Mitch - You can never get through to some of these “feeble minded” racists. Yes, a few of them can change over time (see Sen. Robert Byrd). The reason they are racist is due to several factors but, I gotta tell you, if you’re a dyed in the wool racist living in the 21st century, ignorance is not one of those factors. In addition, I think you’re being fairly delusional about differentiating racists. They are what they are.
PS: I’m a 53 yr. old Black woman and there is very little I could do to change Deen’s mind about Blacks. Why do I say that? Because she’s got a fairy tale idea of Blacks living very happy lives on the plantations due to White plantation owners “largesse.” Her venality is not too far away from Bundy’s “wonderings.”
They are ridiculed because they are racist shitheads. Period. NOT because they haven’t been given the benefit of a doubt. You wanna waste your time, have at it. I have better things to do.
That’s a common theme I’ve been seeing from a lot of Bundy’s supporters. That he isn’t really a racist but feeble-minded or a product of his environment. Sorry, but your boy stepped in it all the way up to his neck and no amount of whitewash will cover that stench.
I’m glad this guy’s comments and those of Cliven Bundy are coming out in the open so people can see that racism, particularly among old white men, is alive and well in America. That said, I pity these men. I can’t hate them because they were immersed in a racist culture at a young, formative age. As the song from “South Pacific” states, “You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late. Before you are six or seven or eight. To hate all the people your relatives hate.”
I’m grateful that young people, by and large, do not carry such racism. My son, now 22, when he was 6, had no conception of color. He asked what a black person is. I said, “Your friend Simon (his best friend at the time). The color of his skin is darker than yours.” He thought about it for a moment and said, “Yeah, but Simon’s not black, he’s brown.” I smiled and said, “Yes, and you’re not white, you’re beige.” That’s the world he grew up in. One in which there are many shades and it makes no difference what shade your skin is. Thank God the world has moved and continues to move in this direction.
Not only is this a fascinating exposure of hidden but deeply held racism, it’s a classic example of how men try to shut their women up by flipping the script and making them feel like they’re the ones with a problem. I am thankful that someone made this recording.
I agree, brooklyn. I understand what Mitch is getting at, some people lack the self reflection necessary to even realize their own racism but ignorance is no excuse and leaving it unchallenged is tacit approval. Of course circumstances dictate the response and in the case of someone like Cliven Bundy ridicule fits the bill.
Unfortunately, during the years 1945 and 1980, Americans were relatively ignorant about class and money (although C. Wright Mills and others tried valiantly to educate them). That ignorance brought forth the so-called “Reagan Democrats”, who happily allied themselves with Nixon’s “Southern Strategy” Republicans, who were just waiting for a hero (Reagan).
The rest is History. Social inequality is worse than before 1928. And, according to Piketty and others, the inequality will get much much worse.
The bad news is that most people believe that protest occurs when things are getting worse. That is not necessarily true. Protest occurs when there is HOPE.
People like Sterling have now got an army of high-percentage-voting geriatrics and hillbillies voting Gerrymandered Congressional District Republican–and, therefore, stand to make much much more money.
Sterling may or may not issue an “apology” (that would be as irrelevant at Hannity’s Bundy apology).
But the Sheeple will still flock to the basketball game.
And so will Magic Johnson. As a capitalist just as “competitive” as the most anal Wall Streeter, Magic will cheer just as loudly for Mr. Sterling’s success as Mr. Sterling.
That’s about right. Donald Sterling is a major nut job – has been for years. Sterling was Dan Snyder before there was a Dan Snyder, only now he’s older and crazier. Doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him, and never did.
The only reason the Clips are winning is because they brought the right guy in to coach them, which has nothing to do with Sterling. The cast hasn’t changed a lot from the group Vinny Del Negro coached last year, so it’s down to Doc Rivers.
I wondered the same about Cliven Bundy’s Black bodyguard. I came to the conclusion that maybe they think the racists aren’t talking about them, but rather those other Black people.
This is going to be a really big deal. Donald Sterling has always been a racist in his business dealings and it’s about time he’s caught with a smoking gun. I’ll be interested to see how the LA Times will play this. Sterling has paid the Times hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising over the years in order to get good press.
Don’t know anything about the NBA owner rules and regulations but I would love to see the league force Sterling to sell the team.
Fits right in with the white supremacist crowd doesn’t he. Donald Sterling is nothing special and in fact, he has lowered himself down to the level of common bigot.
I imagine he will just get meaner and not see the flaws in his thinking so he gets tossed in the cracker barrel with the rest of the white trash. C’est la vie.
Maybe this explains the plight of the Clippers over all these years.
it is such an innocent thing. Nothing would ever come of it. I mean, this simple minded racism would never result in a frenzy of militia extremists to camp out and point guns at federal agents doing their jobs. It’s something different altogether. No coded language fomenting violence. It’s different. Obviously.
Didn’t they live through the 60’s and 70s and 80s and 90s and 00s. ? Haven’t they had at least fifty years to get over it? I don’t think they deserve so much slack.
