Preach It, Barack Obama - There IS A Problem In the Black Community

This is, like, the only time EVER that I will heap anything close to praise for something Barack Obama said. Truth be told, while I've been following the U.S. presidential race and primaries since the whole thing began, with a new child in the family, I've not had as much interest in fervently commenting on the primary season, which of course, is now over and we will have Barack Obama and John McCain duking it out in November. Not the best candidates each party has to offer, but oh well...

But back to Obama - I cringe everytime I hear this guy talk - I swear, he sounds like an enthusiastic snake oil salesman. Speaks in platitudes and generalities, and why not? His experience is sorely lacking - he needs to make up for it in the only way a politician can - by generating revolutionary sound bytes and catch-phrases in order to ignite the imagination of a political audience who is cynical, despondent, and perhaps even ambivalent towards anything political.

But...his recent comments regarding problems in the black community, particularly in the area of absentee fathers and broken homes for black children was quite a welcome breath of fresh air (on Father's Day, no doubt). I mean, this is nothing new - Bill Cosby has been preaching this for years, yet for whatever reason, it seems as if when bright, highly educated Black folks like Cosby or Obama (well, not sure how bright he is, but anyhow) point a finger at the Black community and pours criticism on them for problems that are seriously over-represented in that community, they usually end up having charges of reverse discrimination, being an "Uncle Tom", "race traitor" and such thrown at them. Obama has been receiving some criticism for his words. But you know, I think this is symptomatic of what he is saying - not taking responsibility for one's actions.

You know, in my younger years when I was haplessly idealistic, naively egalitarian, and would rather turn a blind eye to a problem for fear of offending people, I would never have agreed to such a statement as what Obama and Cosby are saying. Hey, it's not just them - look at those loudmouths Louis Farrakkan (sp.) and Jesse Jackson - they all had that Million Man March back in 1995 - wasn't that sort of saying the same thing?

Now, I know what you are thinking - I certainly cannot be painting all Black people with the same brush. Of course I'm not - I do personally have several Black friends who are in strong, committed marriages, who discipline their kids and raise them right, who don't cry racism at the drop of a hat. I am smart enough to know that I cannot simply paint one broad brush on the "Black community" - which, incidentally is a bit of a peculiar term, since those Black folks I know do not associate with any "Black community" - I wonder whether this is more of a media construct than anything else.

But back to the point - Obama is touching primarily on the issues of Black men who disappear after porking their latest Black female, and producing a child. Who of course, ends up growing up without a father, and despite what the liberal media will tell you about the virtues of a strong single mother, let's all cut the bullshit here, shall we? It has been statistically proven over and over again (not to mention this is just basic common sense) that children from single-parent homes are many times more likely to join a gang, father a child at a very young age, or get pregnant at a very young age, get in trouble with the law, drop out of school, and so forth.

What gets me are these Black people who seem to have blinders on who say that single-parent families are not exclusive to the Black race. That is technically true, but my goodness, how can anyone deny the fact that over 50% of Black kids in the U.S. and Canada are not raised in a home where there is a father and mother present? I can you tell this - there is no better confirmation of something I hear than to see it myself. Several weeks ago, my wife (yes, the only one that I have), my kids (yes, I had them with my wife) and I went to a kids' party establishment. For whatever reason, at either of the locations of this establishment that we have frequented, there is a pronounced number of Black kids there (don't know why, can't be bothered to figure it out). Anyhow, it was of no surprise for me to see that only about 35% of these kids came with a mother and father (whether they were married, I wasn't sure). Yet, 90% of the White kids there, around 90% of the East Indian kids, and 95% of the Asian kids had both fathers and mothers present (and the ones that didn't, you could see that the mothers had wedding bands on - yes, I notice these types of things, and no, I wasn't looking for a date).

Now, I work at the corner of a major intersection in Toronto (and by major, I mean major - like, both of these intersecting streets encompass the length and width of the city, if not ore). On one of the streets, about a 10 minute drive Westbound, you will find perhaps the most notorious intersection in Toronto for crime and such. Again, when I was young and stupid, I used to think that that intersection's crime rate was a figment of the press' imagination. I've been there during the day (just driving through, though I've since learned to take severe detours around that intersection - even if it costs me an extra 15 minutes to do so). Let me tell you what I have seen and heard there. 1) I have seen several gangs openly doing drug deals (yes, I know what a gang looks like and what drugs look like). 2) I have heard gunshots during the freaking day - yes, I know what a gunshot sounds like. 3) I have seen all manner of complete lack of respect - ie. two young punks were trying to beat the light in crossing the street and plowed over an old man - which they didn't even bother checking to see if he was OK - he was. 4) it was a harem of single motherhood. Oh, did I mention that everyone in that neighbourhood was Black?

