Curt Flood was a slave who had more personal issues than he could handle. His is a true story of the fact that money cannot necessarily guarantee you the freedom that you need. Despite his fame and the fact that he had a reasonable income, he was haunted by the fact that he was a slave and that he could not have freedom. This is mainly the issue that was even reflected to his career as a baseball player where he thought his rights were being undermined simply because he was a slave. I believe things would have been different if Flood was not a slave. He would not have issues with any forms of transfers because deep within him he would know that he was free. Even though many have equated his issues to be physically, they were more of psychological. As long as Flood remained to be a slave, there was no amount of fame, money or women that could set him free from the slave mentality. By suing the Major League Baseball, he was simply craving for some sought of freedom. Most probably, this is something that the rulers of the time could not understand.
We realize that Floods situation deteriorated more with each failing case. He craved for an inner freedom, which was not just about baseball but rather slavery. He reached a point in life where he thought that on the basis of having much in terms of fame and money, he deserved the rights to make his decisions. When this failed, he lost morale for the very thing that put him on the limelight and wasted his life. Flood may not have been justified to sue the Major League Baseball yet all this was out of ignorance. It would have been appropriate for him to realize that he had a unique talent that could not be taken away despite him being a slave (Belth 110). This was something that distinguished him and subsequently paid well for him. Rather than focusing on what he could not achieve now, which was personal freedom, he would have used his talent to improve his life and the life of other slaves.
This was the best opportunity to even facilitated freedom for the slaves. by appreciating his natural gift and used it to the very end, it would have proved to the whites that the blacks had unique talents which they would utilize if given the chance. It seemed that Flood was never proud of anything and not even the very talent that he owned. He would have in fact appreciated the fact that apart from him being exchanged for a fee to a different club, he still had the freedom to use what he got in return. This was not like other slaves who were forced to work with no pay. He may have been living in similar deteriorating conditions but by appreciating that, he had had something unique that nobody could take from him; his life would have turned out different.
Slavery was not just a physical but also a psychological issue that haunted the blacks. This hindered them from utilizing what they had with the thought that it would never be appreciated. What Flood and other blacks with a similar mentality failed to realize is that appreciation and acceptance had to begin with self before it is reflected on the others. However, they looked down on themselves and hence making it even difficult for others to appreciate them. Even when the case was ruled according to the law, the slave mentality in Flood made him believe that he was discriminated because of his skin color. He even thought other higher courts would vindicate him and bend the law just for his benefit yet the same results were given. This made him loose hope and felt that freedom was something so far away that he would never achieve by his hard work.
Flood lost an opportunity to make a historical statement, which would ultimately hasten the freedom of slaves. Many blacks and whites alike were inspired by his story and were definitely learning that one can always achieve his or her dreams irrespective of the prevailing circumstances. He would in fact use his fame to inspire other young boys into the game and hence empowering their economic status. In fact, the courts ay not have granted his free will even if they had to because he did not act responsibly. It was expected that he set a good example to fellow blacks by encouraging them to nurture their talents rather than living a life of self-pity. From the story however, we realize that he was even worse than his fellow slaves were, as he did not take good care of his family. Despite the money and the fame, he was engaged in irresponsible behavior.
It would have been reasonable if Flood proved that being granted the freedom that he wanted would make him responsible. However, realizing that nothing positive came out of his life for the years that he played baseball, it was no doubt that being given such freedom would have ruined his life even the more. This is simply because having freedom to choose which club he would play for would not deliver him from being a slave. It would in fact frustrate him more because of his risen expectations. He might have thought that having the right of choice in baseball would also reflect on his rights as other white citizens of United States. At the end of the day, he would realize that after playing baseball and earning such huge amount of money, he still would not have the right to invest and own property (Snyder 90). The money would hence be used in alcohol and other irresponsible behavior.
What was required of him was to first accept and appreciate that he was a slave. From here, he would also have recognized that he had a unique talent that even the whites did not have. This therefore made him special and unique. The realization that this was inborn and not physical should have made him a proud slave who should have changed the attitude that the whites had against the blacks. Appreciating such a gift should have been backed up by a responsible behavior and a need to empower other blacks. Instead of spending, his free times taking alcohol and other illicit drugs; he would have invested his time in training young men how to play football. They would then share what he got by acquiring playing equipment and some good food for the team. This would have remained his basic inspiration that would sustain him through the challenging life of being a well-paid slave.
Flood proved to be a selfish slave who cared more about his personal interests rather than that of his fellow slaves and even the clubs he played. He overlooked the fact that his fellow slaves were more disadvantaged than he was yet they had no opportunity to express themselves. He was in the best position to inspire and encourage them, yet all he displayed was that they would rather remain in their state than earn anything. He left this legacy for his dear people. They could not take pride in the fact that they had a man who disapproved their living conditions and rose to greatness by inspiring others (Bryant 63).
It may not matter much to the world how well you started. Life is all about the end, which will keep running through the minds of people and act as a source of inspiration. Despite the challenges that Flood faced, he still had a chance to impact on his generation. It reaches a time in life when you simply make choices for the sake of others. Overcoming obstacles and resisting negativity for the sake of inspiring and encouraging others. Flood gave up at the pick of his career and lived a more miserable life than he was before. There was no telling of what Flood did with his money after his death. In fact, he left a bitter legacy to his children and the blacks who had nothing to measure the fame of their fellow slave. It might have even made them loose morale as they thought money could not change their status but would instead frustrate and kill them young.
Works cited
Belth, Alex Stepping Up: The Story of All-Star Curt Flood and His Fight for Baseball Players' Rights, by, New York: Persea, 2006.
Bryant, Howard Juicing the Game: Drugs, Power, and the Fight for the Soul of Major League Baseball, by, New York: Viking, 2005.
Snyder, Brad, A Well-Paid Slave: Curt Flood's Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports, by New York: Viking, 2006.
