Why I Empathize With Sterling versus Silver

Why I SideWhy I Side with Sterling v Silver With Sterling v Silver.

Over the past several weeks the media, television and radio as well as the social network have been flooded with comments and criticism of Donald Sterling over comments he admittedly made which were regarded as racially sensitive by some, and downright offensive by others.

            From the start based on what I heard of the incident, and even before hearing from Sterling himself, I characterized the whole thing as being much ado about nothing, and wrote as much in a blog on my twitter.

            Now having heard a little more including from the old man himself, I am even more convinced even though I have not spoken to a single person of color who agrees with me; but be that as it may I do believe my point of view is correct.

            From a legal point of view, and notwithstanding any agreement Sterling had made to the contrary, I think there is no doubt that to force him to sell his property based on something he said in private is dead wrong.  A man just cannot be deprived of his property based on something he might have said, or opinions he holds, libel and slander aside.

            There was an old man 80 years of age; he is apparently having a liaison with a younger woman, who in any event seems to be non-white. He gets insanely jealous over the fact she is seen out in public with a younger man or men, and he rants to her about it.  She unknown to him records the rant and made it public.

            So okay, the thing gets out, and black players, members of the public including sponsors take it up and offence is taken, lots of it.

            In steps the NBA Commissioner, whose name incidentally is Silver, so we have a rare concoction of Sterling/Silver, not a tea pot or cutlery, and Mr. Silver uses his assumed authority and fines Mr. Sterling 2.5 million dollars, tries to force him to sell his franchise, and bans him for life from membership of the NBA.

            Quite rightly Sterling threatened to sue; but in the meantime, his wife Mrs. Sterling finds a buyer for the team for 2 billion dollars.  Mr. Sterling’s reaction was at first, “No, I am not agreeing to a sale;” but he is an old man.  Dragging the matter through the court could take more than his life time; so after taking time to consider he says, “alright, I will sell; but let me have a little of my dignity back. Sell the team; but lift the ban”

            Here again in my judgment, a wise Silver would have said, “Yes you will have to sell the team; but your life membership ban is lifted.”

            Was that too much to give an old man?  I say no.

And in saying no, I ask this question.  Which one of us living today, who has never in private made remarks stigmatizing in some form or another some other race, be it black or white or otherwise?  I am confident that if the truth be known all of us have.  I have, you have and the rest of the world has.

            American Black men in fact use the “n” word five hundred times more often than all the rest of the world put together; they use it in anger, they use it in jest, they use it in their ordinary daily communication,  as some would say colloquially for tea, breakfast and dinner.

            So Magic Johnson and the rest of the black men who got all hot and bothered under the collar over Donald Sterling’s remarks should stop and examine their own loose vocabulary before jumping on a poor old jealous, ranting individual and stomping all over him.

            I do hope Donald Sterling sues the NBA; and I hope he and I live to hear the Supreme Court pronounce on his legal rights. Needless to say, I do absolutely empathize with Donald Sterling. Not only do I empathize, but if I were to preside over a matter such as this,  I would definitely rule in favor of the owner.  

Rev Dr John S Weekes
www.chaberbooks.com