I am sorry, but whatever you may hear about Asians, I can confirm that the rate of children being raised in two-parent homes (and I mean a mother and father, not that gay/lesbian shit that has been all over the press lately) is significantly higher. In fact, in the whole time growing up, I think I only know or one or two Asian families whose mother and father figures divorced. I'm sure it's slightly higher now, based on the poisonous North America anti-marriage culture, but I can bet every dollar in my bank account that it is still nowhere near the epidemic proportions of out-of-wedlock births and single-parent homes that just permeate in the Black community. I'm pretty sure my fellow Asians aren't lining up the jails and penitentiaries. I'm almost certain that a high majority of gun crime in Toronto is not perpetrated by Asians. Heck, I think I'd be comfortable in saying that White folks, who have experienced a high incidence of divorce as this sad scenario continues to rise statistically, are still by and large more likely to be in two-parent homes, as compared to Black folks.

Now, onto a topic that is a favourite of mine: guns. Let's be honest here - who commits most of the gun crimes in the U.S.? Despite the fact that millions of Whites have guns, it's not the Whites perpetrating the crimes (sure, you'll see the Columbines and what not where White people are "featured", but for every reported White crime with a gun, I guarantee there are many more unreported Black crimes with guns. But of course, it is not fashionable to paint Blacks in a negative light nowadays, so the generally left-leaning press tends to ignore it. I find it funny that these "Black leaders" are calling for gun bans and extreme gun control measures, yet the eventual targets of these proposed bans would be mostly law abiding White folks. Consider this as well - you see guys like 50 Cent who, on both his "Get Rich or Die Trying" and "The Massacre" albums - by the way, both albums are pretty good from a music perspective even though the lyrics aren't exactly the more family-oriented - both of these albums feature 50 Cent and his posse holding Tec-9s, 9mm handguns, some assault rifles, and so all, while they are all dressed up in gang regalia. You ever see a White person dressed like this holding all these weapons? We'd probably all laugh at it. But for Black rappers for the most part, this is commonplace - and in a sense, it is almost portrayed as cool, and kids (and adults) buy into this. I remember when I was a teenager, the big controversy was Ice-T's track, "F*ck The Police", which at the time generated great concern among a number of folks. These days, no one would bat an eyelash, as Blacks seem to almost be synonymous with gangs and drive-by shootings, etc. I mean, looking like a pimp is not only in fashion in the Black community, but exudes an air of street credibility, and life experience (forget the fact that the practice is not exactly legal or moral).

I happened to turn to a radio call-in show on the car ride home from work today, and they interviewed a Black guy from Africa on this. He says that this problem with Blacks is U.S. issue - it's not like that in Africa at all. Is he kidding me? Africa - the place where the largest incidence of A.I.D.S. occurs. No, it's not because African males are bonking monkeys, as urban legend would have it (at least not anymore). Fact of the matter is, in Africa, Blacks encounter the same thing - lots of fatherless children, and the A.I.D.S. virus is passed by men having several women partners (whether by a polygamous "relationship" or wild, heathenistic living. Don't believe me? My wife and I sponsor an adorable little girl in Africa (Rwanda, to be exact). Her father and mother are not married. Where is the father? In jail. Sounds familiar?

Last year, I hired a guy at work from Africa. Aside from the fact that he really didn't do his job properly and we ended letting him go, I got to know him as a person through the number of months he was with us. I found out that he had two kids - ah, that's great, I said. I asked him why they didn't come to Canada with him. He said they are with their mother. I said, "oh, you mean your wife?" He said, "I'm not married". Sound familiar?

