Tiger Woods lynching comments

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

Well I am Black and I find it offensive but not to the point of where she should lose her job, but ONLY for the fact that they were friends prior to this incident which leads me to believe that she probably didn't mean it in the way that everyone is thinking she did. It'd be different if she was just some random woman and she didn't know him and was saying "lynch him". She's known the guy for 12 years! This was no personal attack or no racist comment, I think she meant "string him up" and what came out was lynch. Whoops!

She called the guy up and apologized to him and Woods released a statement saying that he didn't really care about what she said. And that should be it. There shouldn't be a huge uproar about it. As long as she goes to him and apologizes and he accepts it or shrugs it off and says "whatever we're still cool" that should be THE END. Theres no point in dragging this out and making some big social controversy out of it.

But do you take offense to it from a racial standpoint or from the standpoint that it's basically an absurdly violent image to communicate a message about golf?

If, and I'm saying if the instant reaction (as it appears in Sharpton's case) is to assume it's racially motivated and respond as such, it seems a bit "unfair" to the untold numbers of people of some color other than black who have undoubtedly been the victims of lynch mobs. Blacks simply are not the only people to have been victimized at the hands of lynch mobs or cruelly enslaved or discriminated against. That doesn't denigrate any of the suffering, but I think a broader historical perspective can be very helpful.

I guess to me it'd be more equitable to take offense (if offense has to be taken in the first place) because it's violent in general for no apparent purpose, rather than because it may or may not be racially motivated.

To me I rank the woman's comments as a poorly worded attempt at humor and a backhanded compliment. It would be along the lines me complaining that my wife is bugging me to take out the trash and a friend suggesting that I take her out back and beat her. Yeah, it wasn't meant seriously and no offense was intended, but it was in poor taste and could've been worded better. It's offensive and poorly thought out, but at what point do you just let it roll off your back?

To me it's hardly worth being fired over and having Al Sharpton release the legal hounds.

[DynamiteRave]

Well honestly I take it offensive racially. But I guess that's because all thats been shoveled into my head is images of Blacks being lynched by Whites and I think you said something like that in your statement.

[FRPLG]

She used the wrong word. That's it. She wasn't using an illustrative word to describe what white people would have to do to Tiger to beat him in golf. She meant that people in general would most likely have to physically impair him. The use of the word lynch was simply an unfortunate choice. The question I get out of this is why does one race get to decide that a certain word/term/phrase is offensive to their race? Did black people get lynched un the south? Yeah. More were simply killed by other means yet for some reason kill is not on the "banned" list. This is so utterly ridiculous.

I think if she had said something about blowing his brains out in an alley, it would be criticized but she wouldn't lose her job for it.

I doubt anyone would have batted an eye if she simply used a different word or phrase honestly. It is what makes this so damn stupid.

I know we still have a lot of racist problems in this country but one of the biggest problems is that the Black Community has such total retards like Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton as their leaders.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

Well honestly I take it offensive racially. But I guess that's because all thats been shoveled into my head is images of Blacks being lynched by Whites and I think you said something like that in your statement.

Why is it offensive? Doesn't intent matter at all? She clearly did not mean it in the way some would like to portray. I know you know that. So I don't get why it is offensive. Shouldn't the offensive remark have been meant in a disparaging or ignorant way at least?

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Why is it offensive? Doesn't intent matter at all? She clearly did not mean it in the way some would like to portray. I know you know that. So I don't get why it is offensive. Shouldn't the offensive remark have been meant in a disparaging or ignorant way at least?

Well as a knee-jerk reaction I take it offensively. But I mean seeing as how they're close friends and such I don't and she apologized to him personally. I know she didn't mean it maliciously and that means a lot in my not taking offense to it as well. I said if she was just some random woman and he had no idea who she was, then I would be a little more offended.

[RobH4413]

I think it was a terrible terrible choice of words... and she should absolutely be held accountable.

With that being said... 2 weeks should def. get her to critique her choice of words. Unless there is prior history, for a first "accidental" offense, this seems just. Something else happens down the road... then the axe most certainly will fall.

