Category: News and Views
I’m sure everyone across North America is aware of what’s going on with Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball club, and how he was surreptitiously recorded by his mistress saying that he wished she wouldn’t hang out at the games with black people or post photos of herself with minorities on her Instagram page. Well, that was over the weekend and the NBA came down on him today, ordering him to sell his team, but making him pay a $2,500,000 fine on his way out.
I wonder whatever happened to free speech? He didn’t say that blacks should be lynched/whipped/humiliated, just that he wished she wouldn’t hang out with them at games. He didn’t even use that cursed “N-word”. Yes, this is offensive to me, but is it any different from someone telling their kid that he or she should marry within the religion they were raised? It saddens me that political correctness has run amok and that you can lose your livelihood if you have an opinion that differs from societal norms.
Everybody has been piling on Sterling. I saw where Snoop Dog was angry and called him a redneck. Let’s see, last I checked “redneck” wasn’t exactly a term of endearment, but I guess he’s allowed to say that because, well, just because. I’m glad that the NBA has rid themselves of such an evil person and they now have a totally nonracist league, and if they actually believe that they’re even more naïve and stupid than I think.
Be careful folks. The thought police are out there waiting for you to say the wrong thing. I really hate that the media is treating this like it's some freaking national emergency, but now that it's over and done with we don't have to worry because there are no more racists anymore, right?
I always love when people get their panties all twisted over this kind of thing
and feel an irresistible need to demonstrate to everyone who reads their words
that they have absolutely no idea of what the concept of free speech actually is.
Like... oh I don't know... the original poster. It really makes my day. So thank
you ignorant original poster.
Now then. Free speech does not mean that you have the right and ability to
say whatever you want without any consequences. It simply means the
government can't throw you in jail for saying it. If you care to notice, the
government is not throwing sterling in jail for what he said. Free speech at
work. Isn't it beautiful?
Now, just because the government can't throw you in jail, doesn't mean
society can't judge your actions unacceptable. The NBA, and apparently millions
of its fans, have deemed that it is unacceptable for him to say the things he did.
It doesn't matter that he didn't use the N word, (which I'd be willing to wager
you don't know the history of if your flippant attitude toward it is anything to
judge by). What matters is that he made racist comments. Saying the n word is
not the only way to make racist comments. It isn't even the worst way to make
racist comments in my opinion.
But that doesn't matter at all to you, does it? You're so ignorant about the
subject at hand that while you're here railing about how free speech is under
assault in our country, you are actually saying that only the people who speak
what you agree with have the right to free speech. Are you going to leap into
action and right an ignorant board post about the NBA's right to free speech?
Cuz they have it too, just like sterling does. Did you ever think of that? No, of
course not. You just got your panties all bunched up and you had to pluck that
wedgy by showing us all how you have no idea what in the hell you're talking
about.
But, I won't be surprised if you don't even realize how stupid you made
yourself look to anyone with knowledge on the subject.
This is the same issue that Dr. Laura faced a few years ago. Free speech has nothing to do with private affairs and only has to do with the government involvement.
You know, it really strikes me as odd that people don't understand the difference between government and society.
Looks like you beat me to it though, Cody.
This is not a young person missing civics class problem either. I tried at one point to convince a sixty-some-odd-year-old relative of this very thing, till I realized I was on a fool's errand.
For kidlets getting ready to get out of school and go to work someday, let me 'splain something to ya: Your employer can decide what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate speech either on its workplace, or by public mouthpieces, or on its websites. It usually does so based on societal norms and what benefits it as an entity.
Donald Sterling was not born yesterday, and knew full well this was a stupid fool of a stunt to pull off. He lost. Too bad. So sad.
Meanwhile, my Blazers are almost to the playoffs. Thanks in large part to a group of African Americans and one French of African descent.
Yea for posts 2 and 3.
Anyone remember Don Imus ccalling a college women's basketball team a bunch of nappy headed hos? This kind of racism goes on all the time, and it is not acceptable, in my opinion.
Freedom of speech is very alive and well and active. Sure you can say whatever you want, but that doesn't mean your opinion is without consequences if enough people agree that your opinion is distasteful or hurtful. Words have emotional impact, they're just not random sounds meant to convey concepts. You can make a claim that some group of people is so beneath you and your chosen tribe that they should be put to death. The government will not haul you away for that but we the people can choose not to associate with you and your employer, if they catch wind of what you said, can fire you because your opinion disrupts the working environment if you hang out with your co-workers and spout such nonsense. Also, you can call the president a Commie or Muslim sympathizer or whatever and still, no jail time, but again, if anything, you'll be called a nutty conspiracy theorist and if you go on long and loud enough, again, we the people will pay you back with consequences.
Frankly, I don't care what Sterling--is that his name?--said. But, it didn't effect me personally. If it had, I'd probably be on a news program, or, maybe just the zone bbs yelling my head off.
He's got enough money to buy a frickin' basketball team for christ sake, so he's out of my league and deserves whatever he gets.
The only thing that impresses me is that the spurs beat Dallas last night.
Bob
I'm afraid I have nothing else to say on the matter. Free speech is definitely alive and well, and Sterling exercised it. He also reaped the consequences of it. He's an ass and he proved himself as such. End of story for me.