I keep in touch with this 46-year-old lady from Alabama, to whom I sold some Michael J. Fox collectibles. She has given me great insight on the American South, and have confirmed some of what I had always thought about the South. She did tell me, interestingly enough, that racism is alive and well there. However, it is her opinion (she she says is echoed by many) that she would never date a Black man. And I mean never. She said where she lives, the Asians there are "hard working and treated like Whites". The Blacks, however, no matter how hard working, are still not regarded well. And I think we're starting to see a subtle backlash now. Growing up, my parents were of the mindset that "you marry your own kind", though they added the caveat that "if you do decide to marry of a different race, please let it be anyone other than Black." Now, I will be the first to admit that Asian have their own hangups and can be one of the more racist groups out there (though as a general rule, Asians never have the balls to actually tell someone else how they feel about their race - ie. Asian parents are not likely to confront their daughter's Black boyfriend and tell him to get lost, at least not explicitly. Anyway, I am mentioning this because I am still seeing this nowadays talking with parents who have teenage kids - there's still an "anyone but Black" mentality out there. But whereas before I was disgusted at this sentiment, now that I look at it objectively, based on my observations, would I be happy with my daughter dating a Black guy, knowing what I know about the rate of out-of-wedlock teenage pregnancies among Black women (or White women who obviously try to be Black)? Probably not. If you are shocked by this, think about what you would do in your situation.

Why is it like this? I am neither a sociologist or anthropologist, so I cannot be definitively sure, but I can say a few things. One, is that similar things beget similar things. It's not really all that different from the oft-mentioned notion that victims of physical or sexual abuse as children, tend to become perpetrators of the same once they become adults. After all, like it or not, we tend to be a product of our environment (and this doesn't even count my belief in the presence of sin as a key factor to why people are all born bad, in my opinion). So the Black child (a boy in particular) who grows up without a father generally does not have certain key elements of manhood passed down to him. What do I mean by this? Well, let me just say that is my belief that while a mother and father both equally impart important life lessons to a child (a boy in this case), a father has a particular role in teaching his son the value of accepting responsibility, honour, treating women properly, etc. Without that father teaching his son about these things (and enforcing them through example), the child grows up without a compass of masculinity. As a result, he seeks the acceptance he probably subconsciously wants from his father, so he will join a gang to get it. Women will be regarded as objects to be used, rather than people to love. Having a child would be considered a collateral event as a result of "hitting it" rather than a responsibility to be accepted.

Now, before you target me a closet racist (or even an overt racist), consider the following: I am really targeting my rant here towards young Black people. With older Black folks, it's a different ballgame. I have a deep respect for Black elders - if you look at Black folks who are 45+ years old, chances are you will see them married with kids, just like the rest of us. I guess I am talking about Black men here. In fact, one of the people on this earth I have the most respect for, is my former boss at work, who of all my bosses I have ever had, took care of my career and job development more than anyone else - he secured fantastic raises for me during the time I worked for him and he really looked out for my well being and best interest, career-wise, as well as peronal-wise. I actually will likely be leaving my company of 11 years and joining him within the next year, as a Network Manager at his establishment (he's the C.E.O., by the way). He also happens to be a born-again Christian, and a mature one at that. And this is one thing I really like about older Black people - there is a deep sense of spirituality that is very strong. I am not entirely sure where there is such a dichotomy between older Blacks and younger Blacks, but that's what I've noticed.

Now, I don't want to give the wrong impression here - a lot of Black folks are equally as concerned about this problem in the "community". I am on an Asian cultural discussion forum and one of the topics one day was why you seldom see Asian male, Black female couples. Most of the Asian males did not bother responding to the topic, so one of the gals there, who is extremely articulate and well spoken, answered the question - it's the stereotype of Black people out there - the stereotype of the Black man is well known, but Black women are portrayed in the media as loud-mouthed, opinionated, fat-assed, rude bit..., er...persons. Now, I can tell you that that is a total media construct, as I have met more than my fair share of Black women who do not fit that stereotype in the least, starting when I was in high school. In fact, before I met my wife, I went on a couple of casual walks (don't know if I'd consider them dates or not, probably not) with this girl I met at our school named Lorna (interestingly enough, she was from the same town/city my wife is from). She was a really kind-hearted girl. And she was Black. A number of my female friends in school in grade 12 were Black - from Guyana, etc.). I know several Black ladies nowadays who are kindest, loveliest friends that we have. I know the stereotype is not true. Besides, you see these Rosanne Barr and Rosie O'Donnell types and know that loud-mouthed obnoxious women are not unique to Blacks.

(I'M NOT FINISHED THIS POST YET - MORE TO COME)...

Black-Only or Afro-Centric Schools - Are You Kidding Me?

