Racism In America

I do not usually post this close together, but some events have happened the last couple days that have elicited some very strong feelings and the need to write in me. Please indulge me.

First it was Cliven Bundy, the wealthy Nevada rancher who is feeding his cattle on federal land, not paying federal grazing fees for more than two decades like thousands of other ranchers do, and saying things like, "Black people were better under slavery," to telling reporters over the weekend he recalled driving by a public housing project in North Las Vegas, Nevada and seeing 'at least a half-dozen (black) people sitting on the porch, they didn't have nothing to do. Because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?'"

He added, "They abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because he never learned how to pick cotton. And I've often wondered are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn't get no more freedom. They get less freedom."

All the while Mr. Bundy claims he is not a racist and states we need to have a, "Serious discussion on racism in this country," he continues to make statements like these and lives his life like he believes he should by not paying his taxes and living off the government.

In the video I saw of him talking about how he was so against the government intervening in his affairs and how we didn't need the government, he was riding his horse proudly displaying an American flag! That to me is the epitome of hypocrisy!

The next story I want to discuss concerns an unfolding daily and getting better every time I watch another report about Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his remarks caught on tape by his girlfriend, V. Stiviano.

Everyone knows our justice system presumes innocence until proven guilty in this great country. As we all know, with 24/7 cable news stations, social media, smart phones and yes, even cameras everywhere, there is very little we can say or do that is not scrutinized in the court of public opinion. It seems everything we say and do comes back to us in ways we never expect in the form of a video, text message, instant message or email. Some people do not even have a cell phone yet! Can you imagine? What did we do before cell phones?

The point is Miss Stiviano has numerous recordings of Donald Sterling's tirades about brown and black minorities and his apparent hatred for anyone whose skin is not the same color as his.

According to the NBA.com website, 76.3% of their players are of African–American dissent. That is the highest of any of the major sports. The NBA has led in that category for many years.

Here is an interesting chart on diversity in the NBA. Click on the image to make it larger:

If Mr. Sterling does not want his girlfriend to talk to, have her picture taken with or bring to an NBA game which he owns, I wonder why he wants to have anything to do with owning an NBA franchise with only 19% white players and allegedly made this comment which was recorded by Miss Stiviano, "I support them and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? … Who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game? Is there 30 owners, that created the league?"

It has already reached the highest office in the land and undoubtedly one of the biggest sports fans in the country when President Obama was speaking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the Associated Press, he said, "incredibly offensive racist statements," before casting them as part of the continuing legacy of slavery and segregation that Americans must confront.

"When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don't really have to do anything, you just let them talk," Obama said when asked to respond to the reported comments from Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

It will be interesting to see how these two very different cases play out. Thank you for letting me vent. Both of these guys disgust me. It is a sad state of affairs when we still have to be talking about racism in America in 2014.

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike