Bernard Goldberg:
So Donald Sterling got what amounts to the death sentence. Banned for life by the NBA. His ugly remarks are proof, as I’ve said before, not that racism is alive and well in America, but rather that racism is on its last leg. The man has been publicly branded a pariah. The American people have made him an outcast. You think any of that would have happened if we really were a racist nation, as some would have us believe?
But now that he’s gone, I’m wondering who else among us has said things in the privacy of our homes that would get us in trouble if somebody recorded them and made our remarks public.
Rest assured, I’ve never ever said anything that might even vaguely be construed as politically incorrect. But I’ll bet you have.
And I’ll bet a lot of players in the NBA have.
I’ll bet a lot of politicians have, too.
I’ll bet white people have and black people have and Latino people have and straight people have and gay people have.
So what lesson should we take of the public flogging of Donald Sterling, as deserved as it was?
How about this: If anyone – an accountant, a garbage man, an MSNBC host, a college professor, an attorney general, a president, a truck driver … anyone! … says something racist in the privacy of his or her home, and if it somehow becomes public information, that person should lose his or her job and his or her livelihood – because racist words cannot be tolerated in America, not in 2014.
I understand that Sterling had a high-profile job and that the NBA is pretty much a black league. So his dumb remarks were especially hurtful. But if we want to stamp out racism, what better way than to hold everybody accountable for what they say – no matter where they say it!
I am confused, however, about why there is no universal condemnation of athletes who father children in every city in the league. Or of athletes who beat up their girlfriends. Or of athletes who drive drunk and kill people. I guess none of those things warrant the moral outrage that bigoted words uttered by a foolish old man in private warrant.
But let me be clear: I’m outraged over what Donald Sterling said. Really, really outraged. I say this because if anyone thinks I’m less than really, really outraged because of anything I’ve written here, I might get in really, really big trouble.
There’s an old saying, ”What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.”
It means all should be judged by the same standards.
The specter of Sterling being ”mentally ill” and in need of re-education camp has been raised a few times by blacks.
So, what about others who use race to make money?
Yes, if Sterling loses the Clippers for his ”racist” remarks should every rapper who uses the N-word lose all their contracts?
No record deals, shoe deals, concert deals.
So should all football and basketball players who use it lose, too?
Even if they are in the privacy of the locker room.
Fired immediately and then banned for life from playing a game they excel at.
Wouldn’t that do more to clean up racist language from American discourse than fanning it while being immune from punishment for that?
And what about Obama?….
If I had a son he’s be Trayvon.
The police acted stupidly.
The ”My Brother’s Keeper,” gov’t program. designed to help NON-WHITES only.
The double-standard school discipline concept designed to hurt Asians and whites so blacks look better.
The interesting thing to see down the line (because so many players and ex-players are calling the NBA a black league) will be how fans respond.
How ”black” does one have to be to sit in a seat for a game?
Could Halle Berry be turned away?
Vin Deisel?
BHObama?
Other less-than-100% black people?
Can one be 1/16th black (like my hubby) or 1/32nd like Elizabeth Warren claims as Indian ancestry?
How has any of this advanced a post-racial concept in the USA?
Obama has made things worse than they ever were in my life time, and I include the Watts/national riots in that.
He divides and creates jealousies when he could have united and soothed.
Obama could not have been elected without millions of white voters supporting him.
Yet he talks about whites like they are ”the enemy.”
BREAKING! Benghazi Scandal Smoking Gun? – New Benghazi Document Lead Directly To White House
http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2014/04/breaking-benghazi-scandal-smoking-gun.html
NAACP is still not happy.
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/04/30/naacp-sterlings-suspension-isnt-enough-want-to-meet-with-silver/
Seems they, who have given two awards and were set to give him a third, are not satisfied that the NBA did not see through Sterling’s thinly veiled racism and do not want other owners to skip past as well.
Hey, NAACP… how did YOU miss it? Eyes covered with cash?
Democratic Mayoral candidate in New Jersey town allegedly caught on tape in racist rant
Marie Strumolo Burke, a Democrat running for mayor of Belleville, N.J., is allegedly heard on tape ranting about her fear that her village could become a ‘f—— n—– town.’ She has denied the voice on the tape is hers.
This should be interesting.