Ah, leave it up to the liberal establishment in Toronto to float an idea that reeks of racial preference and reverse discrimination under the guise of "increased tolerance" and "racially advantageous education". If you haven't heard by now, Toronto has approved the start-up of a racially segregated school. Yup, you heard that right, and nope, we're not back in the 1950s in the American south, ladies and gentleman. In 2008, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, there will be the establishment of an essentially all-black school. I suppose afro-centric is the proper politically correct name, but since this isn't the Toronto Star, black-only school is more than sufficient to describe what will undoubtedly be a inevitable failure. I don't agree with much with the very liberal premier of Ontario, one Dalton McGuinty, but I have to say that I am in full concurrence with him in his uneasiness and opposition to such a school being put in place.

Unfortunately, such an issue can not only be a contentious one, but has an extremely high risk of polarizing people racially. From what I've seen and heard, not unlike many race issues, we see a clear divide in how members of racial groups (in this case, the reaction is generally broken down along historical Black/White lines). However, despite what the media may report, not all Black folks are keen on this idea.

Earlier last month, my wife and I had the opportunity to accept an invitation to have "brunch" with one of my wife's clients. I don't know them very well, and to be honest, didn't really want to go, but she insisted, so I went, mostly to serve as an example to my son that you can't always do what you really want to do. The family is part Haitian/part African (for the sake of this discussion, it would be safe to simply say that they were Black). Anyhow, we show up and the food is not ready. For a brunch, we didn't eat until 3PM. While to me it is generally not generally a significant detail as far as social interactions go, I did chuckle to myself, as this late lunch sort of underscored a prevalent societal stereotype about Black folks - that late is OK (of course, I'm always late, so it may be an Asian thing as well). Anyhow, we thought it would be an oppotunity to get to know this family better. Between trying to make conversation over the large Samsung LCD TV that was blasting away the soundtrack portion of some clearly pirated DVD, we found out that we weren't the only ones that were invited to this late brunch. In fact, there are lots of people invited. Fantastic, I thought, it's going to be a freaking house party now, as if the CD player blaring in the background, trying to compete with the aforementioned DVD, wasn't loud and irritating enough.

Their friends showed up, and not surprisingly, they were all Black. The conversation turned to world current events and then proceeded to focus back on local Canadian issues. It was a pretty interesting conversation, with some very knowledgeable and articulate folks there, not the least of which was this news junkie, who like me listened to talk radio and had an opinion on almost any current event. To no one's surprise, after some ice-breaker topics, the subject shifted quickly to the (at the time) proposed all-Black school in Toronto. The fellow turned to me, and with other eyes turned my way, he asked what I thought of the idea. Now, what the heck would you say to a group of Black folks huddled together to discuss such a topic, particularly if you were the only non-Black there (my wife was there as well, but didn't say a whole lot and was subtly tapping my foot with hers as code to say that it's time that we went home)? Of course, I am not one to be shy with my opinions and since I figured that I am not exactly bursting with politically correct diplomacy skills, I may as well state my honest opinion, and if I do get attacked (figuratively or physically), there were several exit routes I could have taken. So I told the group how I thought it was such a terrible idea, not because it was contrary to some contemporary utopian view about how everyone should simply get along and ignore the differences between us, but that the idea did not have my support because it was essentially a weak, bailing-out type of response, which is not uncommon in today's lack-of-responsibility and throwning-in-the-towel mentality. People nowadays do not deal with challenges very well, whether it be societal, financial, emotional, physical, etc. People as a whole have also generally abandoned long-coveted virtues such as hard work and paying your dues, to use an overused cliche.

Here's the rub, essentially, I continued to tell them. The idea of this school was floated, in part due to some Blacks (in mostly urban centres) not performing as well academically, in relation to their non-Black counterparts (White, Asian, etc.) Now, there are people, like that sociologist (what's his name? Russell or something?) who make claims that Black people are as a whole less intelligent than Whites, and especially Asians, due to brain size, etc.) I don't give that guy's argument much credence, because over time, I have seen more than my fair share of Black nerds out there, just as much as I have seen White nerds, though hardly competitive with the amount of Asian nerds out there. Still, I don't think any of this is due to any racially-contributed gifting of natural intelligence. Have a look at where these Black kids come from? Fact is, many of them in urban areas come from single families, the vast majority of which are headed up by a Black woman who has to work to support her kids that she more than likely had out of wedlock. The father is nowhere to be seen. No one can debate this - it's just a fact. Now, these kids grow up with essentially an absentee mother (who, to her credit is working) but there is no one at home to stress the value of education and academic achievement. Contrast that to the amount of White families who have a mother and father in the house (I know this is changing, but the incident of two-parent White families is considerably higher than Blacks) and contrast that particularly with Asian families who almost certainly have a mother and father at home and are culturally achievement-oriented. That's why you see Asians excel at school. Culturally, they have no choice, since any slacking at a young age would be met with spanking or worse, a paternal beating (netiher of these are kosher in today's sensitivity-trained politically correct environment). So having all these Black kids, who are underachieving, in their own school will do nothing but perpetuate mediocrity.

