To those saying that this is an issue of private censorship and within one's rights, I agree but with a caveat.

To those saying that this is trivial, I strongly disagree.

My point is that we have reached a point where if a person is labeled a racist, a term used as a cudgel with impunity by the Ruling Class, then that person is deemed by society no longer worthy of the right to property.
To the point of millions of dollars.

This is no longer censorship or boycott, this is distopia, this is fascism.

I apologize for quoting myself, but:

Survivors old look on in fear
at what they see once more:
a Ruling Class that's risen up
and what each held in store.
With ev'ry demagogic word
they think, “How long before
the ‘useful’ smash the windows in,
paint ‘TEABAG!’ on the door?”
Political sticks, rhetorical stones -
this “Scorched Earth” that's the new “New Tone”
is how each gulag gate is grown -
political sticks, rhetorical stones.

Another way to put it might be:
First they came for the racists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a racist.

Crazy shit for sure. I hope the guy sues his ex gf for releasing a privately recorded conversation without both peoples consent.
What this loss of privacy must do to anyone considering a divorce, get them to say something, and then use the recording for vengeance. Not a good trend in our society.

The basic political principle of the Objectivist ethics is: No man - or group of men may initiate the use of physical force against others ---Ayn Rand
Only government has the power of censorship.---Ayn Rand
I can only hope that Mr. Sterling pulls an Ellis Wyatt.

Having a mistress while being married, and asking your mistress to record your ranting, which she then publishes so your wife, who is in the middle of divorce proceedings with you, is stupid. Irony is a well-machined piece of iron called a two-edged sword.

And I thought the only "Iron"y was what I machined!!!!!! Thanks Eud.

"Bog off, you tosser!" Lol. One if the best lines I've clapped eyes on in a while.
So big brother's, or in this case, sistah's, recording was the thing that should give us all chills. No privacy. Zilch. This is dystopian in the extreme. I cannot imagine doing this to anybody. Especially not to my husband. What we express to each other in private remains so. Private. What a deceitful thing to do. Even if Stirling is a horse's ass.

In a land where all individuals are recognized by the government and by consent of the governed as being endowed with equal rights, Mr Sterling could think whatever he wants without fear of prosecution but as soon as those thoughts convert to actions that harm or infringe on the equal rights of another, he may be rightfully punished at a level equal to the harm done. If his thoughts become known but no harm shown, he can still be indirectly punished through the free market where potential buyers can refuse to buy his product and thus vote/punish with their dollars. That is justice in the land of equal rights.

This one is tough because of public perception. Yes this jerk is probably a 1st class racist. But as a citizen of the USA he is entitled to the same protections as everyone else. I'm not a legal-eagle, but it seems as if the by-laws of the NBA violate a number of constitutional amendments not to mention the body of the constitution.
Just a silly thought, but will there be someone standing guard at his house to keep him from viewing the Clipper's games on TV?

yeah . . . and when Magic Johnson makes some comment to HIS mistress about what a dumb honkie Sterling is, will Magic have the team taken away from him and have to pay a $2.5M fine. HIGHLY unlikely!!

My take: yes, the guy is a racist bigot, but that's his right. Don't want to work for him - play for another team. Don't want to support his comments - don't watch them play. Put your wallet where your ideals are.

I don't think its appropriate or just to censor anyone - no matter how stupid or illogical they may be. Let their arguments and their actions be the merits by which you choose to associate yourself with them - or not.

The part about this that gets me is that blacks are allowed to call each other derogatory terms like nigger, etc., but yet they deny anyone else the same privilege unless you have dark skin. Is that not in and of itself racist - not to mention hypocritical?

This is no different than the NFL refusing to allow Rush Limbaugh to buy ownership in an NFL franchise. It's reprehensible censorship.

Confusing chain... Magic Johnson is in the middle of it, then Kevin Johnson (mayor of Sacrademento) is asked by the NBA union to step in... add to the confusion, the NBA commissioner is Silver, the owner is Sterling... Gak.

NOW I know why I usually avoid sports... especially biscuitball. Give me something simple, like Organic Chemistry. ;-)

According to Oprah? Hahahaha. I KNEW it! Thanks for posting this piece, Eud. :)

Another shot at the white man because he cannot jump. He 's a racist.

Okay. Controversy aside, I just found out JJ Reddick is playing for the Clippers. I was surprised. I have followed his college basketball days and had hoped he would end up on a team that made use of him. He ended up in Orlando with a few years of seat-warming mostly. It drove me crazy. I wanted to see him in the game, loving the game as he had in his college days. I gave up trying to follow his NBA career.
He is a starter now. Finally! Sterling didn’t think he was worth his contract because JJ is white. So Sterling racist rants knows no boundaries. Lol. .Now, that I have a selfish motive for seeing the team succeed without Sterling, I say if Oprah wants to get rich people like Magic Johnson interested in the team, more power to her, just as long as JJ is playing and is happy.

Go Clippers! Lol.

wonderful observation

This is trivia when compared to other current events, bit it does give some insight into American culture nowadays.

This is all about advertiser revenue. The sponsors pulled out because they were afraid of losing business so the NBA had to condemn the owner or lose revenue. They could give two hoots and a turd about racism. That's why he was never punished before. The sponsors didn't pull out.

If the GOVERNMENT took away property and fined a person for speech it would be a gross violation of liberty and property rights. The NBA is a private (Steyn compares it to a gated community with a homeowner's association rules) association with its own rules that the owner signed off on.

Other than physical harm, the association can enforce any rules it wants. Government can't get you fired from your job for using hateful speech. But you can get fired when working at a government company/bureaucracy that has rules against it.

Discrimination is your right on your private property or in your private business. Yet the government can violate your rights. Scream about that, which has actually happened, and not about this event that does not affect anyone's rights.

Nice to see that American citizens really focus on stuff that matters.

I just think it's funny that any guy would let his girlfriend pal around with Magic Johnson. Yeah..."magic johnson" alright...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kTikNlMD...