I enjoy watching the Little League World Series tournament. It's a chance to see raw emotion and talent on the field. Very refreshing. I noticed one game in particular -- Venezuela vs. Saudi Arabia -- one morning and decided to Tivo it.
What better way to demonstrate the beauty of America and democracy to young Muslim kids in Saudi Arabia? I thought. Certainly better than anything Karen Hughes will try to do. Certainly better than the "hate schools" we hear so much about.
I was wrong.
I settled into my chair that night, flipped on the tube, and thought I had taped the wrong game. Sure, on one side, the team in green colors, were the kids from Venezuela. But on the other side, in red and white uniforms, were a bunch of white kids, lots of them with blond hair. Then it hit me; they must have been the children of military and diplomats. Basically, the international American team. I didn't take the time to learn exactly where the kids' parents came from. I wasn't interested anymore.
Missed opportunities.
3 comments:
Hey, you can't discriminate against those kids just because their parents are only temporary inhabitants without visas or jobs or any connection to the land other than as, at best, peaceful enforcers.
Oh wait -- I guess you can. And should. A national team should be made up of people who live in and represent that nation; you're right about this being bogus.
It does beg a question: do Saudi Arabian children play baseball?
And I honestly don't know how the LLWS works--but it does strikes me as odd that ex-pats would populate the national team of another country, unless there are no national SA players and this a team simply representing those who play baseball in SA.
I honeslty don't know.
California Uber Alles! ;-)
"But on the other side, in red and white uniforms, were a bunch of white kids, lots of them with blond hair. Then it hit me; they must have been the children of military and diplomats. Basically, the international American team."
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