That's pretty good point as well. I recall reading years ago that because of the Holocaust Germany suffered a "brain drain" that lasted for more than a few years since a lot of Jewish people in Germany who weren't killed fled to different countries. Probably not the effect that Hitler intended to have!
When I was 10, me and a girl(who happened to be white) were in a bad mood. It was so bad, I couldn't remember what it was all about. But we were feeling the need to act on our hatred of just about anything or anyone. We had no idea what it was. We were in detention and we were still carrying on, expressing our hatred for whatever. Our teacher named Ruth, sat down with us and told us a story about her grandfather. Her grandfather hated everything made in Germany. We asked why and she then went on to tell of how he had witnessed the atrocities done by the Nazis in Europe to the Jews and his family. Most of Ruth's family was killed by the Nazis. She didn't have many young cousins or aunts and uncles living because of someone's hatred and their willingness to act on it. At that moment, we learned exactly what hatred can do. The memory of what Ruth told us still remains in my mind and I could not forget it if I wanted to. I remember a chat with a man about the word hate. We talked about president George W. Bush and how some of his supporters would labeled anyone against him a "Bush Hater." I stated that people may not care for the president and his policies at the time, but they did not hate him. I didn't. I told him that hate is a very strong word and an even stronger emotion. If I hated someone, I would want that person dead. His family dead, Everything about him dead. But, if I feel this way,how do I know that someone isn't thinking the same of me?
His 'Final Solution' cost Germany it's scientific leadership in the world and the US and USSR built their scientific research programs around fugitives from Nazi terror. That's a powerful story. And an excellent point. I strive to keep that feeling out of me (not always successfully, but I feel like I have to at least try).
To hate is easy. It is empowering and motivational. But hatred can be blinding. I do not use hate in my feelings about people. I may hate what a person does but not the person. The person may or may not know what they are doing, but I am not judge, jury and executioner. I believe in kharma.
Hate is a weakness. But for those willing to act on it and carry it out, it is empowering to that person. This person is weak for giving in to that hate. Stupid because this person only sees what they want to see and nothing more. This person sees what he/she hates and acts on it because the action satisfies an individual need.
It can give you energy, but it is ultimately a negative energy. You have to wrestle with that urge to hate constantly.
It may give them a false sense of empowerment, but there's nothing truly empowering about it. It's self-destructive; not empowering. Exactly. There is nothing positive to be gained from hatred. It serves no useful purpose.
But it is totally natural and endemic to the human condition. Like the Dark Side of the Force - something you have to stay vigilant for and work hard against. I am susceptible to it too, especially when someone wrongs me. It's human.
It is human, but it's also a choice. Hating can be easy if you give yourself over to it, but those feelings can be overcome. In my past there were individuals I had strong hatred for, but I made the choice to forgive them (which I did more for myself) and stop giving them and the negative feelings I had for them power over me. I got to a point where hatred was no longer part of my nature.
The key is to recognize your feelings. People will do us wrong either directly or indirectly. We have the choice to let it go or let it fester like a splinter under the skin. When someone has wronged me, there was nothing I could do about it. But, I knew that that person won't do it a second time because lightning doesn't strike twice. Somewhere down the road, this person is going to need my help someday.
And it's a process that you have to work at. It takes conscious thought and energy to reprogram yourself. I imagine it's got to be hard. I struggle with this.
The sad part is that his political affiliation is really a non-issue, especially now that he's been banned for life. Conservative media outlets were so quick to try to push the "Democrat Sterling !!!111!!1!" narrative that they didn't do their research and, much like their initial praise of Cliven Bundy, it blew up in their faces. In any event, Sterling's a worthless sack of shit and I'm glad that he's gone. Bomani Jones (whom I normally don't care for) broke it down for errbody yesterday: [YOUTUBE]g6bLKe9-Mto[/YOUTUBE]
What's your take on the whole attempt to shift the discussion to violation of his 1st Amendment and property rights? I tried to explain to someone how this was neither and they couldn't (or wouldn't) get it.
He's not being incarcerated for what he said he's being bought out. His first amendment rights have nothing to do with a private corporate matter. Having an exposed racist would hurt the brand. I love how people shrug this shit off because it's race related, would they have the same reaction if he said women weren't shit and shouldn't be at games?
I agree with what TDK said. The First Amendment doesn't apply here because he isn't being punished by the government criminally (or even civilly) for anything that he's said. Plus, the government isn't depriving him of any property rights, the NBA is. Being voted out of the league is just one of the consequences of his actions.
