The title of the old hit from music legend Carlos Santana is freshly, and sadly, appropriate for today’s anti-immigrant climate—not only in that longtime southern bastion of hate, but across the country.

That Major League Baseball’s annual Civil Rights Game was played in Atlanta this past Sunday is already a slap in the face to conscious, justice-minded folk who realize that praising African American players while insulting indigenous people/Native Americans through caricaturized, stereotyped names and logos (think “Braves” and the concomitant “tomahawk chop,” negative imagery, etc.) is a perpetuation of the sick doublespeak this country uses against persons of color.

The slap is even more forceful in light of Georgia’s recent passing and signing of HB 87, a draconian measure, similar to that of Arizona’s SB 1070, legalizing and encouraging law enforcement harassment of undocumented persons.

As sports writer and progressive analyst Dave Zirin reports in The Nation, Santana—who was at the game to receive an award—assailed the people of Georgia, Arizona and elsewhere who support such hateful measures:

“This law is not correct. It’s a cruel law, actually. This is about fear.”

Santana is not the only celebrity speaking to Georgians and others about this affront to immigrants.  Etan Thomas, of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, said the violation of rights that measures like HB 87 promote “goes against everything this country should stand for.”

Zirin adds the salient point that Bud Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, should take the opportunity to support immigrants’ rights by, among other things, moving the 2011 All-Star game out of Arizona.  Sadly, I have little hope that Selig or other leaders of the major sports leagues in the country will demonstrate any time soon an understanding of—or support for—the respect for all human beings that Santana and immigrants in this society are rightfully demanding.

Read the entire article by Dave Zirin here.