Letters to the Editor

+ Rethinking the case against Clippers owner Donald Sterling
Dear Editor:
When I turned on the news and there was an effort under way to force the man who owns the L.A. Clippers to sell his team, completely removing him from team ownership, I became frightened. It was Holocaust Remembrance Day, and I recalled how the Nazis confiscated the property of Jewish business owners. 

As I listened to the taped conversation at the heart of the controversy, I felt uncomfortable. It seemed un-American to listen in on someone’s private conversation. I wondered if a future personal conversation I might have would someday be broadcast nationwide.

To me, the taped conversation did not reveal Mr. Sterling to be a racist. His use of the term “black” was descriptive not pejorative. To him, this was a personal issue — after all, his comments referred to men the stature of Magic Johnson.

I admit I found it compelling to listen to Mr. Sterling’s conversation, aware that his “girlfriend” was intending to betray him. I felt sorry for the man. I do not care how old or how rich he is, it hurts to be betrayed by the one you love.

Judging by outward appearance, noting the complexion of his “girlfriend’s” skin tone and the complexion of Mr. Sterling’s team members, I would say the man is colorblind. It has taken Mr. Sterling 30-plus years to build his team into a very successful enterprise. In the process, he has become very wealthy, and so have many of the people he has employed — irrespective of the color of their skin.

I think the reason Mr. Sterling received the NAACP’s lifetime achievement award reflects the fact that he has offered great career opportunities and lucrative financial contracts to the man talented black athletes that have been part of his team.

Now to comment on the crowd that gathered around to protest Mr. Sterling: Their malicious attacks on the man’s character and reputation and their threats to boycott the team’s games and sponsors were despicable. The spectacle I watched unfold displayed all the elegance and eloquence of a mob scene.

Again, I was reminded of the Holocaust and the demonization of the Jewish people.

When I listened to the news the following day, the conversation was still about the “evil” Mr. Sterling. Just as I was about to turn it off, I heard and interesting bit of news. Mr. Sterling had changed his name: His birth name was Donald Tokowitz. Donald Sterling is a Jew.

Now the story made sense — the vile despicable language, the effort to destroy the man’s character, ruin his reputation, and steal his business. The language of anti-Semitism is familiar to me. It is a language my soul knows.

Is it a coincidence that the Sterling spectacle played out on Holocaust Remembrance Day? In Israel, it is a solemn holiday, a day when the country memorializes the 6 million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.

Is it a coincidence, or was the Sterling saga a carefully staged media event scheduled to coincide with this sacred day? Is it a warning of what lies ahead for Jewish people? Only time will tell...

Mona Schonbrunn
Longboat Key