Donald Sterling – Pariah but not outlier

Pariah – Absolutely
Pig – Consummate
Deviation from the Norm – Unfortunately not

What pains me most about the ignorant, racist hate speech of LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling is that it’s being treated like an aberration.  The problem is that although, in 2014, his retrograde ignorance is in the minority opinion, it isn’t that small a minority.  The fact that the Supreme Court just rolled back decades of progress by enforcing the Michigan ban on affirmative action is evidence that the work of changing the mindset of our populace is far from over.

Here is a well written opinion on the subject

I would also like to see the discussion framed from the point of view that rich, white men still think they are free to exploit whoever, whenever and however.  Treat players/employees like they are property, check.  Treat women like they are property, check.  I’ve heard the term plantation mentality attributed to Sterling.  I think it is something deeper.  There is a segment of our nation that still believes it is operating above the rest of us.  They believe they are somehow better and can act with impunity.  In doing so, they prove themselves to be the opposite and that’s ironic.