From the Other Side of the Edge…..
He’s the Worst Kind of Human Being, ….just not a Criminal
By Joe Facinoli

Two things jumped out at me, when I first heard about NBA team owner Donald Sterling’s idiotic, openly racist, and utterly stupid remarks recently, …and then the National Basketball Association’s punishment of him, for his bigoted and unacceptable words and pronouncements.

Initially, my quick reaction was: Damn !! There are still people in positions of power and influence today, who continue to think this way ??!!

And who still use this twisted, nonsensical logic, …which I thought, or at least hoped, …to be going away, if not already archaic??

Of course I knew that there were, …and that they still reason this way, …but I try to always think “half full”. Silly me.

My second thought, though, …which occurred about twenty seconds after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Sterling’s sanctions (banned for life, from any NBA facility, venue, or even activity, …a $2.5 million fine, …and he will be made to sell his team), was:

No, …they can’t do that, ….it’s wrong, on almost the same level as his own inflammatory ramblings and declarations, …and clearly, …it’s un-Constitutional !

The fine, …understandable, and the Commish’s prerogative. The lifetime ban from the “club” (the NBA), …uh, …a little close to the edge, but probably deserved.

But “burning someone at the stake”, …here, by taking away their completely legal, licensed, fully approved, and otherwise uninvolved business, …because you don’t like what they have to say about you, or their opinion of you and yours leaves you appalled and incensed, …is violating one of the four or five most basic tenets of our Constitution.

And makes you, in the end, no better than the person who was so offensive to you, and who displayed such an insensitivity (and one of the worst order) to your life, to your culture, and ultimately, to your freedoms.

Make no mistake, Donald Sterling is a despicable human being. A roach of a man (no offense to any roaches).

Thoughtless, non-caring, shallow, heartless, selfish, ignorant, cruel, unaware of basic humanity, callous, a fool, and a hundred other things we could look up on Google, or in Merriam-Webster.

But he has broken no laws.

And he is a prime example of why the First Amendment is there, allowing any citizen to speak their minds, and to air their personal feelings, regardless of how foolish and stupid, …and socially wrong, …they may be.

And regardless of whatever social consequences those words, spoken or written, may bring upon the one who delivers them.

It is a basic, and “…unalienable Right”.

So now, everybody’s feeling all good about themselves, and oh so righteous (some might say self-righteous), as they slide farther and farther down that increasingly familiar, slippery slope of lawless social convenience.

Yeah baby, …we got the boogie man !! We stuck it to him! And good, too!!

But at what price? And aren’t we doing the same thing to him, which we accuse him of doing to us?? Uh oh, ….maybe we will be next !! Think about it.

His comments, and shady business practices, certainly have, at a bare minimum, the effect of making life much more difficult for many, particularly those of certain races and cultures.

But we have remedies for them, and civil courts and judges who are sympathetic now, to the plight of minorities, and the underprivileged.

And none of these solutions involves any “tarring and feathering”, nor stripping away of a legal and proper business, just because the owner is an unfeeling, unthinking imbecile.

It’s his right to be stupid.

But on the other hand, that doesn’t mean we have to frequent his establishments, nor give him money, by way of rents or basketball game tickets.

When the whole world looks like a nail, …a hammer is the only tool you’ll need. There are better ways.

Those who are so quick to castrate Donald Sterling, by these wholly un-Constitutional means, should remember the passive but forever focused words, and non-violent but righteous methods, of Dr. King. Or even further back, to Ghandi.

These men both moved mountains, and changed centuries of social thinking and injustice, without firing a shot, and without denying, in reverse, any rights to the individuals whom they protested and fought so tirelessly against, for the denial of those same rights to themselves.

Of course, we SHOULD be outraged, that this kind of arrogance and bigotry is still so pervasive today. But that doesn’t mean we should, in turn, suspend all rightful laws, and dishonor our Constitution, merely because we feel that way, or to gain our revenge.

Today, laws and other “inconveniences” seem to just get in the way of instant reaction, instant thought and protest, and railing instantly against whatever injustice, perceived or actual, happens to rear its head, at any given moment.

We are constantly, and instantly, in an uncontrollable hurry, to see who can be outraged the most, and the loudest, and show the most righteous indignation.

Here’s another thought, …perhaps it’s the NBA’s constitution that needs to be looked at !!

You can kick someone out of a private club, for almost any reason, but not if it’s a public corporation.

And you can’t take away his business, nor his company, just because you don’t like him, or his outrageous views and personal thoughts, and because he’s not a member there, anymore.

If kicking him out of your club, means he loses that business and company, which he bought for the sole purpose of joining that club, …then maybe HE’S the one being discriminated against !

Food for thought, …as distasteful as that might be.

This slope, is much too slippery to even approach, …muchless go down.

But that’s where we are, …in today’s world.

The “Thought Police” rule.

The “Mob Mentality”, led by a ravenous, self-absorbed, 24 hour media, complete with pitchforks and torches, …trumps all law and reason today, and any attempt at common sense, or basic fairness.

Hmmm….. Does that sound familiar??

Can you say “Jim Crow” ? Or “Lynching” ??

Or “Hypocrite” ???

Rarely do I thump the Good Book, …but one well remembered verse, does the job nicely, and clearly here.

From John, quoting his spiritual mentor: “Let he who is without sin, …cast the first stone.”

Can I get a big Amen to that !

There are better ways, …and those ways usually are less vengeful, and demonstrate a more positive fairness, for everyone, …which is all we sought in the first place. 

And they still get the job done, …righteously, …in the end.

Joe Facinoli
--Joe can be reached at: joefacinoli@gmail.com
Intelligent Response Encouraged !!

© Copyright 2014, Joe Facinoli