As far as Sharpton goes... I've spoken with many Black Americans who are angered that he feels the need to represent the black community. I tend to think it would irk me as well.

He's generally over zealous and an insult to many legitimate civil rights activists. Many times it seems he's out for personal prosperity, and doesn't speak legitimately for a very legitimate cause. Just my .02

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

Well as a knee-jerk reaction I take it offensively. But I mean seeing as how they're close friends and such I don't and she apologized to him personally. I know she didn't mean it maliciously and that means a lot in my not taking offense to it as well. I said if she was just some random woman and he had no idea who she was, then I would be a little more offended.

Gotcha.

[onlydarksets]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

Well as a knee-jerk reaction I take it offensively. But I mean seeing as how they're close friends and such I don't and she apologized to him personally. I know she didn't mean it maliciously and that means a lot in my not taking offense to it as well. I said if she was just some random woman and he had no idea who she was, then I would be a little more offended.

Al Sharpton = kneejerk

Frankly, I agree with you. Unless any of us are black and are 50-70 years old, we can't really appreciate the implications and the memories that are evoked when a white person says "lynch a black man". That is the kneejerk part, and, frankly, is something that will probably take another generation to address (a combination of the progress that's been made over the last 50 years and "time heals wounds", sort of thing).

That said, after the kneejerk reaction, you have to look at context. There is nothing in this situation that merits a suspension. Al Sharpton is notorious for dogpiling, and this is just another case of that. He really has no credibility, but he has clout, which enables him to pull crap like this.

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by mheisig

Sometimes this society is just too damn sensitive.

Totally.

People seem to look for reasons to be pissed off about something. I really am amused every time I hear the phrase "dude disrepected me" (or another equivalent). If we expended the same energy in tolerance that we do trying to make more problems, we would have............no more problems.
Why fix anything when we can just lawyer up and bring it?????

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

I dunno. I'm kinda in the same boat as my best friend. I just see people as people. I just wish one day society could do the same thing.

Words to live by..............

[onlydarksets]

Originally Posted by Hog1

Why fix anything when we can just lawyer up and bring it?????

Why's it gotta be a lawyer-thing?

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by onlydarksets

Why's it gotta be a lawyer-thing?

Take it Easy..........don't make me pull out my mouthpiece and sue you.

[mheisig]

Originally Posted by onlydarksets

Why's it gotta be a lawyer-thing?

Speaking of being overly-sensitive

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by Gmanc711

Basically the compliment came because they were saying that no one could beat Tiger and Nick Faldo said something along the lines of well maybe they need to all gang up on him and she said "lynch him in a back alley", basically saying thats the only way you can beat Tiger....

I mean I dont know who is/isnt African American on this website, but I'd really like to know if stuff like this is offensive to them. I just find that its insane that with all the crime going on in the world, this is what Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are worried about.

I'm black and I found it VERY offensive. I took an African American studies class in college a long time ago. There were so many hate/lynching crimes that went unpunished that it's not even funny. Stuff that never ever made it to the headlines that I learned about. However I don't see the need for Al Sharpton to get involved and I don't think she should lose her job. The Golf Channel did the right thing. Sometimes people say stupid shit without thinking. She should know better.

However, here is my problem with what she said. Would Kelly T. have used those words if she was talking about Ernie Els, Phil Mickleson or Jim Furyk? I don't know. If I had to bet on it she probably would not have used that word if she was talking about a white person.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

However, here is my problem with what she said. Would Kelly T. have used those words if she was talking about Ernie Els, Phil Mickleson or Jim Furyk? I don't know. If I had to bet on it she probably would not have used that word if she was talking about a white person.

See I disagree. I don't think she used the word lynch with any thought. I think it was just the first word meaning "do harm" that came to mind. I seriously doubt that she thought of an image of Tiger hanging from a tree when she said it. And I think she would have said the same thing whether he was black or white. The only people making this about his race are pople from his race.