A tape full of anachronistic prejudices, inferiority complex and old narrative was all it took for Donald Sterling to fall into the vortex of yet another high profile case of America's self evaluation. Under reasonable expectation of privacy (he thought he was confiding with his mistress over the phone), the NBA tycoon candidly put forth his list of grievances not knowing that some time later every household in the country would learn of his angst. The unusual dialogue caused outrage; genuine in most quarters, convenient in some others. We do not know how long this conversation is, but from what we heard the following recap seems to be fair:
1- Sterling was annoyed after receiving phone calls from some friends or acquaintances calling his attention to his paramour's "suggestive" pictures in Instagram.
2- The photographs showed her with show biz and NBA stars, mostly African Americans.
3- He told her she could even have sex with them as long as she didn't make a big fuzz about it.
4- He urged her not to bring her black friends to the games (most likely meaning the Clippers' games) because they (her friends) were an embarrassment.
5- He specifically complained about her picture with Magic Johnson and went on to admit that he respected the former player's accomplishments, but it was still reason for some people to call him (Sterling).
6- Probably in the most bizarre statement of the tape he said he did not discriminate against minorities, that he got them food, clothes, nice houses and cars. A clear example of plantation mentality.
In two days, NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, aired his heavy handed decision: Sterling was banned for life from all NBA events and steps would be taken to press Sterling to sell the Clippers. The president was happy, most of us were thrilled to see such a swift response in a country where usually things, let alone decisions, take months and years. Most people went to bed that night feeling a little better with themselves. But I was not happy and I felt another attack of fear for America and the future of its freedom. In my judgement Mr. Silver's decision was mere pandering. As a black Hispanic (subject to discrimination from two different sides) I dream of a world where race, gender, age and other factors are not an issue and cannot be used by some people to discriminate against "the other"; however, I nurture a distinct sense of suspicion when institutions act hastily and people cry for blood. There must be something wrong if it takes us 25 years to execute a convicted murderer and a businessman can be stripped of his life's achievement in 48 hours.
1- Sterling remarks, disturbing as they are, were made in private and not in a press conference or in a gathering with close friends. What a person says in his living room is protected by our country's sacrosanct right to privacy and freedom.
2- The tone of Vanessa Perez, the real name of his former mistress, is evidently luring and deceiving. I immediately thought of a set up when I heard her responses.
3- Never, at least in the segments of recording made public, does he use the n word.
4- Donald Sterling is 80 years old and his prejudices are no different from those of many Americans (blacks, whites, Asians, Hispanics, etc.) his age
5- Most of us still have homophobic prejudices and should therefore be crucified if our private conversations became public. I have heard many blacks and Hispanics use the word "fagget" and none of them has been forced to sell his or her business.
6- Salivating on Sterling's demise could open the door for a dangerous trend in America, that of invading the citizen's privacy.
7- I do not believe a person can be banned in this country from attending a public event.
8- Sterling mentioned phone calls, some people were calling him about Vanessa's pictures; who are those people? are they by any chance part of the NBA organization?. If so, would't they be as racists as him?
9- All sorts of previous episodes have now emerged depicting Sterling as an inveterate racist; why then did the NBA wait so long to act? would they then have allowed a racist to own a team had this tape never been made public?
10- If the old man was so racist, why did he receive an NAACP award in the past and was about to be given yet another one?; why did the NAACP head of the LA chapter resign so abruptly?
11- How, for all things holly, could the NAACP give an award to this "monster" in 2009, the very same year he was forced to pay $2.73 million dollars to settle a lawsuit for refusing to rent his apartments to minorities in Korea Town?. Is Leon Jenkins (the disgraced NAACP charter head) one of those few rotten apples in the African American community that hinder its people's full access to the American dream? Why do we learn only now that Mr Jenkins has a long history of corruption and had even been disbarred?
12- Who is worse, a racist old man or his minority mistress who has no problem sleeping with him and only remembers her ethnic roots when the money runs out?
In a different situation Mr Sterling once said he had never purchased anything he was not willing to keep for life and it is rumored that he may file an injunction to challenge the NBA's decision. Moreover, being California a community property state, the estranged Mrs. Sterling could file for divorce and delay the sale of the team for years. This mess is far from over and its only positive outcome is the unanimous condemnation that the racist remarks generated; for once, we seem to be united in something although some may have devious motives
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