Silver Not So Sterling In Ruling Against Donald.

My attempt to avoid finding myself in total disagreement with Magic Johnson has failed.

Magic is my hero.  I still consider him to be the greatest basketball player of all time.  Michael Jordan was never as fun for me to watch as Magic was.  What Magic could do on the court was simply....... magic.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson did not create this firestorm of controversy.  Magic was captured, by photo, in the presence of Donald Sterling's dime piece.  For some odd New Jersey Bridge scandal type reason, Sterling decided to record his love of Magic, but his disdain for black people and the mistress.  When Sterling no longer gave a dime to his dime, she dropped a dime on Donald.

That's the story.  We all know it and no one seems to dispute the nature of the details.  Whether you focus on the fact that we are all party to an extortion effort or the simple reality of the hate filled words, the facts are the facts. This was a recorded lover's quarrel, and black folks got dissed on it.

Black people: You ain't neva' said that same kinda stuff
about white people?......Ninja please....you too Magic .

Now, any person reading this post who has never said anything foul against another race or culture while in the confidence of people who do the same thing as well, raise your hand? Since the new Pope doesn't read my post yet, I assume that we have very few hands raised, but let's go deeper.

Any black person, Magic Johnson included, who hasn't spoken about white people in a racially bigoted manner, raise your hand?.  I am a ninja (my replacement for the N-word) from the projects, so don't make me give you the look. T.D. Jakes, I see you out there grinning, but your hand is not raised so that's cool.  Not one ninja in my entire family better raise their hands, that's for damn sure.

I got another one for you.  

Is it housing discrimination to not put a black family in the middle of a bunch of Korean people?....YES! Especially if they really need housing right away. Sterling paid a hefty price legally for behaving in this fashion, and the scuttlebutt in LA was that he is a discriminatory slum lord.

If that, which was legally decided upon in the court of law, was not enough grounds for removing Sterling, then what makes this latest incident more worthy?

MAGIC!

Hey baby...where's Donald?

Let's assume that the black person who Donald scolded his mistress over was not Magic Johnson.  Would we care so much about this story?  Would Magic? Magic was among the first to call for removing Sterling from the league, and it is hard to think that he did this for any reason other than the public embarrassment it represented to his mega-rich ass.  If the black guy she was seen with was ......ME, do you think they would have banned him for life ?


Magic is an LA rich man.  If anybody in the world knew about Donald Sterling, the slumlord embarrassment to the NBA, it was Magic Johnson.  What did Magic and everyone else who care to know about Sterling think of him before this video revelation?


Everybody thought Sterling was exactly who they have proof of him being now.  Yet, no player, former or current, can give you a story of Donald Sterling the racist owner.  His lawsuit against Elgin Baylor was an age discrimination lawsuit that was  handsomely settled out of court, even though the courts found in favor of Sterling. For many years, Elgin Baylor ran the very organization that other teams threatened to send you to if you did not perform for them.  Even Baylor couldn't claim being racially discriminated against when he considered a world where other black executives and coaches operated with a much shorter leash than he enjoyed for years.

Talks have begun about Magic Johnson organizing the group to purchase the team from Sterling.  Does the fact that Magic could not raise his hand to my earlier question disqualify him from ownership or does he have to get caught on tape before he can be disqualified.  If a homey from the barber shop from way back in the day comes out and reveals the things Magic might have said in quiet confidence, does that hold any weight?

While listening to Sacramento Mayor (and former NBA player) Kevin Johnson on the Dan Patrick show, I heard him close his remarks about Sterling by saying that "institutional racism" can not be allowed.  Sadly, we have done nothing against the institution of racism except slap a muzzle on it.  Sterling is the closest examination of honest racial dialogue that we have been given in a long time, however scathing it appears.
If we remove him from ownership just for being a bigot than who among us is truly qualified to replace him?

Not I, that's for sure.

Niggers and crackers have pissed me off equally over the years.  Took me a long time to understand why I shouldn't call Mexican's wetbacks, but I am certain I have said that before. My homophobia was sickening as a teenage boy, and maybe even a little bit after that.  I think it took chronic tendinitis to get over my fear of old people.  Now, half way through life expectancy I love me some elderly folk and can see clearly how age discrimination is a dangerous concern to our society. In my realm as a hiring manager, I could have been unknowingly guilty of it as well.

Mayor Johnson was in the presence of several other former NBA greats when NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the ruling against Sterling.  At the time, he said those in the room all applauded the ruling. Either they are happy that racism is being removed or that it is being silenced.  If racism is embarrassing, silencing it's voice will not fix the problem.  By removing Sterling the NBA might be less likely to find itself associated with a videotaped racist, but does the ruling against Sterling change the hearts of other owners who are like him?

I grew up in a house with a plaque on the wall that read:

                     -"You have not converted a man                                    because you have silenced him"

The more I live the more it makes sense.  We will not convert Sterling by silencing him, or improve America by pretending people like him do not exist, or don't deserve a prominent place in society.  The truth is that Sterling is just one of many prominent/rich bigots who we have most likely silenced, but not converted.

Not Magic Johnson of course.....just the other rich bigots.