[Vision2020] Double Standard

[Sunil Ramalingam]

I wasn't there, and I don't know what Javon Butler did or did not do.  I 
wouldn't call for him to lose his scholarship based on this allegation, as 
you seem to be doing.

His choice of words, whatever they were, has nothing to do with the charge 
as far as I can tell.  He's not being prosecuted because of allegations 
regarding his speech, but rather alleged actions.

And I'm not about to make the claim that because African Americans use that 
word, I should be able to do so too.

Sunil


>From: "J Ford" <privatejf32 at hotmail.com>
>To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Double Standard
>Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 12:14:48 -0700
>
>Seems to me that's EXACTLY what others do when they call for the firing or
>worse of those that say something that either is perceived as being
>offensive or just simply a slip.  Either way, a double standard is being
>applied and I, for one, am sick of it.
>
>If "nigger" is just SO wrong, then everyone - EVERYONE - has stop using it.
>Period.  Otherwise, why not fire or get rid of those that use it and other
>terms just as perceived offensive?  Including Javon Butler who used it
>during his attack of two white men on a street, late at night, with 4 other
>thugs with little to nothing else to do?
>
>
>
>J  :]
>
>
>
>
>
> >From: "Sunil Ramalingam" <sunilramalingam at hotmail.com>
> >To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Double Standard
> >Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 07:07:16 -0700
> >
> >Seems to me that you are offended that people are not being punished 
>BEFORE
> >their guilt is determined.  I don't think anyone should necessarily be
> >thrown off the team before guilt is established; and I don't know why
> >someone should automatically lose his job if he is charged with something
> >unrelated to the job.
> >
> >If those steps are to be taken, they should happen later when all facts 
>are
> >known, not simply because someone is charged with a crime.
> >
> >Sunil
> >
> >
> > >From: "J Ford" <privatejf32 at hotmail.com>
> > >To: vision2020 at moscow.com
> > >Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Double Standard
> > >Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:24:49 -0700
> > >
> > >I have another question regarding this subject;
> > >
> > >We have three blacks/negros/"African Americans" who have been charged
> >with
> > >beating two white men; from what the paper said, the two whites were
> > >walking down the street when a car with *5* blacks/negros/"African
> > >Americans" drove up, three of the blacks/negros/"African Americans 
>jumped
> > >out and beat down the two whites, one of them landing in the hospital.
> >One
> > >of the blacks/negros/"African Americans" in the car was Javon Butler - 
>a
> > >University of Idaho student and Football Player!
> > >
> > >I have yet to hear a call for his being removed from the team, the 
>school
> > >or have his NCAA eligibility canceled.  Why is that?!  Granted his 
>trial
> >is
> > >another couple of weeks away - but that has little to do with the fact
> >that
> > >when a white is "accused" of a crime against a black (anyone remember 
>the
> > >incident in Florida last year?) the white guy(s) is instantly called 
>upon
> > >to quit, be fired, be dumped, etc.  Why is this NOT being done in this
> > >case?  And what about the other two with Butler, who have been charged 
>in
> > >this despicable crime?  Do they still have their jobs?  If so, why?  
>Why
> >is
> > >it they are not at least being "suspended" from their positions until
> > >things are resolved?
> > >
> > >As far as Javon Butler is concerned, he is living off of tax payer 
>money
> > >with scholarships and/or loans.  Seems to me, until this is resolved, 
>all
> > >that money should be stopped, just as Imus' pay and job were demanded 
>to
> >be
> > >stopped.  And once this thing with Butler and his pals IS settled, 
>seems
> >to
> > >me he and his compadrees should be making a PUBLIC apology to the two
> > >whites they jumped as well as the community they have offended.
> > >
> > >Any bets on the fact that that will NOT happen?
> > >
> > >J  :]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > >>That night, a local NAACP leader stopped by her house in Edenborn, 
>Pa.,
> > >>and persuaded her parents to let their daughter go before the school
> > >>board. She was embarrassed and scared. Then her father, Buddy Stoner, 
>a
> > >>coal miner, told her something that is just as powerful today.
> > >>
> > >>He said, "It might not be about you but about future generations of
> >young
> > >>women. If you don't stand up for something, you'll fall for anything."
> > >>
> > >>And his daughter became the first black cheerleader at her high 
>school.
> > >>
