Lawmaker calls NBA soft on Crime

[BOTSLAYER]

Lawmaker catching heat for NBA tweet - ESPN


I feel like this is racist...and maybe we should revisit this little gem.


little gem

 

[JDM]

Who cares if they do drugs?

If the arrest rate is higher than the general population that may be a legitimate point.

 

[gordontrue]

Yeah, its racist. His statements weren't based out of facts or statistics, but out of his view of the NBA culture. His lame excuse that he was talking about the arrest rate doesn't work:

National arrest rate: 4.25%
Males between 20 and 34 arrest rate: 13.18%
NBA arrest rate: 1.92%
(Source)

His other excuse about the NBA's lenient drug policy is stupid, because it has nothing to do with street crime, as the average citizen's drug policy at work is even more lenient.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

The lawmaker is wrong with his assumptions, but it was not a racist statement. The fact is that crime runs in all types of careers. Accountants, actors in Hollywood, athletes, doctors, lawyers and etc all have their share of criminals. I think you're being overly sensative merely because the majority of the athletes in the NBA are black. It's not the NBA's responsibility, however to enforce the law. If they would pass better laws that put's professional athletes in jail instead of letting them loose merely because they play for the Miami Heat - then we would 't be having this discussion

 

[trojanfan12]

I'm not convinced that it was racist, but I am convinced it was stupid.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I'm not convinced that it was racist, but I am convinced it was stupid.

The NBA is not law enforcement - it's that simple. If the lawmaker wants to see less crime on the streets, then he should get off his ass and do something to help instead of blaming the NBA because he did a poor job in giving the law enforcement the tools to stop crime. I saw nothing racist about whatsover, but Bot was most likely drinking that Budweiser crap again instead of the good stuff

 

[True Lakers Fan]

By the way - I would also like to point out that the crime rate looks much higher in the mostly white NFL - so what's up with that?

 

[shitsho]

Residual bigotry is more like it. Anytime you start thinking crime because a league is mostly Black you can bet you are a bigot and most likely a racist.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Residual bigotry is more like it. Anytime you start thinking crime because a league is mostly Black you can bet you are a bigot and most likely a racist.

I didn't see it as racist or bigotry, but I am not sure what statistics he was looking at because the crime rate among players in the NFL has been considerably higher than the NBA. I think chances are pretty good he is a football fan more than he is a basketball fan and was looking for an opportunity to put them down. To me that makes him sound ignorant, but not necessarily racist. Bigoted is a much stronger possibility though as you pointed out already

 

[BOTSLAYER]

Ignorant and racist usually go hand in hand.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Ignorant and racist usually go hand in hand.

Racism never walks without Ignorance and fear, but you don't have to be racist to be ignorant. I see a lot of ignorance among those that are not racist

 

[starbigd]

I think it's racist......not overtly.....veiled.

The league is mostly black, that's no mystery. His comments aren't based on any facts or statistics.......he made an ASSUMPTION, and lets face it, he made that assumption BECAUSE most of the players are black.

He was smart about how he said it.......but it's back alley, too scared to say outright, what he wanted to say.

To me that makes him as big a racist as any sheet wearing klanman too scared to put it on in public.

 

[JDM]

By the way - I would also like to point out that the crime rate looks much higher in the mostly white NFL - so what's up with that?

 

[BOTSLAYER]

By the way - I would also like to point out that the crime rate looks much higher in the mostly white NFL - so what's up with that?

I meant to google this earlier but...

The Unofficial 2013 NFL Player Census

this one is dated but still interesting:

Considering the NFL in black and white numbers - JSOnline

 

[Flauge]

i think it is veiled racism. why did he pick the NBA? off all the sports, he chose the one that just so happened to be the most black dominant? And then tie that one to crime? Come on. Had he said the NFL, then i might agree with his idea of athletes and crime.. because at least the NFL has a crime issue higher than the US average. Basketball doesnt. he choose basketball because I believe his view of a criminal and an NBA player are pretty similar. i do work at a prison... at least here in florida.. there are alot of my fellow crackers in prison.

 

[trojanfan12]

I'm not convinced it's racism, veiled, residual or otherwise.


It's not as if the NBA doesn't have an image problem. Heck, the NBA admits that the NBA has an image problem. That's part of the reason they spend so much money promoting NBA cares and insist on players getting involved in charities.


So, it's not as if this guy is the only person who thinks the NBA has a bunch of thugs and criminals. Basically, this guy is an idiot politician who tweeted something stupid with no facts to back it up. That doesn't make him or his comment racist, it makes him a politician.

 

[starbigd]

I'm not convinced it's racism, veiled, residual or otherwise.


It's not as if the NBA doesn't have an image problem. Heck, the NBA admits that the NBA has an image problem. That's part of the reason they spend so much money promoting NBA cares and insist on players getting involved in charities.


So, it's not as if this guy is the only person who thinks the NBA has a bunch of thugs and criminals. Basically, this guy is an idiot politician who tweeted something stupid with no facts to back it up. That doesn't make him or his comment racist, it makes him a politician.

You just described damn near the definition of racism.

He is making an ASSUMPTION. Based on the RACE of the players. Not facts.

Not sure how you can miss this. It's very obvious, and clear.

 

[trojanfan12]

You just described damn near the definition of racism.

He is making an ASSUMPTION. Based on the RACE of the players. Not facts.

Not sure how you can miss this. It's very obvious, and clear.

At no point did he mention race. Also, he made an assumption that many, many people all over the world make. The NBA has an image problem that the NBA acknowledges exists, is trying to change and is aware that the image was caused by it's own players.

That's not racist, it's ignorant as to what the league is really like now compared to the past. People need to quit making everything about race. It's an insult to people who have been victims of real racism.

As much as I hate to say it, because I love the NBA. This is the image that many people have of NBA players:

 

[starbigd]

And that doesn't NOT make it RACIST

Once again......there is an ASSUMPTION being made that these black players are all would be criminals. That's OBVIOUS

It IS about race. The image problem doesn't exist if all these players are white!

 

[True Lakers Fan]

So now anytime someone criticizes the NBA - that means, they are racist now?