Printed below is an open letter I’ll be sending to the Oakland A’s. I expect similar letters to be sent to the Bay Area’s other professional teams in the near future. —Ben
Dear Oakland A’s,
Now that the World Series is underway, my mind is turning once more to baseball. My interest in the contest between the Astros and the Nationals is somewhat minimal (I’m not the world’s greatest fan), but I do like the Athletics and I have high hopes for a great season next year.
And here is something that would make the season great, regardless of the statistics the team is able to mark down in the annals of A’s history: honoring teachers with the same enthusiastic passion generally reserved for those who serve in the military.
I am aware that the United States military partners with Major League Baseball and its various franchises to promote service in the Armed Forces. This partnership is a source of revenue for the team, it promotes selfless sacrifice and it generates the sort of patriotic feelings that can strengthen community bonds.
But there are many ways to serve one’s country with selfless devotion and patirotism, and because I am the senior pastor of a congregation that self-identifies as a Peace Church, I hope you will consider honoring some of the ways people in Oakland give of themselves in service to others without picking up guns or dropping bombs in far off places. There are many people you could honor—first responders, artists, coaches, small business owners, trash collectors and maintenance workers, and perhaps you can find a way to honor all of such people eventually. But as a starting place, I hope you will consider honoring teachers.
Folks often say that the United States military merits our veneration because the members of its sundry branches stand ready to die in defense of our country and for the promotion of American values abroad. I would counter by saying that without teachers there wouldn’t be much about American to defend or to promote.
As Americans we enjoy freedoms and we consider certain rights to be endowed by our creator and we believe some truths to be self-evident. Without teachers we would not know which freedoms, rights, and truths are among the gifts of an American birthright. In fact, without teachers I would not be writing, nor would you be reading, this particular letter with it’s call to celebrate America’s teachers.
So here is my ask: during at least one home game during the 2020 season, please replace all military personnel with teachers. Invite teachers who work at schools near the coliseum to serve as the honor guard. Perhaps the A’s uniforms on that day could feature an education theme? I envision a chalkboard-style font for the writing on the jerseys, but it could be anything. And if you held this celebration of teachers at the first home game after the last day of classes for Oakland Unified School District, it would be a huge gift to the community.
I know it is too much to ask the Oakland A’s entirely to reject the militarism that for a long time now has dominated American professional sports, but I do hope you will consider setting aside the glorification of the military for one home game in favor of honoring and celebrating the service teachers render to our city, our country, and our world.
I’m very happy to talk about this with you more if you wish. In the meantime I eagerly await your response.
Very Best,
Rev. Ben Daniel, Senior Pastor
Montclair Presbyterian Church