NBA Investigating if Clippers Owner Made Racist Comments

[CapTon 592]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/clippers/2014/04/26/donald-sterling-clippers-audio-recording-racist/8202135/

 

Very disturbing to read an article like this. The nerve of some people.

[LexusInfernus 908]

Hey but don't you know, racism is over! The US supreme court said so themselves! 

 

Because you voted for a black president. 

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

A tempest in a pee pot.  What of the First Amendment?

[CapTon 592]

A tempest in a pee pot.  What of the First Amendment?

Exactly.

[Meg 368]

Several thoughts:

 

-  When I started high school, the county started forced busing to desegregate the schools.   (The neighborhoods were basically segregated so, to desegregate the schools, busing was required.)   At that time, I heard a variety of people make comments similar to those attributed to the Clippers owner.

 

-  The people who made those comments have not gone away.   Yes, some of them have gotten old enough to die but many of them are still here.

 

-  Much of the so-called "political correctness" is simply basic manners.   It is rude to call people names, make fun of them, and treat them badly.    I'm not sure when basic civility was equated to political correctness, which was equated to something to make fun of. 

 

-  If my parents were any indication, sometimes politeness goes out the door as people age.   My mom, in particular, felt she was entitled to say anything to anyone because she believed she was too old for manners to apply to her.

 

-  My generation (Baby Boomer) grew up during a time of great social change.   Many of us got with the program; others did not.   As we age, a certain percentage is going to embrace the "I'm too old to be polite" theory and we will hear more of this.

 

-  I have hopes for the younger generation (Millennials?  Is that the right term?) because they grew up in a post-60s world and, for the most part, accept it as normal.

[Duke87 1,070]

This is especially ironic considering the demographic the NBA is usually the most popular with. Way to alienate your customers, eh?

 

ETA:

If my parents were any indication, sometimes politeness goes out the door as people age.   My mom, in particular, felt she was entitled to say anything to anyone because she believed she was too old for manners to apply to her.

 

I have hopes for the younger generation (Millennials?  Is that the right term?) because they grew up in a post-60s world and, for the most part, accept it as normal.

 

"Millenials" can describe people born at any point in the 80s and 90s, depending on who you ask. I personally would argue that this is too broad, and that people born after 1992-1993 or so are a distinct and different generation from those of us born in the 80s. They got their first cellphones in middle school, we didn't get them until high school or later. They are too young to a remember a time when they did not have the internet in their house, we are not. They are too young to really have had any appreciation of what the world was like before 9/11 (or even remember that day at all), we are not.

 

Semantics aside, though, I would argue that while my generation is going to be more progressive on this issue, we're still not going to come close to reaching nirvana on it (so to speak). Yes, we grew up being taught that judging people by the color of their skin is wrong, but we also grew up in a world that was and still is in practice often very racially segregated - the cultures, customs, and mannerisms of different races remain distinct, we still live in different neighborhoods, and white people are still economically more advantaged than minorities. We also grew up in a world where stereotypes still persist in media and culture, and we are taught by Hollywood that black men are dangerous thugs at the same time as we are taught by our parents and teachers that that viewpoint is prejudiced and unfair.

 

Furthermore, the idea that people of different races are different continues to be perpetuated by the fact that we still treat them as such. Barack Obama is the 44th president of the United States, not the first black president of the United States. We would do well to avoid looking at him as the latter.

[Easy Bakes 253]

So its just an Audio tape bought  by TMZ from someone who was fired for embezzlement?

mabey we need to tap the breaks on this till we find out if the tape has been altered?

[47ply 1,100]

in simple terms everyone learned to speak with there library voice on this subject. Yet still believe what they are taught at home!!!! You only learn what you see and hear simple fact..

You cant go back and say well I wasn't thinking or I didn't know you were listening or hide behind the first amendment!! Because you did say it you do believe it were taught it.. so own it..

 The NBA and players should demand he sell the team.. What I cant understand is how does a billionaire have so much to be hateful for..

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

All you have to do to cause a flap in the U.S. is play the race card.  After all this time, action hasn't really been all that affirmative, eh?

