Donald Sterling and Freedom of Speech

You can't legislate against thought, it's not illegal to be racist, what is illegal are discriminatory practices in employment and rental property. Apparently this is not the first accusatory references Mr. Sterling has faced regarding his attitude towards minorities. As an owner of a team, he's in a position of power and it reflects poorly on the league to condone this sort of subversive attitude towards minorities by not sanctioning him.

The NBA is a business, and racism is bad for business. As a financial entity, the league will protect itself and it's image.

 

That is true, so let the league act. But the media, the liberals, blacks, talking heads, and Obama, those who espouse freedom of speech are attacking Sterling and many are demanding punative action on him. Let those who are without bias be the first to condemn Sterling.

 

The idiot Sterling had every right to speak his mind, and like everything else in life all actions have potential consequences.

The guy seems like a slime ball. It will be interesting to see what action the NBA takes though.
I'm not sure how the NBA by-laws effect his right to run his business.

 

From what I now know, neither he nor his girlfriend (thought he was married for 30+ years to someone else too) are angels in this. No one likes a racist d-bag or a sleazy side piece.

 

I suppose statist authoritarians like the idea that people are transfixed with freedom of speech issues being focussed upon some broken down, sad, old man who conducts his personal affairs as though he's fresh out of school and been jilted for the first time.

 

free speech means the government can not prevent him from speaking, doesn't mean others can't be upset with him for his actions

 

No kidding! No constitutional rights are being threatened here. He has every right to spew his ignorant racist views. And we have every right to call him out on them!

 

some states would of protected the privacy of his phone calls... but yes what you say is true

 

In spite of the stupid media uproar over this, there is one simple thing to say about it - He did not break any laws! Local or federal.

He was unquestionably ignorant but, so far in this nation, there are no statutes against it.

 

Well said!!! It looks like he will be punished for what he said. I guess the liberal Speech Police are happy.

 

Of course he didn't break laws, just the confidence of half of the nation. His girlfriend wasn't much help, either.

 

I think that he has outed himself as a racist and now everyone knows.
The consequences that flow from that are all that's needed as punishment- or karma.
Society will deal with him.
There should be no unusual or legal punishment by the nba or the authorities for his comments.
Whatever they commonly do to those who hurt the reputation of the nba is ok.

 

Sterling has the freedom to say what he wants about black people.

The league has the freedom to punish Sterling.

And the people you mention have the freedom to condemn Sterling.

You also have the freedom to condemn them for condemning Sterling.

I personally don't really care about the issue, but I would probably punish Sterling too if I was part of league management.

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He may have broken league rules, however.

 

When you have the entire nation fully aware of your racism (hidden or not) and no one really respects you or thinks highly of you, why bother dishing out a legal punishment anyway? And even if he did get punished, that likely won't change his opinion on anything, he'll just refrain from telling his significant other.

 

To be honest, there's not much the NBA can do other than fine or suspend him. He owns the team, so it's not like he can have it sized from him. Maybe the public can use social pressure to persuade him to sale, but that's about it.

I guess the league suspended him indefinitely. I just know how that works though.

 

The leftwing needs support and one way they get it is to do stuff like this, instead of letting the guy have his right to act racist (not a good thing of course). But to try to punish him is just sick. It's just like the left does about homosexuality. Just because you don't agree with homosexuality doesn't make you any of those things the left claims it does. Face it anyway, even the straight left thinks homosexuality is idiotic behavior. If not, why wouldn't they try homosexual sex? I'm pretty darn sure they could EASILY get to like it.


And then the left succeeds in shaming and frightening the Right into agreeing that this "racist talk" is something awful.
Racism needs attention when it ACTUALLY hurts others, not when it is just talk.

You think those basketball players were hurt by his remarks? They make more money in a year than you and I will make in the next 50. They get more women in a month (if they want) than you and I have gotten in years and years, or ever will, likely. They have nothing to worry about except their health (as far as they know). They have friends, fame. They aren't hurt
by what some lug says about their race. That doesn't bother them at all, because they KNOW they're not inferior. Just like whites know they're not inferior so when you call a white guy 'whitey' he doesn't give a crap, unless he has a bad temper, but that's a temper, not a real reaction to being called 'whitey' for cryin' out loud.

What a load of baloney this all is.

The left is so phony.

 

Does it mean that his team is suspended from playing? Or that the guy can't attend games? What an overreaction. Unbelievable. America better wise up.

 

I guess he's been banned for life from interaction with the NBA.
And, it looks like he's going to be forced out of ownership.

 

At the risk of making a predictable joke, can't they force him into a retirement home?

 

Public bigotry maybe ... private bigotry, not so much. He needs to learn that it is in his own best interest to pursue his bigotry in a private, abstract, opaque way rather than in a public, concrete, transparent way.

 

I guess they can do more than I though they could do
Looks like he's banned from the NBA for life. Now it's up too the a majority of owners to force him out of ownership.

 

Not being racist at all is also a good lesson to learn.

 

Sterling was fined 2.5 million dollars for his remarks. What a joke! Its outrageous!

Yes, hes a racist but what he says privately are his own views and he shouldn't be penalized for it. The social stigma should be enough. This is not a free country.

 

I'm guessing it will be a while before he gets any more hot black chicks to date him without them getting paid to do so.

lol

 

Actually, it was a private conversation that his gf taped and released to TMZ.

What he needs to learn is how to pick better gfs.

At 81, he shoulda known better than to get mixed up with a golddigger.

No fool like an old fool.



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