By what authority does any one in America have the right to ban anyone from any public form? His lawyers will argue the 1st and it will stick.
The biggest racist is in DC now occupies the wipe house. The racist Holder, and bigot Sharpton along with polosi and Feinstein to name a few continue to exist.
So it is alright for a black to call a white a cracker?
This is just the beginning of a long financial fight. Who says he has to sell his property? Buyers like Japan and China would pay large sums of money for this team.
The consequences of stupidity are just developing. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show.
@MOS-8541:
By any authority that they can beg, borrow, or steal. Remember, leftists are inherently natural fascists. It’s why they’re now in the process of attempting to curtail 1st Amendment rights. Also remember, they want to ban all hate speech, which uncoincidentally is what they label all speech that counters their will. They have to do this because they’re fully aware that their ideas cannot withstand honest debate. They will use any precedent they can to excuse relieving people of their private property. They’re the Collective.
So, Magic Johnson is somewhat interested (can you say conflict of interest?) in buying the Clippers.
Will America do a due diligence on every utterance out of his mouth before allowing it?
What had he said in locker rooms, hotel rooms, bars?
We already know he was a philanderer.
What does that mean about his view on women?
@Nanny G:
Absolutely: Here a man is being condemned for saying he didn’t want blacks (notice he didn’t use the N word) at his games in the privacy of his home and he is having his private property confiscated for it.
How many blacks say the N word, in public, and everyone thinks it is okay. Why is it okay to have double standards?
Let’s ask a totally generic question: Should a person, having a private conversation in the privacy of his home, be allowed to express his beliefs, opinions or thoughts without having to worry about the government confiscating his house because of that conversation?
Just consider that the NSA may be recording his conversation and could make it public.
@Redteam: What he really said was,
I am an old man.
You are openly cheating on me.
Please don’t rub my nose in it by making me pay for your lovers (of color) to sit with you in my season box seats at the games.
He said nothing about not wanting blacks at the games in general.
@Nanny G:
True, but what was said was, or should be, totally irrelevant. It was a private conversation. I want to know what rules or laws require a persons private property be confiscated because of his thoughts. I’m sitting here, right now, in the privacy of my living room and I think it’s fine for me to say that the leaders of our country are morons. And I don’t even want any of them to come visit me, they’re not welcome. Does any moron out there think I don’t have the right to think that or say it in the privacy of my home? Just wondering.
How accurate are these accusations? Tapes, audio recording-all can be altered.
The show is on and it is going to get even better. What if the alleged evidence is false ?
Where does the NBA indicated that Sterling must sell the team?
What if this ia all a ruse?
@MOS-8541:
I won’t vouch for it, but in the news conference, Silver said that Sterling had confirmed it was him and that was what he had said.
@MOS-8541: Well said my friend!! I am convinced that Sterling will have the last laugh!! The idea that your property can be taken from you because of a private conversation is absurd!! If I recall the 1st Amendment is still part of our Constitution and Sterling still has rights!! I also am amazed at how the fact that this guy is a Democrat is barely mentioned!!
@Redteam: Yeah he confirmed it.
He was set up by the bimbo.
He’s been discriminating against minorities for years Everybody in L.A. knows he’s a scumbag.
He’s constantly being sued. His army of lawyers will fight this and it will go on for months or years.
Irony is he’s finally got a great team after 30 years of mediocrity or worse. Expect Clippers in the finals against Lebron’s Heat.
BTW He’s not a Dem. or Repub. He’s a non denom.purchaser of favors.
MOS c’mon Marine–reality check Commish says he gotta sell–needs 2/3 approval of 28 owners. He’s gonna get approval from all 28–enter the shysters er lawyers.
@Rich Wheeler:
Technicality: he need 3/4ths of the owners to force sale. Still not convinced that in a court battle, Sterling could be legally forced to sell. I believe only evidence legally obtained can be used against him and it will appear, legally, that this is a dead end pursuit for the NBA. I’d like to see the wording of the by-laws for ownership in the league. Anyone know where that is available?
I’m waiting for Sterling to sue his girlfriend for illegally recording the conversation, and demanding she pay the amount of money he is loosing because of the recording, plus other damages. In California it is illegal to record someone’s conversation without them knowing about it.