[47ply 1,100]

no I am afraid we are doomed to repeat history soon

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Race riots in the U.S. are starting to look inevitable.  Wouldn't be surprised to see a serious shift to the right in the next election.  The "melting pot" theory is turning out to be unsupportable.

 

We have found that the "cultural mosaic" model seems to be working.

[BLANKBLANK 4,414]

Race riots in the U.S. are starting to look inevitable.  Wouldn't be surprised to see a serious shift to the right in the next election.  The "melting pot" theory is turning out to be unsupportable.

 

We have found that the "cultural mosaic" model seems to be working.

 

Would the "melting pot" theory be a reference to multiculturalism?

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

^ No.  The Americans have always tried to homogenize immigrants and encourage them to abandon their prior culture. 

 

When it comes to multiculturalism, Canada is the model with the cultural mosaic where we encourage people to keep their heritage abandoning only those things that are incompatible with our open culture such as Sharia law.  Laws of other lands are generally not suitable for our system.  In Toronto, for example, newspapers are published in over 100 languages including those that do not have the Roman alphabet.

 

Meanwhile, on topic:  Mr. Sterling has been banned for life from the NBA.

 

Seems he has permanently tarnished himself.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

I don't like what he said but in a time and age when anyone can secretly record absolutely anything you say or do, I fear for privacy. This is blackmail. If you read the first article it said that he was recorded by his now ex-girlfriend after she embezzled some funds and she released them (possibly altered) after he sued her. It means that private thoughts and things said in secret can now hurt anyone if there is someone who has any type of recording device (such as a smartphone) and any ill will.

 

--Ocram

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

^ You have a point.  All these blabbing smart phones are a definite infringement on privacy.  You never know when your actions are being recorded any more.  The world has gone public record.

 

"Never do anything that requires closed doors or shuttered windows"

-- Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome.

[Ocram's Razr 964]

Also, I don't think he did anything illegal and nonviolent anger at a girlfriend who embezzled almost two million dollars is not exactly unethical. I would say that she is more in the wrong than he was. Neither is in the right, though. I don't even think that the NBA is in the right either, for overreacting to something leaked out of spite.

 

I read somewhere that an African American player wanted to create a league that excluded everyone besides African Americans and no one reacted to that. "It is only racism if a white man says it."

 

--Ocram

[Meg 368]

 

Would the "melting pot" theory be a reference to multiculturalism?

 

 

 

Multiculturalism is the 21st century version of the melting pot.

 

The melting pot theory is that cultures would blend together and we would all embrace various parts of various cultures.  To give a somewhat lame example, many Americans who live in or near cities can eat with chopsticks, whether they have an Asian ancestor or not.  

 

And we do enjoy a wide variety of cuisines.  Again, in or near cities, it is not difficult to find restaurants that are Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian, Thai, Indian, etc.   Of course, many of them are Americanized.  (Real Chinese food generally doesn't contain broccoli and does contain other things most Americans won't eat.)

 

Historically, most immigrants from Europe "melted" to some degree.  Having ancestors from a variety of European countries is common and generally poses no social barriers to being in mainstream American society.  But I can tell you very little about the culture of my ancestors.  They came from over there; we are Americans over here.

 

Two things happened:  One, people realized something was being lost.   The other:  people realized that non-Europeans didn't "melt" as well as Europeans did.   The melting pot came to be regarded as a boring soupy mess and the new term became "salad bowl" where ingredients retain their own uniqueness but mix together well.

 

"Salad bowl" didn't catch on so now the term is multiculturalism.

 

But, getting back on topic, I believe it will take 75% of the NBA owners to agree to kicking Sterling out.  I imagine that will happen since voting against it won't play well politically.

 

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

An article that may be applicable.

 

Affirmative Action is just a form of apartheid.  Any racially based policy is discriminatory.  For shame!

[Easy Bakes 253]

 

 

Would the "melting pot" theory be a reference to multiculturalism?

 

 

 

Multiculturalism is the 21st century version of the melting pot.

 

The melting pot theory is that cultures would blend together and we would all embrace various parts of various cultures.  To give a somewhat lame example, many Americans who live in or near cities can eat with chopsticks, whether they have an Asian ancestor or not.  