> > >>When Stringer's Rutgers players gathered in her office Monday, she
> >shared
> > >>the story with them. "The moral of Coach Stringer's story is that 
>don't
> > >>let anyone stop you," said junior guard Matee Ajavon, who emigrated 
>from
> > >>Liberia and was raised in Newark.
> > >>
> > >>"It was life-altering," Stringer said Tuesday of that incident more 
>than
> > >>40 years ago. The same could be said of the news conference in which
> > >>Stringer and her players talked publicly for the first time about the
> > >>controversy.
> > >>
> > >>They said they would meet with Imus privately next Tuesday.
> > >>
> > >>One by one, behind a curtained area a few feet from the court where 
>they
> > >>just completed their finest season, the Scarlet Knights introduced - 
>and
> > >>defined - themselves.
> > >>
> > >>"What hurts the most about this situation is Mr. Imus knows not one of
> >us
> > >>personally," sophomore guard Heather Zurich said. "These are my
> >teammates,
> > >>my family. We were insulted, and, yes, we are angry."
> > >>
> > >>When junior captain Essence Carson said in her opening statement that
> >Imus
> > >>has "stolen a moment of pure grace for us," she captured the essence 
>of
> > >>the hour-plus long news conference.
> > >>
> > >>"Less than 24 hours after they had accomplished so much . we had to
> > >>experience racist and sexist remarks that are deplorable, despicable 
>and
> > >>abominable and unconscionable," Stringer said.
> > >>
> > >>Stringer has endured much during her Hall of Fame career and 36 years 
>as
> >a
> > >>head coach. She was the first coach in men's or women's basketball to
> >take
> > >>three schools to the Final Four.
> > >>
> > >>During her first trip to the Final Four in 1982 with Cheyney, she
> >learned
> > >>her infant daughter, Nina, had spinal meningitis. "My heart has never
> >been
> > >>light in going to a Final Four," she said Tuesday.
> > >>
> > >>In her second trip with Iowa at the 1993 Final Four, she was grieving
> > >>after the death of her husband, Bill, to a heart attack. Her two trips
> >to
> > >>the Final Four with Rutgers in 2000 and 2007 have not been easy, 
>either.
> > >>
> > >>Few expected this season's team to contend for the title. With five
> > >>freshmen and no seniors, the Scarlet Knights started the season 2-4.
> >They
> > >>were a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, forced to beat Michigan 
>State
> >on
> > >>its home court in the second round and then upset No. 1 Duke, a team
> >they
> > >>had lost to by 40 points in early December. They got past loaded LSU 
>in
> > >>the national semifinal before losing to No. 1 Tennessee 59-46 last
> > >>Tuesday.
> > >>
> > >>Then came Imus' comments as they were unpacking their bags.
> > >>
> > >>Tuesday, hours after the news conference ended, after the national TV
> > >>networks finished their interviews, after Hillary Clinton called to 
>lend
> > >>her support, Stringer stood outside the locker room and talked about
> >being
> > >>16 and her first public battle with racism.
> > >>
> > >>"My father said to me, 'Vivian, you have to take a stand,' " Stringer
> > >>said. "That's why I told my team that story." Then, she smiled. Her 
>team
> > >>had done just that. They stood up.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>Rutgers women block Imus' shot with classy stand
> > >>
> > >>By Christine Brennan, USA TODAY
> > >>Most women can't dunk, so how do we explain what happened Tuesday to 
>Don
> > >>Imus at Rutgers?
> > >>How do we explain how 10 college women, none of them particularly
> > >>well-known nor even remotely as recognizable as the now-radioactively
> > >>infamous "I-Man," completely outclassed and outsmarted a man who has
> >spent
> > >>nearly 40 years in the public eye?
> > >>
> > >>How do we explain what these women did for themselves, for their team,
> >for
> > >>their school, for their sport and for the nation's perception of 
>female
> > >>athletes in the face of one of the most withering media firestorms any
> > >>athlete, male or female, pro or amateur, will ever have to face?
> > >>
> > >>As the Rutgers Scarlet Knights stepped to the microphone at their
> > >>nationally televised news conference, one by one, to introduce
> >themselves,
> > >>say a polite hello or answer a question - in complete, comprehensible
> > >>sentences, we might add, hardly typical jockspeak - Don Imus looked
> >worse
> > >>by the minute, didn't he?
> > >>
> > >>Just how out of touch is this man, to say the disgusting things he 
>said
> > >>about this group of young women, of all people - the young women we as 
>a
> > >>nation saw and were so impressed with on our TV screens all day?
> > >>
> > >>"These young ladies who sit before you are valedictorians of their
> > >>classes, future doctors, musical prodigies and, yes, even Girl 
