Gilbert, Guns and Media Who Love Them
In our gun crazed nation, the national reaction to Gilbert Arenas' unquestionably stupid (and illegal) decision to store his guns in locker room reminds me a bit of when Martha Stewart got thrown in the clink for insider trading. Both Gil and Martha are guilty as charged. . . but neither are drivers of the disfunction.
I have already gone on at length about my frustration with the glee that the media pins the violent thug label on black athletes. But I must bring up again my distaste for the leeway the media takes with a story when it possible fits into the Black Crime narrative. Whatever Gil did, he and Crittedon DID NOT draw on one another in the Wizards locker room. That fake story has been reported and re-reported as fact well after if was clearly a New York Post pipe dream. It is still up as a link on ESPN. Disgusting.
Gun violence in the African American community is a serious and horrible problem. Having high profile athletes like Arenas blithely violating guns rules and laws deserves a significant action from the Wiz and the NBA.
Compare the amount of headline time the Arenas story gets to the micky-fricking Tea-baggers gun rallies, however, and media's emphasis on bad black ballplayers is revealed at the very least as a disproportionate reaction. A significant part of white conservative America has been stock piling weapons and ammo at a frightening pace, fueled by right wing scare tactics claiming that the boogie man Obama coming to get their guns. Much of the rhetoric of the gun totting right clearly borders on threats to the President. Where is the calls for censure of these maniacs? Unlike Arenas, they do not even claim to be joking.
posted by The Green at
10:50 AM
4 Comments:
I agree. This needs to be said. The media's rush to crucify the anti-role-model has a lot to do with race in too many cases. And the they've got a long track record, as you say. But I'm guessing a white athlete might've gotten similar treatment for similar actions here. Wish it woulda been Hawes instead.
I can't see anyone else playing it off in the same way as Gil, and that's one thing that makes people quick to judge. (I actually think the pow-pow antics in Philly were pretty funny. But it's not my money.)
Most of all, I think the race angle is compounded by the economics. A man has $111 million contract, so people expect him to be professional. And beyond the original incident, there is an unwritten rule that he must be contrite. I think the fact that a black athlete who makes more than any Red State's combined trailer park population could mess up like this and not seem sorry is what pisses people off the most. More than the fear of black men with guns, the thought of Gil laughing all the way to the bank is the most egregious sin.
Add the Wizards' failure to perform since his extension, and his fate may be sealed. If his contract is voided, it may not be the worst outcome for Wiz; but if he is banned, we all lose.
By
TVDave, at 11:06 AM
Actually, the more I think about it, the league's response to Hawes would probably have been the same. But you would've seen Teabaggers coming out of the woodworks to crow about the 2nd amendment. But Gil will get no such love, natch.
By
TVDave, at 11:16 AM
Wow! F-d up link to dem teabagging racists.
SCARY.
By
The Green, at 11:35 AM
Great post, Mike.
By
Ironwood Flash, at 9:49 PM
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