Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Okay, obviously, OBVIOUSLY, I am missing something here ...
So, the NBA has banned Donald Sterling, the owner of the L.A. Clippers, for life, and fined him 2.5 million, and is going to insist that he sell the team, because he was caught on tape making racist comments.
Sterling was taped telling his girlfriend, who ironically is black and latino, that he didn't want her bringing any of her black friends to games, and he didn't want her posing for pictures with black people, and all kinds of other reprehensible stuff.
Well, since he doesn't like black people, I'm wondering why he wanted to own an NBA team in the first place, and why he's dating a black woman, but I'm also wondering what would have happened if, oh, I don't know, a black business owner was caught on tape telling his white girlfriend to stop associating with white people.
I wouldn't patronize his business anymore, because if he thinks of me as a yucky honky cracker I don't want to give him any of my money, but other than that?
I dunno.
Lots of people are racist. Lots and lots. Look at all the right-wing fanatics calling Obama a "half-breed" and worse. I don't see any of them getting fined and banned.
And while I think Sterling's comments are awful, do I also think he has the right to say them?
I do. His comments are horrible, but if he wants to talk about how much he hates black people, well, that's free speech. I understand that he also has a history of racial discrimination, and that IS punishable, because discrimination by race is illegal, as it should be. But speech?
I also think that his players have the right to walk out, and people have the right to boycott the Clippers, and commentators are free to call him an a**hole.
What I don't understand is why the incredible uproar, why now, when this kind of racist crap is spewn every day, everywhere, in every neighborhood. It's not RIGHT, but it happens every. day.
Why Sterling?
Please, someone, explain this to me, because I don't understand, and it's embarrassing the sh*t out of me, and I'm afraid I'm somehow racist because I don't understand why this one man is being pilloried when other people say the same awful crap every day with no consequences.
Help.
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10 comments:
It's the hypocrisy that makes him special.
He has every right to say them, but the NBA has every right to react to them.
as for those people who are racist and talk about Obama, there have been some that have been caught by people who care, and people who matter to those who said it, and they have been fired, or fined, etc.. but on the whole these people say things anonymously or are in positions in their life where the people around them don't care about such things..
People inevitably bring up the first amendment when someone has problems with the things they say. The first amendment is only binding to the government. Since he wasn't shot, or jailed, nor did the government come and take away his house or his lively hood, this is not a first amendment issue. The NBA is free to do what they will to their members, and if they feel that kicking someone out for something they did doing harm to their organization, then they have every right to do so.
Here's an interesting take on it, from WWTDD:
"In what will be thoughtlessly lauded as a brave and precedent setting move, the comic book villain-looking new NBA commissioner gave Donald Sterling the Pete Rose styled lifetime ban from the NBA, fined him a shit ton of cash, and with what will surely be a soon to come 3/4 vote of the owners, force Donald Sterling to sell his franchise to the highest bidder. And for what? Because his hooker illegally taped him saying dumb racist shit? He’s guilty of being an ignorant crusty old asshole. He’s not guilty of a crime. He’s not even been found guilty of racial discrimination in regard to his NBA franchise which employs a black head coach, not so common in professional sports. Donald Sterling has been an asshole and blight on the NBA for over three decades while they did absolutely nothing. The NAACP was just about to give him a lifetime achievement award this week in Los Angeles because everybody plays the fucking money game. Sure, saying you don’t want your hooker to associate with black men in public means you’re a giant cunt head. Are we now going to denounce and take away franchises from every cunt head owner in sports? I’d sure like to, but that’s a long list. Are we going to give the league’s death penalty to every old white dude saying ignorant racist shit in private to their young whores? ... Adam Silver and the NBA’s response is geared entirely toward the media firestorm and sponsors threatening to pull out and to making Magic Johnson whole again. Magic already praised the NBA’s decision and declared it okay for black people to play basketball again. Oh, and to take big paychecks from known racists. America has nothing to feel proud about today. Gambling in Casablanca? No fucking way."
Our friend Chris was throttled by Bobby Knight in 1997-ish for asking him to stop making racist remarks in a restaurant, and it didn't ruin Bobby's career. Wish he had had a smart phone.
We all admit the remarks are distasteful to say the least - but remember that he said them in his own home, unaware that he was being taped.
If you can't speak freely in your own home, where can you?
Becs, that's what I'm struggling with. What's that old saw - "I may not like what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"?
Well, I'm not going to put my life on the line for some racist a**hole, but ... yeah, I'm struggling here.
Money.
The public decided to jump on a guy that was already disliked, when it was publicly released that he made statements that were indefensible.
The NBA made a decision quickly because the Clippers are doing well, and are making them a *lot* of money right now - and advertisers were already pulling out, not wanting to be part of the negative publicity.
The last thing the NBA wants is for the players or fans to start boycotting games - because they'll lose money.
Ultimately, this guy is going to probably sell the team, which he bought for something like $12 million dollars, and the current value is something like half a billion dollars - he's not going to be harmed financially in this.
The NBA gets to bask in the public's adoration for 'doing the right thing' and the public gets to feel proud of themselves for hating on an ignorant old man and having their opinion heard.
Everyone wins. Especially the people making the big bucks.
spiffikins, yep, follow the money.
My opinion is that this is what (slow) social progress looks like. Trust me, if this were said publicly in the 50's (I was there) or even later, no one would bat an eye or respond. We have managed to get society to the point that hurtful behavior is challenged. The chorus of people condemning Sterling is a voice reaffirming the direction that we want people to head. That is part of change: people saying aloud what is right/wrong. (Things will be a little better when Old Man Sterling's generation is, um, night-night.)...Ginny
Ginny, it's interesting to me about how ... well, I'm not the most articulate person in the world ... but the way social change happens.
Back in the fifties, integration was "forced" from the top, the government, after enough people spoke up. And the racists reacted violently. Now, it's the "bottom", the people, who are the ones demanding that racists be called out. Although I'm still not comfortable with a man being excoriated for voicing his (vile) opinions in private, well, like you said, that generation is dying out. But the bottom line is, this guy wouldn't be hung out to dry if the alternative wasn't going to cost an industry (the NBA) a lot of money.
On the other hand, you have the gay rights movement, which has always percolated from the "bottom" up. (Yeah, I couldn't figure out any other way to put that. Sorry.) The people are demanding that the government take action.
I dunno. I'm (obviously) over my head here. I just wish everybody could act like decent human beings. *sigh*
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