>Scouts,"
> > >>Rutgers Coach C. Vivian Stringer said at the news conference, and she
> > >>wasn't kidding. One of them, team captain Essence Carson, is a music
> >major
> > >>who plays four instruments, which would be a news flash to Imus, who
> >last
> > >>week called Carson and her nine teammates "nappy-headed hos."
> > >>
> > >>"These young ladies are the best the nation has to offer," Stringer
> >said,
> > >>"and we are so very fortunate to have them here at Rutgers. They are
> > >>ladies of class and distinction; they are articulate, they are
> >brilliant.
> > >>They are God's representatives in every sense of the word."
> > >>
> > >>If Imus doesn't lose his job over his reprehensible comments, he 
>should
> >be
> > >>fired for being so clueless that he apparently has no idea what kind 
>of
> > >>women we as a nation are producing through competitive sports.
> > >>
> > >>"They are 18-, 19-, 20-year-old women who came here to get an 
>education
> > >>and reach their gifts for all to see," Stringer said. "These are young
> > >>women little girls look up to. . There is a bigger issue here, more 
>than
> > >>the basketball team. It's all women athletes, it's all women."
> > >>
> > >>When an issue like this explodes in our culture, the first outrage
> >usually
> > >>is racial, the second, gender-related. And so it is in this case. 
>First
> > >>came Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, weighing in loudly, metaphorically
> > >>shutting down the factory. Then came the women's voices, not quite so
> >full
> > >>of force. Their reaction appeared more muted because the mainstream
> >sports
> > >>media rarely pay as much attention to women's issues as they do to
> > >>African-American issues, at least in part because equality in women's
> > >>sports has been a national topic only since the passage of Title IX in
> > >>June 1972.
> > >>
> > >>In the Imus case, the racial component has helped give voice to the
> >gender
> > >>issue: The fact that the nation's No. 2 basketball team has been 
>treated
> > >>with such utter disregard by a national media powerhouse. Imus thrives
> >in
> > >>a male-dominated, trash-talking world, where it's often open season on
> > >>women. While Imus uttered repulsive words that others certainly would
> >not
> > >>use, let's not kid ourselves. On every college campus, there's a male
> > >>athlete or coach who under his breath has made fun of a female athlete
> >in
> > >>the last week or two, guaranteed.
> > >>
> > >>So how important was that appearance by the Rutgers team on all those
> > >>cable channels during the day, then leading the network news at night?
> > >>
> > >>"They spoke with such dignity, as the decent, respectable, upstanding
> > >>student-athletes they are," said Women's Sports Foundation President
> >Aimee
> > >>Mullins. "They showed the ability to be bigger than their attacker. 
>That
> > >>was so uplifting."
> > >>
> > >>There are steppingstones that link the short history of women's sports
> > >>after Title IX. There's Billie Jean King, the U.S. women stars of the
> > >>Olympics, the 1999 U.S. World Cup soccer team, the Williams sisters -
> >and
> > >>now this. A group of 10 female athletes, standing tall and proud, as 
>the
> > >>nation turns its head to look.
> > >>
> > >>A slam-dunk? On second thought, it was even better than that.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>----- Original Message -----
> > >>From: "Bev Bafus" <bevbafus at verizon.net>
> > >>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> > >>Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2007 5:40 PM
> > >>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Double Standard
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> >J and others...
> > >> >
> > >> > Ok, I'll bite on this one, and no, I'm not angry.  :)
> > >> >
> > >> > There is a double standard, but not necessarily just with blacks.
> > >> >
> > >> > What difference is there in name calling if someone of Asian decent
> >is
> > >> > called a "gook" or "chink", or a black is called "nigger"?
> > >> >
> > >> > We had a serious problem with this when my son was in school - he 
>was
> > >> > constantly called a "gook" with no consequences, but woe unto him 
>if
> >he
> > >> > called someone a "redneck", or used the word "retard".
> > >> >
> > >> > I have my prejudices...  which I must say are mostly cultural 
>rather
> > >>than
> > >> > racial, since we have a rainbow of skin colors in our family.
> > >> >
> > >> > However, the problem with labels and name calling is the intent
> >behind
> > >>them.
> > >> > It is just as hurtful to call someone "four eyes" or "lard butt" as
> >it
> > >>is to
> > >> > call attention negatively to their skin color.
> >
> >
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