 

And we do enjoy a wide variety of cuisines.  Again, in or near cities, it is not difficult to find restaurants that are Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Peruvian, Thai, Indian, etc.   Of course, many of them are Americanized.  (Real Chinese food generally doesn't contain broccoli and does contain other things most Americans won't eat.)

 

Historically, most immigrants from Europe "melted" to some degree.  Having ancestors from a variety of European countries is common and generally poses no social barriers to being in mainstream American society.  But I can tell you very little about the culture of my ancestors.  They came from over there; we are Americans over here.

 

Two things happened:  One, people realized something was being lost.   The other:  people realized that non-Europeans didn't "melt" as well as Europeans did.   The melting pot came to be regarded as a boring soupy mess and the new term became "salad bowl" where ingredients retain their own uniqueness but mix together well.

 

"Salad bowl" didn't catch on so now the term is multiculturalism.

 

But, getting back on topic, I believe it will take 75% of the NBA owners to agree to kicking Sterling out.  I imagine that will happen since voting against it won't play well politically.

 

 

 

But back in the prior waves of Immigrants there was  not the support in their own  culture they have now. if you came here  from germany in 1900 there were no ESL classes, you had to learn on your own. now the Hispanic  immigrants pretty much get their kids taught in Spanish.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

We've gone rather far afield.  The investigation at the NBA seems to have concluded and the only thing left is the fall-out.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

NBA Owners agree on forced sale of Clippers.

 

Amazing what a little negative publicity will do.

[CapTon 592]

NBA Owners agree on forced sale of Clippers.

 

Amazing what a little negative publicity will do.

You should take the heat for what you say, however

[Easy Bakes 253]

 

NBA Owners agree on forced sale of Clippers.

 

Amazing what a little negative publicity will do.

You should take the heat for what you say, however

 

or when you get a bit on the side you make sure they don't sell your private conversations to TMZ

[Beren Erchamion 12]

An article that may be applicable.

 

Affirmative Action is just a form of apartheid.  Any racially based policy is discriminatory.  For shame!

 

It's really not, and it takes a shockingly ignorant understanding of the structural social dynamics of racism (hint: it's more than old white guys saying mean things and being jerks to people who look different) to pretend otherwise.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I've been living in those structural dynamics since 1937.  Canada had a less violent dynamic, but do remember that we are the terminus of the underground rail road.  A lot of racial minorities have had great difficulties in this country, especially on the west coast.

 

Do you know why there are no smart ex-slaves in the U.S.? 

 

The smart ones escaped on the underground railroad and came to Canada.

 

Since sometime near the end of the last century, most of Canada has been colour blind.

[Meg 368]

 

Do you know why there are no smart ex-slaves in the U.S.? 

 

The smart ones escaped on the underground railroad and came to Canada.

 

 

 

Well, that's an example of a "joke" that is way too racially charged to be told in American society.

 

The more accurate answer to the question:  because all the ex-slaves died of old age nearly a century ago.

 

 

(There were ex-slaves walking around when my mom was a child.   and she just died last year.  Which seems really weird.)

 

[elavery 1,013]

Does this mean we could all lose our jobs for comments made at home that have been secretly recorded and then distributed?

[Meg 368]

Does this mean we could all lose our jobs for comments made at home that have been secretly recorded and then distributed?

 

 

That depends on what you job is.

 

A good rule of thumb:  if you aren't willing to admit to it in open court, don't do it.

 

[blunder 1,080]

Since sometime near the end of the last century, most of Canada has been colour blind.

 

Tell that to the mounties that have a long institutional history of abusing the First Nations peoples that continues right down to this day. 

[elavery 1,013]

 

Does this mean we could all lose our jobs for comments made at home that have been secretly recorded and then distributed?

 

 

That depends on what you job is.

 

A good rule of thumb:  if you aren't willing to admit to it in open court, don't do it.

 

 

 

 

That is a good rule, but who hasn't said something in private that could get them trouble with their employer? A person should have the right to free speech in private without the fear of being recorded and that recording being used against them. Free speech in public is an entirely different matter.