton finally healthy in the pinstripes. However, as I watched the games over the weekend I thought to myself how is this possible? And, what are our values as Americans? The thoughts that I could come up with is that bringing baseball back is possible because the American culture is one of consumerism. This consumerism is what drives all of us. We consume everything food, drinks, music, film, and all sorts of entertainment. One form of entertainment that I find in particular that Americans consume with such fascination is professional athletics. Not only, do the American consumers take in professional athletics, but professional athletics is a major infrastructure that drives profits and continues to put money in the pockets of the more than well to do folks. Therefore, my answer to how is this possible is the owners, executives, and even some players will do anything to get money regardless of the fact that there is a global pandemic that has killed over 600,000 people and has laid off millions of other people. And, these same people do not care about how their decisions affect others especially lower-class folks, minorities, and children. This reckless way of decision making is a result of American hegemonic values.

The American hegemony has conditioned Americans to believe what the Wu-Tang Clan calls C.R.E.A.M. or Cash Rules Everything Around Me. This belief in money continues to put people in danger. This is where we are today. 14 people in the Miami Marlins baseball organization has tested positive for COVID-19. The Miami Marlins are a PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL ORGANIZATION, meaning, they have access to resources that most Americans do not have access to. In, addition, everything is controlled in these organizations from travel to nutrition, and lodging. Even though they have access to these resources and control the club’s reckless decision making has put people in danger. The baseball team being affected is horrible. However, I am still frightened by the American value of money.

In this country, the people that make decisions are unfortunately those folks with money. And they make decisions often that help them continue to make money. This is way of thinking is what truly scares me because the decisions like bringing baseball back are happening with the questions of are we opening public schools in the fall? If our policymakers and decision-makers continue to have this value of money children, teachers, administrators, staff members, and their families will be put in great danger in the fall of 2020. The majority of public schools lack the resources to test their members for the virus and keep them safe from it. And schools cannot control what their students do once the last bell of the day rings. Ultimately, it is time to make crucial decisions that are not influenced by money, but rather the decisions must take account for safety, morality, and the longevity of civilization#BASBALLISBACK USA CREAM EDUCATION