Now, there are the racial and social aspects. Some parents claim that their kids would perform better socially with people who are the same as them. I won't dispute this claim, since I am pretty certain of its validity. Growing up in an all-White school, I think I would have gained more social skills at an earlier age, if there were more people like me at the school. Instead, I was a bit of an outcast, carrying my Chinese food-based drink and wearing my Hong-Kong inspired clothing to class, where I was met with jeers and worse. However, if I were to do it again, I wouldn't do it any differently. Reason why is because despite my being ouside of my own comfort zone, I did realize at an early age (grade four) that by going into a shell and keeping to myself, I wasn't going to make matters any better. Sure I wanted to fit in, but moreso I wanted to desperately show that I wasn't much different than they were. I believe through my efforts, I have diffused future racists from developing. Could you imagine if there were more Asians in my school? No doubt I would have gravitated towards them. We would have formed our own clique. Probably ate lunch together and avoided the rest of the White kids. What would that do? I'd certainly feel more comfortable and to a degree, safer. But make no mistake, I would have perpetuated all the stereotypes that others already had about Asian kids. I have always maintained that mentality, from childhood throughout adulthood. My disgust over a city like Toronto which claims to be multicultural and "tolerant" (which is as much of a hogwash term - I had a stronger word, but this is a family show - as I've ever heard), while they in essence practice a sort of isolationist politic by allowing ethnic ghettos to develop and remain self-sustaining (like it or not, places like Chinatown, Greektown, Koreantown, Little Italy, etc. are in essence all segregated ethnic ghettos) is something that constantly leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Being a born-again Christian, I find it absolutely abhorrent that Christian believers have chosen to segregate themselves in various ethnic churches, under the guise of cultural limitations). The former pastor of the church that I currently attend once told me that he was faced with a decision long ago - shall they do the right thing and stay in the increasingly Asian community that they found themselves and partner with other Asian ministries, or shall they pick up and leave. At the time, the church's demographics were heavily white and middle-age/elderly, and when the church decided that the right thing to do was stay put and partner up with an Asian church, 20% of the congregation left. My former pastor impressed upon me while a homogenous church will likely grow faster than a heterogenous church, is catering to one's self-absorbed sense of comfort and ease the right thing to do?

My opposition to an all-black school carries the same tenets of arguments that I espouse for other ventures that try to cater to a castle-type of mentality. It is no surprise to anyone that I hold a very strong view against things like homeschooling, which are really segregationalist schools for White parents who hold either religiously fundamentalist views, or who have a fortress mentality to child-rearing. In either case, it's not much different than the all black-schools argument. I suppose you can take me to task and argue that there is no difference between black-only schools and private schools. In private schools, however, there is generally no overtly sinister intention - that is, there isn't any racial overtones, though it may be argued that subtly, some parents by sending their kids to a private school are in essence keeping their kids away from urban minority youth. Private schools are also not funded by any level of government, whether it be municipal or provincial. The old adage applies - it's your money - you do whatever you want with it - as long as I'm not paying for your private school or segregated school, I don't really care.

It is funny that this whole thing has cropped up this year. Last year, in the Ontario election, Progressive Conservative leader John Tory was roundly criticized for his position on allowing faith-based schools to be provincially funded. While I disagree with Tory's position (in which he has since backtracked), I find it funny that there seems to be a modicum of support for an all-Black school, while there was vocal opposition to a provincially funded all-Christian or all-Jewish or all-Muslim school (all of which I oppose, as well as the currently government-funded Catholic school system in Ontario).

