Re: Other NBA discussion
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:02 am
Much of America's Heartland and South, and Texas, Florida and even parts of California are populated in or near big cities with more liberal/"not overtly conservative or bigoted" citizens. The suburbs and outskirts all the way to the rural and wide-open country spaces tend to harbor people who despise or are intimidated by the liberal, progressive and more diverse parts of their state. Having guns is a traditional cultural thing, like fixing up muscle cars, hunting or drinking beer with your buddies. After 8 years of Barack's liberal love-fest with much of the globe, pig-headed conservatives (who began bashing him the instant he was elected) couldn't take any more Democratic rule and basically backlashed at the polls in the tens of millions. Pretty crazy country that can go from Barack to The Donald so suddenly. Most liberals - even the ones who didn't care for Hilary - believed there was no way a guy like Agent Orange could ever become President. But here we are.
As for the mass gun violence, we've been dealing with it for generations but the weapons and the perpetrators are getting harder to stop. That being said, I have just as much of an issue with black men in Chicago, LA and Oakland murdering each other as I do with white guys flipping out on some bigoted/anti-social shit and gunning down masses of people. It's all senseless. For Kerr and Popovich - two white men who have spent nearly their entire lives working with black men - the perspective on what our government is and is not doing to take steps against all of this must be starkly different than the average American. Having said THAT . . there are literally billions of dollars being paid to these athletes and coaches, and while many of them financially support charities and have their own community organizations, I am one of many who feel that their socio-cultural influence and outrageous incomes could be used in a much better way.
Michael Jordan has been roundly criticized in the African-American community for his relative lack of vocal and financial support where it is needed, while he makes billions off of his shoes - largely bought by that same community. I guess you can separate our America into those who want things to stay the same and those who desperately want to see change. And the fence-sitters
As for the mass gun violence, we've been dealing with it for generations but the weapons and the perpetrators are getting harder to stop. That being said, I have just as much of an issue with black men in Chicago, LA and Oakland murdering each other as I do with white guys flipping out on some bigoted/anti-social shit and gunning down masses of people. It's all senseless. For Kerr and Popovich - two white men who have spent nearly their entire lives working with black men - the perspective on what our government is and is not doing to take steps against all of this must be starkly different than the average American. Having said THAT . . there are literally billions of dollars being paid to these athletes and coaches, and while many of them financially support charities and have their own community organizations, I am one of many who feel that their socio-cultural influence and outrageous incomes could be used in a much better way.
Michael Jordan has been roundly criticized in the African-American community for his relative lack of vocal and financial support where it is needed, while he makes billions off of his shoes - largely bought by that same community. I guess you can separate our America into those who want things to stay the same and those who desperately want to see change. And the fence-sitters