Well, let's pile on shall we. I like to be the voice of reason when people cry racism. I do believe the racism card is played way too often and America is the least racist country in the world. That is why they have to grasp on to non-racist quotes and twist them to be racist. Like Rush Limbaugh when he made the comment that the media wouldn't care about Donovan McNabb if he was white. That's an anti-media comment, not an anti-black comment. That is why when I saw on the ticker while watching the NBA playoffs, "Clippers owner Donald Sterling being investigated for racist remarks reported on TMZ" I was skeptical. First, I don't consider TMZ very reliable. I quickly googled the TMZ recording and heard it for myself before the media tried to influence my thinking. Well, this time, the media seemed to be dead on. I will preface all this by saying I am assuming that the tape is authentic, hasn't been altered and the male voice is Donald Sterling. I've never heard Donald Sterling speak so I have no way to identify that voice as his and given that guys like Frank Caliendo can expertly mimic other voices, it is possible that it is an impersonation.
All day yesterday, I tried to make sense of the comments. The male voice believed to be Sterling was upset because his girlfriend posted a picture of Magic Johnson. He tells her "People will think you're associating with the enemy." Alright, fine, this may not be because Magic Johnson's black. This may be because he represents the Lakers as he was a star for the Lakers. He does say later that Magic Johnson should be admired. Maybe it's a LA Clipper vs. LA Lakers rivalry. I can handle that. Another aspect of it, maybe he doesn't like that she's being photographed with another man in general. A lot of guys are insecure in their relationships and don't want people to think their girl is cheating on them so if they're walking/photographing in public with other men, it gives gossippers fuel to think this. I know men like this. To believe any of these things, however, would be doing exactly what I blame people that grasp on to any remark and twist it to be racist for doing; ignoring what was actually said. Sterling specifically says people will talk about you associating with black people. His entire issue is the public perception of her being seen with black people. This is so asinine and retarded to me that I hoped the tape was a fake. I mean, public perception and society is literally the last place where you will receive condemnation for associating with minorities. Later he says, "If you want to fuck them fine, if you want to have them over privately fine, but not publicly and don't bring them to my games." This comment really baffled me. I know racist people. I've traveled extensively to Europe where they are extremely unapologetic of their racism. This is not consistent with any type of racism I've seen. For lack of a better word, "interbreeding" or having intercourse (I hate the term "slept with") with a person of another race is the worst thing you can do to a racist. Sterling seemed okay with that but not okay with being seen in public with them? It just made no sense to me. Anyone who believes that "the people" would be against someone hanging out and photographing with minorities in America, has absolutely no grasp of reality and is just plain stupid (ironically, Sterling calls his girlfriend stupid for not realizing that society is against it). To make this even funnier, his girlfriend is half Mexican; half black. Sterling calls her white in the video. I've seen a picture of her, she looks Latina. Did he really not know her background? During the video the girlfriend tells him a couple times of her background. How did he not know? He just says, "You just want to fight me. You're a fighter" and "You don't understand" Well you know what? I don't understand either!
Now that I had garnered my opinions, I listened to the media. Exactly what I expected: Whites and Blacks alike showing how upset they were over the comments. Like me, they were pissed that it was overshadowing what is an amazing first round of the NBA playoffs. It wasn't until Sportscenter this morning that I was given confirmation to what I already believed and an explanation for the mentality which I didn't think made any sense. Baron Davis, who was an amazing player for Golden State, then he went to the Clippers and didn't play so well. I never really understood why. Full disclosure, when he went to other teams, he didn't play that well either. But in an interview last week, before the TMZ video, Baron Davis calls Sterling "Delusional." That's exactly what someone who believes that American society would be against someone associating with a race that is not their own is; delusional! I still didn't get an explanation for the mentality until David West posted his comment, "It is plantation mentality, make money off the bucks, lay with the women, nothing in public." It is known that slave owners had sex with their slaves. Yes, they made money off the men's work in the field. No they weren't public about it. I loathe when people reference slavery for any black issue, but, in this instance, it absolutely fits. Well said David West. You are exactly right!
The Clippers players should focus on trying to win the series. I am routing for the Warriors, but I don't want to see them win based on a forfeit or a strike by the Clippers. Leave the striking and such after the playoffs are over if the league hasn't stepped in and ended it before then. The commissioner said that he is planning on finishing the investigation in the next couple of days. The playoffs are over in June. It could be sooner for the Clippers, but that remains to be seen. I don't like the media forcing business owners to govern their businesses. I am a firm believer in private businesses and CEO's and owners can do whatever they want with their businesses. That being said, Doc Rivers, and every black athlete on the Clippers are not forced to work for an owner that believes what Sterling does. If Sterling wants to try to make a team of white people...good luck! Not only would they have to be White, they would have to be White and not mind a racist or the public ridicule they would face for being a scab worker for a racist. Like I said, good luck with that one! But Sterling should understand that. After all, wasn't the issue what "The people" will think?"
After all this, I have concluded that Sterling's comments are completely indefensible. There is no truth in it. It can't even be seen as simply being politically incorrect or truth that people don't want to hear. It's exactly what the mainstream media has called it ranging from asinine, to bozo, to no place for it in today's society. Not only is it racist, it's flat out untrue! It is wrong in every sense of the word; morally and factually!
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