Don’t let Donald Sterling give racism center stage
“This “look at me” rush to protestation gives too much credit to men like Donald Sterling and not enough credit to our society.”
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America was forged through protest. The very establishment of the nation was in and of its self a protest. Americans have through protest sought justice, end to war and cure for societal inequities of all kinds. Protest has had such enormous value in affecting change throughout American history that it is woven into the fabric of who we are as a people.
That’s why it is disturbing to see protest mocked in the name of self-promotion the way it has been by many since the release of a particular piece of audio.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is a silly old man who is completely out of touch with the realities of the times he is living in and the league in which his team is competing. He’s a racist and a charlatan, a swindling fraudster and, thankfully. He represents a dying breed. Men with Sterling’s outlook exist on the outer fringes of our society and are unwelcome within the heart of it.
Sterling’s racist diatribes, recorded by his jilted young lover and turned over to the gossip site TMZ Sports, will result in his downfall as an NBA owner in one way or another. There’s simply no way that a “black league” is going to stand for the man any longer. Should Sterling refuse to cede control of the Clippers he will find it impossible to field a competitive team. He is done.
For Clippers coaches and players the situation is a nightmare. They’re tasked with trying to focus and compete through a controversy they had no part in creating for an owner they despise. For them to protest Sterling’s words and actions is a virtual necessity. They must make it clear that they don’t stand behind Donald Sterling while at the same time working to advance their own careers. It’s the task of everyone associated with the league to shun Sterling and to do whatever is possible to see that he is removed from the NBA hierarchy while allowing him to detract from the splendor of the playoffs as little as possible.
There’s little doubt that the league will apply enormous pressure on Sterling to sell the Clippers. Over the coming days the actions of commissioner Adam Silver and those of Sterling’s fellow owners will mold the outcome of this situation. Nobody involved with the association wants to be associated with the ugliness of Donald Sterling. He will simply not be allowed to remain part of the NBA.
Chances are Sterling will be suspended indefinitely within the next 24 hours, banned from contact with the team, banned from the arena and told to stay far, far away from the league until after the playoffs. Then, after a champion has been crowned, the NBA will force the sale of the LA Clippers.
All that can be done will be done in as little time as possible. Silver and the powers that be in the NBA know that neither the players nor the public will stand for less because racism is not acceptable in America and especially not in an increasingly progressive sports league.
A great number of people are capitalizing on the Donald Sterling situation as a means of bolstering their profiles as though their own distain for racism will somehow enlighten the rest of us. This “look at me” rush to protestation gives too much credit to men like Donald Sterling and not enough credit to our society. What we should be protesting is Donald Sterling’s involvement in the NBA, not the racist hatred he holds in his heart. America is well beyond it.
Does racism still exist? The answer is obvious. Of course it does. Sterling is proof. But it shouldn’t be given a stage. Racism should be treated as ridiculous and laughable, not used as a means to grandstand in the interest of self-promotion. Sterling’s behavior should be seen as an outlier, so blatantly and obviously wrong that it’s almost funny. It’s like hunting dogs in a residential neighborhood. It’s so obvious that it’s wrong that it doesn’t justify even protest. To protest Sterling’s racism is to give it power. Protest Sterling’s involvement instead.
Yesterday a noted NBA blogger Tweeted “Black socks, black shoes, black hat for me today. #solidaritystatement #endracism”. What did he think he was accomplishing aside from calling attention to his own enlightenment? It was just one small example of the type of self-aggrandizing form of “protest” that sullies the concept of protest its self.
Soon Al Sharpton will be calling press conferences. So will Jesse Jackson and all the usual over-blowers of situations who do more harm than good by inflating the otherwise diminishing power of racism in American society. Racism is trying to die but some people won’t let it. They only fan its flames.
The focus in the Donald Sterling situation should be Donald Sterling. If there’s something to be protested it’s that the NBA has long known this devil and failed to extricate him. Protest the NAACP for allowing Sterling to buy and pay for their honors as a “man of the year”. Protest the power of money in politics and the tendencies of well-meaning people to sidestep confrontations with the powerful for fear of not getting money. Protest the fact that we look the other way and let a bad man be until TMZ gets involved. Protest those who use incidents like this for personal gain.
If racism is going to finally go away it has to be belittled, blown off, mocked and laughed at. We can’t continue to give it credence. Donald Sterling represents an era and an attitude America should have long gotten past. He and his sort are dying off one-by-one and soon there won’t be many left. So let’s not use his situation to highlight some sort of grander issue. Let’s just get rid of him and send a message to his sort that their time is through.
Don’t let Donald Sterling give racism center stage.
