Jersey City Little League: Unity in Diversity

Greenville Little League, coaches and players, reflected the diversity of the area: blacks, whites, Hispanics...a tremendous mix. The coaches meetings were interesting. These guys LOVED their baseball...Loved it. I was an outlier: never athletic, I didn't like baseball but I took a T-ball team for the sake of my son and then my daughter. I have never seen such a display of unity-in-diversity! It showed me that diversity in itself, as difference and dissonance and alterity, is useless; but diversity in a shared unity is enriching and marvelous. This league was better than the Catholic Church itself.

There was a 12-year old black player, a ringer. A huge fight erupted about his exact birth date and whether he could stay in our league or advance to the higher age level. A fierce fight, but respectful. The coaches could care less about skin color or last name or ethnic background. The kid could play baseball and that is all that mattered to them. These were working class, blue collar, salt-of-the-earth types. Not from the underclass nor the elite over-class. Their's an intuitive, wholesome sense of inclusion.

One day someone made a humorous remark about Hispanics. I don't remember what it was. But I clearly remember what followed. Charlie Hegar was a short, tough, confident Irishman very involved with baseball and hockey. With his lovely wife Maria he raised four tough boys who went on to be cops and firemen and such. Classic Jersey City ethnic white, like many who grew up with my own children. Charlie put the guy in his place: "My wife is Hispanic. I will not hear that kind of remark here. Ever!" There was quiet. I doubt the guy ever make an ethnic joke in public again. This was not political correctness; it was human decency.

This is the world in which I have lived all my life. It is a happy world. I wish everyone's world was like mine.