The Mess In Basketball
Believe it or not, there is a top ten list of what's wrong with this picture when dealing with the current topic of racism pertaining to the NBA.
1. A person who needs and uses black sports figures to enhance his bank account and reputation tells his black appearing "companion" not to bring blacks to his team's ball games. Exploitation, racism, bigotry of the first order? Maybe.
2. The man's companion outs his seeming "bigotry" in order to gain attention for herself. She says she didn't mean to hurt him.
3. The woman now announces she will be president some day. Well, not unless she uses improved methods of calling attention to herself.
4. Talk show hosts are laughing at her expense because she says the relationship has not been sexual. But the hosts, with their superior knowledge, were apparently there watching. How else could they know for sure?
5. Across the country, people moved immediately to oust/shun the "bigot" even before they were sure he was the one making the statements -- a rush to judgment.
6. Nobody stops to ask why he does not want her to bring blacks to his games. He gives her carte blanche whatever else she wants to do with blacks. Just don't bring them to his turf. But there are already blacks on his turf, including her. Could it be sexual pride? For the sake of argument, is it possible it really was not a sexual relationship, but he wanted one or wanted his male friends to think there was? Blacks are well known for bragging about their sexual prowess. Maybe he just didn't want his buddies to think the blacks were better in the bedroom than he.
7. With little or no investigation of the facts, the reasons, the feelings that caused the remarks, he is told he can never participate or attend NBA games again. This is his livelihood and he is ousted immediately -- no chance to defend himself or tell his side? Perhaps more went on behind the scenes than most of us heard, but don't sports organizations usually spend years investigating before passing judgment?
8. Blacks, whites, Asians, et. al., jump on the bandwagon -- a veritable landslide of opinion. If they were throwing stones, the mob would have killed him already in a blind rage.
9. If holding racist thoughts and expressing them in private, or even public, would get someone fired for life, practically no blacks and a lot of whites, Asians and Hispanics never would work again. Once more, I reiterate, yelling racism every time a situation arises is an act of racism. You, too, can be a racist.
10. It is probably illegal to tell a man he has to sell his company and give up his livelihood unless he uses it to commit a crime. And we all know that white collar criminals seldom get much more than a slap on the hand. Racism, however regrettable, is not usually a crime unless the person refuses to hire blacks or other minorities.
Once more, I suggest that we, the people, look for alternative explanations before jumping to racist conclusions. Then, as the Bible suggests, we clean up our own act before destroying others. I suggest we put on the brakes, examine each situation thoroughly and then make the punishment fit the situation. We should not make one man pay with his whole existence for doing what the rest of you do everyday, especially since you don't really know his motivation.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure you are all calling me racist because I am pointing out your own errors to you. But then, we've already mentioned that we are racist and oh so politically incorrect to criticize or badmouth you, but you are just having a conversation when you do the same to us. Both ways, people. I don't care what went on two hundred, or one hundred or seventy-five years ago. We did not do it. Most of us are not the enemy, but we can't become friends until there is work and cooperation from both sides. Get us off the eggshells, so we can really make progress in coexisting. We might even find out we really like each other.
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