“There is nothing more painful to me … than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, then look around and see somebody white and feel relieved.” -Jessie Jackson
Im sorry but I dont go on the other side of the street for anybody white black shaved head or any of that garbage. Cuban is nothing but another rich person out of touch with reality and only concerned about covering his own behind. What he said was ignorant plain and simple. He's the one who singled out pieces of clothing that makes him want to wet the bed. I dont care if its late at night or the middle of the day, the time we live in if someone wants to get you, they're going to come after you. I've lived and walked through and worked with and seen all of those kinds of things and not once did I think im going to run to not be near any of them. He's probably been running from the very thing that could actually teach him something he doesn't know jack about. That's the problem, he's getting too old to be this ignorant because he knows better. Throwing out generalizations and wild claims about someone who cut their hair. Last I checked hair and clothes don't make up your character and how you treat people. Just say what it was, it was ignorant..and I dont think in my head that someone is a thug just because they have on a hoodie, case in point that picture.... this is nothing but pure ignorance and its a shame.
What's more likely to happen? You get killed by a serial killer in a business suit walking down the street or you get mugged by a guy in a hoodie? I wonder...
Actually the local propaganda is the world is a horrible place but . . i'd say 90~99% of the population goes through the day without any real danger beyond some A-hole driving wrecklessly in the WHOLE USA . . how many murders do you think there are a day? Robberies? Assaults? Let's say . . hhhmmm. . . 10000 total out of 300+ Million. Scare people are better consumers. . . so this country tries to make people as scared as possible at all times Rocket River
Absolutely true. It's like I tell my coworker that carries a gun every day to protect against someone trying to killer her. She's middle class and doesn't do drugs; she's already got the best defense against being killed in gun violence in America.
Well put, all around. Cuban didn't express anything outside of the obvious. Cuban tried to engage in a nuanced point, and the hoodie and tattoo imagery is a bit of a tangent and conflated race with other social cues. All in all, the "everybody is racist" meme appears to be leveraged to just eschew a deeper discussion on discrimination. Racism plays out as both a class and race issue and not all expressions of racism are equal. In Donald Sterling, we have a guy who doesn't just say racist/insensitive things, he actually puts action behind his racist thoughts and words AND he has the power to enforce his bigotry. I don't care if Sterling/Cuban/whoever crosses the street when he sees someone of a different skin color cross the street, but it does matter if that person likewise denies employment, restricts employment, denies or restricts housing or business dealings based on their prejudices. And taking the attitude that "oh, its cool" or "everybody feels this way" is an unfairness projected on everyone, including people who don't feel that way about race as well as people whose lives are deeply affected by racism in housing and employment. The "oh, well. It's nature." argument just seems a convenient position for someone for whom racism isn't a real obstacle to deal with. Cuban doesn't have to concern himself with someone viewing him or treating him as per Cuban's own prejudices. And it should be appreciated that Cuban was trying to condemn racism while confronting his own fear and stereotyping.
You may not go to the other side of the street, but I'm sure you are aware of your surroundings. You can't just be like "Oh, nice swatsik tat he has on his head" and just keep walking without thinking , "i hope this guy doesn't want trouble". If you say that you don't stereotype people you are full of it, because it's natural and we all do it. I don't think that someone with a hoodie is a thug either, and neither does Cuban, but I will definitely watch my ass and be more careful than if it was an old lady walking by me in the middle of the night. So let's just call it what it is.. not ignorant, but being true and careful , because honestly buddy, we live in a bad bad America, where innocent people are killed and mugged daily.