Some of the other problems with a all-Black school include an unhealthy focus on race. Yes, February is officially Black history month (not sure who decided this, but I neither observe nor support it), but you would think that with all the struggles that Black civil rights leaders have fought to achieve, that the best that the community can come up with is a all-Black school. There are more than Black people in a city like Toronto, in academia, is there really a racial distinction when it comes to core subjects like math, science, reading, etc. - which brings me to my next point: in the global economy and in today's business world, one has to be prepared and able to work with a diverse employee base. I mean, I have worked with people who are of all races, and have worked with gay peple as well as an individual who had a horrific sex change. Did I enjoy all these interactions? Absolutely not. Did I agree with these people's personal views? No. But I have to work with them. And, I believe that in learning and interacting with different people during my academic and educational days, it well prepared me in dealing with a diverse group of people, some of which I don't agree with and even some that I may not particularly like. In perpetuating a Black school, I believe its students would not be as well prepared to work in the workplace when they graduate (except for working for B.E.T. or something like that).

Last week, it was revealed that a Barrie police inspector circulated a email that essentially played up the stereotypes of Black people, in the context of the all-Black school in Toronto. Many were offended by the email, which posed mathematical problem solving scenarios based on drive-by shootings, drugs, or prostitution. I can't say that I was necessarily offended by this, but I do thing that another negative by-product of such a school is to create more racists, or possibly bring racists that were in the closet out in the open. I can forsee Whites glad to see Blacks no longer attending the same schools as their kids. Add to that the fact that these all-Black schools are essentially a double-standard: if several Whites came together to propose an all-White school, would that have much traction? Likely, the societal condemnation would be fast and swift. In my view, having an all-Black school is no different than an all-White school or an all-Asian school. It is essentially a poor effort to address a symptom of a larger issue.

Race and Sports: Mark Bell Vs. Michael Vick Vs. Dany Heatley Vs. Donovan McNabb

I seem to be on a theme about racial issues lately and since there seems to be some of this on the news, I thought I'd throw in my own bone... This post has more of a sports focus, but I think it brings out the point that I want to make - if it doesn't, well...what can I say... This posting differs from previous postings in that I'm brainstorming this while I'm reading, so I suspect that everything will seem rather disjointed. This is not normal, but it's late, and I'm getting sleepy.

If you have read this blog from the beginning (and it's still in its infantile stage), and I know from emails to me that there are about eight of you who have, you'll know that when it comes to race issues, I almost never play the race card. I've been accused of being insensitive all the way to being called a race traitor (which I find laughable, since it seems like anyone who refuses to go into victim mode is called a race traitor). I also don't generally care what people think about my opinions - I welcome feedback, and while I admit there are times I can say things with more tact or more constructively and am open to adjusting my entries so I don't sound like an uneducated raving lunatic, I have never once felt that I needed to apologize for any opinion that I expressed here, and this won't change anytime soon. Especially when it comes to discussing racial topics.

Today we're going to talk sports. I love sports, both as a spectator as well as a participant. In fact, tomorrow, I am going out to play tennis with my son (I just bought him a Wilson SpongeBob tennis racquet tonight) and wife (who will likely watch the balls sail by, more than play, due to her pregnant condition). Anyhow, it is fitting that I discuss a marriage of two topics which intrigue me quite a bit: sports and race.

If you don't think there's been any racial overtones in the sports world for the past few years, you better give your head a shake. Particularly this year alone, there have been many incidents in sports which take on potential racial tones. My goal here, through this brainstormed posting, is to buttress my opinion that I firmly believe that there is a determinable double-standard applied to whites and black athletes in the sporting arena - I am not here to brainstorm solutions, but simply to show instances where such a double-standard seems to be in place.

To start: I'm not going to delve into the whole recent Michael Vick thing with the dogfighting, as that has had more than adequate press coverage, not to mention that for me, I already wrote a blurb about it. I think he brought much shame on the NFL, the Falcons, and his sponsors, who rightfully dropped him from his contracts. Public opinion was quick and decisive on this one, overwhelmingly condemning him for his absolutely horrendous and immensely irresponsible actions with his dog-fighting activities. It got to the point where a lady on eBay auctioned off several of her Michael Vick sports cards that have been personally chewed on by her dog, the proceeds of the auction went towards a local animal shelter. If I remember right, the auction netted thousands of dollars for these chewed up cards. Michael Vick is likely going to do jail time, and he is likely done with the NFL, based upon his indefinite suspension from the league at present. He should be punished and banned from playing in the NFL. Basketball player Stephon Marbury chimed in on Vick's suspension, indicating that he was treated with a different standard because he is a black athelete. Marbury was roundly criticized for his remarks, but you know, I agree with him for the most part. To me, as a spectator, the first impression that I got was that Vick was pounced on. I don't know anyone or have read anyone who is willing to publicly defend Vick - not necessarily excuse what he did (which was a criminal act), but to suggest that there is more to the story than what the press is telling you.

