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MLB star blows off criticism of Hitler-themed Second Amendment social media post
Boston Red Sox player J.D. Martinez didn't back down from criticism of a 2013 Instagram post about the Second Amendment. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

MLB star blows off criticism of Hitler-themed Second Amendment social media post

As the trend of digging up old social media posts from sports figures continues, Boston Red Sox star J.D. Martinez was unapologetic about a controversial post he had in 2013 in support of the Second Amendment, according to the New York Post.

Martinez was asked about the post Tuesday, an Instagram post that used a quote portrayed as being from Adolf Hitler to support gun rights.

The post showed a picture of Hitler, overlaid with the quote: "To conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens." Martinez added the caption, "This is why I always stay strapped! #TheTruth."

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What did Martinez say about it?

Martinez seemed a bit frustrated with the increasingly frequent occurrence of athletes being questioned about old, controversial social media posts. He said he still believed in the point he was making at the time.

“I love my country. I stand by the Constitution and I stand by the Second Amendment,” Martinez told reporters. “It’s something I take pride in and it’s something I’ll back up.”

The Major League Baseball all-star also emphasized that people should be allowed to hold varying views.

“Everybody has a right to stand by what they believe in and that’s what makes us American,” Martinez said. “We’re not all going to believe in the same things, but that’s what makes this country so great.”

Did Hitler say that?

It's worth noting that Hitler never actually said that quote the post attributes to him. At least, not exactly. Here's the original quote the mistaken quote may be drawn from:

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjugated races to possess arms. History shows that all conquerors who have allowed their subjugated races to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing." — Hitler’s Table Talk, 1941-1944: Secret Conversations

The actual quote, while it can be shaped to fit a pro-gun rights argument, presents a much different context than the one Martinez used it in.

While it's clear what point Martinez was trying to make, he'd be better avoiding the use of Hitler to make his argument, as such a figure only serves to give opponents ammo to stir up controversy and dismiss him.

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Aaron Colen

Aaron Colen

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