you misunderstood my point. DON'T SAY ANYTHING!!! You're a business man and team owner. keep your public comments/interviews to that. The media is just waiting for the next victim so they can sink they're claws and teeth into. Not smart. Now on the other hand. Am I not giving Cuban enough credit here and dude just setup a honeypot. Were his comments so calculated and delivered on purpose because he's daring the NBA to come after him while at the same time pushing his agenda that sterling should not be forced to sell. Hmmm.... Maybe Cuban is smarter than everyone after all. Adam Silver, Your move. And it's Chess not Checkers. Regards, Mark Cuban
there's murder everyday in houston, and plenty of murders throughout USA that doesn't get reported. Of course the % of being murdered to being alive won't be high at all, but this is besides the point. we all have some type of bias and type of prejudice like how dallas ****ing sucks. it's just all how we handle it, which is what Cuban is saying. You might not be worried about someone having their hood on walking at night, but Cuban is worried. And as long as Cuban isn't acting out on his action and would avoid the situation altogether, there is nothing wrong with that. People making a big deal out of 1 line he said overblown what he meant and it's pretty ridiculous.
i don't really see anybody making a big deal out of it. just having a discussion about what he said. nobody is calling for the pitchforks and for him to sell his team like sterling.
he's a smart man, he said it for a reason. In his original argument with saying how the NBA taking Sterling's franchise away is a slippery slope. It's not that he wants to protect sterling's franchise, but he wants to protect his own. He doesn't want someone to come out and somehow have a recording of him saying some dumb stuff and his team is taken away. He wants some kind of check and balance, where his team isn't being taken away so easily with some type of mistake he might possibly done or might do.
you must not be on twitter calling him a racist bigot and a bunch of other nasty stuff, although he does have a lot of support also
i see people call lebron the n word on twitter all the time. lots of dumb people are twitter and social media in geeral.
There are a lot of people in this thread who I think are distorting or confused on what Cuban said. Firstly, he didn't say that everyone has his prejudice. He said "We are all are prejudiced in one way or the other." That is absolute fact, and it is not a rationalization or excuse making. The point he's making is we need to continue to progress and be vigilant about what our prejudices are as a society, and also be real about the fact that prejudices are out there. Secondly, the quote in the OP is actually a misquote: "If I see a black kid in a hoodie, and its late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street ..." "Late at night" is kind of key here. Presumably there aren't a lot of people around late at night, and chance of an attack is higher. Even if you know there is small chance that another person crossing your path is in reality a threat, it is totally natural in that setting to feel a little anxious. And I certainly see nothing wrong in choosing to keep at a distance. That said, its a prejudice, and its good he sees it as such. He'll be hopefully more conscientious about not allowing his prejudice/bias to turn into something discriminatory.
It really is overblown....think most would agree (not all) that Cuban, being in the position he's in probably could have kept that to himself. He said what he said....I'm not offended. In my eyes.....honesty, he's just a wuss but there was nothing wrong in my own opinion what he said. I don't think all black people in hoodies are dangerous...Hoodies aren't worn to "look" hard. All Mexicans aren't illegals and not all White people are crooked devils and racist. Stereotyping is the real issue with America....not racism. We ALL stereotype way too much when we work with each other every single day with no issues. The media will never tell happy stories....it's their jobs to cause panic and fear so we will tune in. There is profit in fear. Of course there is danger in the world, but the stereotyping is way out of control. This really is a non issue....Cuban has a right to cross the d@nm street, just know if you continue with your "opinions" about stereotyping, it could back fire on his team. Free agents are free to go where they want you know; I don't think he is but I wouldn't play that chord while the music is still playing if you catch my drift.
So did Jeremy Lin being asian have something to do with him not getting any D1 scholarships after winning Cali state player of the year? Correlation =/= Causation? Or do unfavorable stereotypes only exist for black people?
You know some people look up to the guy, right? As a role model? Besides, he's REALLY going to make these comments when the Sterling stuff is still fresh on everyone's minds? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...lks-about-donald-sterling-his-own-prejudices/ Cuban is calling Sterling stupid, but is pretty much identifying himself in the same vein as Sterling. You've already got Silver banning Sterling, and LeBron calling for action to be taken. These are two of the most important basketball figures in the world. How soon before players on the Mavs express disdain in playing for Cuban? It's in Cuban's nature to be outspoken. Love him or hate him, for that. But this is a particular issue that words should be carefully thought of, before being said. Criticize officiating? Sure, I'll pay my fine of X money. I'm a billionaire, after all! Openly identify yourself as a bigot? Nah, breh. That should be a no-no.
