Most of you know the story by now.

Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA, was taped by his girlfriend making blatantly racist remarks.

She leaked them to TMZ, for a price I'm sure, and then all hell broke loose.

Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, has banned Sterling from the NBA for life and fined him the maximum allowed, 2.5 million dollars.

The NBA team owners are expected to vote to back the commissioner and pressure Sterling to sell the Clippers. Most of them have already said they will.

Let's be clear about this; this is not a First Amendment or free speech question. If the government was punishing Sterling for what he said then it certainly would be.

And if it was the government punishing him, then the United States would have completely lost its way. No sir. I detest what he said, but he has every right to say it.

The question in this case is rather: Does an organization have a right to separate itself from someone who, by their actions or words, damages their brand? And the answer is an emphatic yes. And they don't have to play by "innocent until proven guilty" rules either. This is not a court of law.

As a matter of fact, a business or an organization has a duty to protect its brand.

Sterling's racism itself is bad enough. But the NBA is made up of 80% black ball players. It's incredibly popular with all of America, including, and very importantly, black America.

Silver had to make the strongest possible repudiation of this man and his incendiary words. It seems he succeeded in protecting the league's reputation in the eyes of the offended...black America.

Most black leaders, in basketball and out, fully support Silver's actions. All they're waiting for now is a timetable. I would assume that will be coming shortly.

One more thing: It's clear we still have racial divides in America. But let's not injure ourselves with overreaction whiplash.

Sterling's garbage doesn't mean we haven't made progress as a nation in race relations and it doesn't make the progress we've made pointless.

It's still true that there is a black man in the White House and that a lot of white people voted to put him there. Like or hate his politics, the fact is just twenty years ago a black man in the White House was a pipe dream.

So let's be clear, every wealthy white man is not made of the stuff of Donald Sterling. He's cut out of his own stone. Remember, Sterling has displayed his racism before, this time it was just more blatant and the NBA finally decided to act.

Consider too that black America is not guiltless in this. Despite his past racist tones and questionable housing practices (allegedly denying housing to minority families), the NAACP was about to award Sterling with a second lifetime achievement award.

You see, he's been a big donor to them-which is a great way for a racist to cover his tracks (Al Capone opened soup kitchens in Chicago, after all, and was heralded by many as a 1920s Robin Hood. Sterling is no Capone, but you get the point).

The NAACP played along and was blinded by the money it seems to me, helping to enable his ignorance. They have of course now rescinded this honor.

So condemn Sterling. And NBA, protect your brand. But let's not hurt ourselves over this. No case of whiplash here.

Sincerely,  

Doug

Doug Cartland, President
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