re: Am I a racist to think that Sterling's comments weren't that bad?

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Especially not to the extent of the NBA, commissioner's response as well as rapid advertiser dropping. Was it okay? Nah, but it was mild enough considering he was up for an NAACP lifetime achievement award to wonder if maybe there was some other meaning to it that was badly phrased in private conversation. I swear, the outroar from fans, players, and officials is like he was recorded referring to his own team players as "fricking illiterate n*****s."

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That's actually an interesting question. I'm of the mind that our respective reactions to a given event or occurrence can to a large degree be influenced by familiarity and/or conditioning. Sterlings comments are probably not especially surprising or appalling to you because that way of thinking is something with which you're terribly familiar--either by association or personal sympathy. It makes it all the more amusing when so many on this board poopoo any mention of lingering racism in this country (except for racist blacks like Obama, Holder, Spike Lee, etc), then barely bat an eye when it's shoved front and center. It's quite a game of mental gymnastics and (predictably) goes something like this:
1. Alleged racial incident occurs
2. Board rallies to explain that it's not actually racist.
3. Once #2 fails, board regroups to argue that it isn't really that bad, says America's pussified, and blames the "PC police" for ruining all of our fun.
4. Concurrent with #3, board digs up every unflattering quote that some random black guy has said about whites, gays, or whomever and collectively whines to one another about how someone black would have gotten away with this controversy as well.

Rinse. Repeat.

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And I honestly don't think he is just a racist, I think he is an elitist.

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I'm not trying to take the racist element out of what he said, but I think this hits it on the head. To him, these NBA players are his underlings that he throws money at to entertain his audience. They all have money, but to him, they are still street trash. There was definitely racism in the way that he told her, but I don't think that he just didn't want her to be with them because they were black, it's because he didn't want her associating with that element in general.

To the NBA, that attitude being within the organization can be a disaster. The NBA is more than a sports league, it's a culture. They realize it and it's their money maker. I'm not surprised they did this. I don't think it's right that an organization can have that much control, but it doesn't surprise me.

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Am I a racist to think that Sterling's comments weren't that bad?

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Naw, I've heard worse from the AA at work. The again that's not racists.

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and this board & the conservatives on it aren't?

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I've personally witnessed occasions when racially themed threads made up 1/4 to 1/2 of the topics on the front page. Tough to tell if these guys are more personally deluded or just plain dishonest.

I think there was such a huge reaction because of the many times the media tries to make race issues out of nothing.

The media often tries to provoke outrage over things that MIGHT kinda sound a little racist if you interpret things that way. And they succeed in getting people outraged with this "gotcha" game.

So in the Donald Sterling case, where he said something blatantly racist, people and the media had to take their outrage to a whole new level.

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I've personally witnessed occasions when racially themed threads made up 1/4 to 1/2 of the topics on the front page. Tough to tell if these guys are more personally deluded or just plain dishonest.

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And half those threads were started by Rex or Tuba just race-baiting

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1. Alleged racial incident occurs
2. Board rallies to explain that it's not actually racist.
3. Once #2 fails, board regroups to argue that it isn't really that bad, says America's pussified, and blames the "PC police" for ruining all of our fun.
3. Concurrent with #2, board digs up every unflattering quote that some random black guy has said about whites, gays, or whomever and collectively whines to one another about how someone black would have gotten away with this controversy as well.

Rinse. Repeat.

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Good thing this board is not a good indicator of how most level headed americans think either Liberal or Conservative.

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It's an intellectual endeavor analyze whether or not the national reaction is appropriate or has gone too far.

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How does one quantify if a non-violent public outcry has gone too far? I'm actually curious. What would the appropriate response have been in your mind. You must have an idea what such a response should look like if you're able to assess that what we're witnessing is beyond that threshold. Besides, if the internet is any indication (and I consider it a much more unvarnished window into American attitudes), Sterling has his share of defenders.

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Would you be OK with killing him?

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He hasn't committed a crime. Why would I want to see him legally sanctioned at all--let alone killed by the state.

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Does the very question make us racist in your mind?

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No, but I'm confident that many of you will always find yourselves on the wrong side of these issues, which is why you pose all of these roundabout questions instead of simply dropping your sack and saying that you simply don't think racism is a big deal, or black mark on our national character, or anything especially shameful.

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The truth is, black people say worse things about other black people. If you've grown up with black people,

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Black people don't want Magic Johnson at their basketball games or in harmless instagram photos with their GFs? I hate ghetto people as much as any card carrying member of the KKK, but Magic seems okay.