Former MLB player and White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén, born in Venezuela, was overcome with emotion on the Fourth of July when he reflected on the day he became an American citizen.
“It’s special,” Guillén said, as a clip of his citizenship ceremony for January 2006 played. “People, they don’t know how hard I — how many people died. … How many people want to be American. This is a very [big] honor for me to do that.”
Asked by host Chuck Garfien why he was so emotional, Guillén noted the opportunities he and his family were afforded by becoming Americans.
“Opportunities, man,” the former manager said, wiping away tears. “I’ve been living in this country for a long time — me and my family, at great cost. It opened the door for them to be who they are.”
“I don’t cry that often, I’m a very tough guy, but, uh, seeing that, I know how much that means to me and my family,” Guillén added.
The Blaze noted that Guillén has made controversial comments in the past concerning Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro and Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez:
Guillen previously made waves in 2012 when he made comments that incensed the Cuban community in South Florida by making comments that praised Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro. Guillen, who had just been hired to manage the Florida Marlins, said in an interview that he “loved” and “respected” Castro, which led the team to suspend him for five games.
Guillen’s relationship with his home country of Venezuela, and its politics — especially the former dictator Hugo Chavez — has been somewhat complicated. In 2005, Guillen said that he was “proud” of Chavez after his bombastic comments about then-president George W. Bush; however, in 2012, he said that he would rather be dead than vote for Chavez.
WATCH:
An emotional Ozzie Guillén reflects on the day he became an American citizen in 2006.
"It's special. People don't know how hard that is. How many people die … How many people want to be American. This is an honor for me." @OzzieGuillen 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/ify8wan8zb
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) July 4, 2021
As highlighted by The Daily Wire, boxing legend George Foreman made a patriot statement about the U.S.A. on Independence Day:
“For about 54 years, people have ask me not to keep saying ‘I love America,’” Foreman posted to Twitter on Independence Day.
“Well I do and I’m not ashamed,” he wrote. “Don’t leave it; Love it.”
“Happy 4th of July,” Foreman closed the succinct post.
The former boxer used the message to caption a photo of himself with his eyes and holding the American flag after taking gold for our nation at the 1968 Olympic Games.
The post quickly went viral, racking up nearly 85,000 likes by Monday.
The few pro-American messages in the entertainment world come in sharp contrast with statements from high-profile Democrats. Most notably, Reps. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Cori Bush (D-MO), who bashed the U.S.A. and the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July, The Daily Wire reported:
“July 4th… & so, the Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. Equal to what? What men? Only white men? Isn’t it something that they wrote this in 1776 when African Americans were enslaved? They weren’t thinking about us then, but we’re thinking about us now!” Waters tweeted.
‘Further, the Dec. of Ind. says we hold these truths to be “self-evident”… yet: – 17 states have enacted voter suppression laws – Supreme Court gutted Sec. 5 of the Voting Rights Act – George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice Need I say more? #July4″ she added.
“When they say that the 4th of July is about American freedom, remember this: the freedom they’re referring to is for white people,” Bush tweeted. “This land is stolen land and Black people still aren’t free.”
Related: George Foreman Posts Defiant Patriotic Message On Fourth Of July
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