Anyway, back to my point. Let's look at a recent incident in the NHL surrounding newly minted Maple Leaf Mark Bell. If you don't know this story, Bell was traded to the Leafs from the San Jose Sharks, thrown in with the goalie Toscola (sp.). The Sharks wanted to unload him, probably because of the baggage he brings with him, the baggage being that he was convicted of drinking and driving, and causing someone a pretty bad injury as a result. He gets sentenced to six months in jail, but only AFTER the upcoming NHL season is complete (which is sometime next June, though for the Leafs, it will be next March, as usual). Now, tell me this. If I, Jeremy, were to drink and drive, hit someone injuring them, try to walk away from the accident, am found in a court of law that I am criminally responsible and am sentenced to six months in jail, do you think they would actually allow me to serve the sentence next year after my new child is born, when I have more vacation time at the beginning of the year, and when work is a little slower? No, the judge will demand that I serve out my sentence quickly and likely, immediately. The NHL suspends Bell for 15 games. Ooooh... I dunno - you can't really directly compare running a dog fighting operation with drinking and driving, but the consequences seem to indicate that drinking and driving and injuring someone is less harshly viewed upon, as opposed to being involved in dog fighting (folks, take off your PETA hats, and look at this somewhat objectively). Bell has had a LOT of supporters who muse that he should be given a second chance, that he made a foolish mistake in his youth, etc. etc. It doesn't seem to me that the general public afforded Vick the same conciliatory gestures.

How about Dany Heatley? Another hockey player - he sped in his car years ago with his friend Dan Snyder (his Atlanta Thrashers teammate) onboard, got into a horrific accident and killed his friend as a result? OK, it was an accident, but it was idiotic behaviour nonetheless and he was charged. He doesn't seem to be any worse for the wear as he's lacing up his skates. Todd Bertuzzi - in that act of angry violence against Steve Moore, knocking him out literally, as well as figuratively as it relates to his career. Bertuzzi's playing back in the league now, again no worse for the wear. Craig McTavish, former Oiler and now coach, killed someone in a drinking and driving accident, and now is a respected NHL coach (at least he still was employed in this capacity last I checked).

Rob Ramage, former Flames hockey player and Leafs captain. Also got into a drinking and driving accident which killed his buddy. I don't see anyone creating anti-Rob Ramage websites (OK, he's 48 and has been out of the game forever)...

Now think of whether they would have been welcomed back with open arms if they were black athletes? How are they really any different than Michael Vick? They broke the law. They were involved in incidents that caused injury, sometimes severe, and in a couple of cases, death to people (not animals). Yet, they don't have indefinite (likely lifetime) suspensions - not even close. Do you honestly think that a black athlete would have received such reconciled treatment? A second chance? Patrick Roy, a future Hall of Fame goalie (if he isn't already), was involved with a domestic dispute in which he physically assaulted his wife. Not really in the news. Considered a personal issue. Yet when Jason Kidd does it, he's now subhuman. I am not excusing any of these behaviours, but just like anything else, I am hoping to see some consistent rules applied to all.

A day or two ago, Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles, a very talented multiple pro-bowl selection, went on the airwaves and intimated that there is a racial divide in that only six out of thirty-two starting QBs in the NFL are black. Seven, if you previously counted Vick. It is clear that he was insinuating that there is a racial double-standard when it comes to sports. Anyhow, McNabb's comments have been scrutinized as without merit or supporting evidence.

Rush Limbaugh, a guy for whom I used to have a lot of respect, in terms of his conservative opinions, before he started going the way of a prescription drug addict, was highly critical of Donovan McNabb a year or two ago, making a comment that he's only considered good because he's black, insinuating that if he wasn't black, he'd be mediocre at best. I'm glad that Rush was forced out of an TV analyst role shortly after that, since his comments were dead wrong. The knock on McNabb has always been not being able to win a Super Bowl, but that was the knock on Peyton Manning up until this past year. McNabb is a tremendous athlete and while I would not say that he is as good as Manning is, from a technical perspective, he's right up there with the top QBs in the league (personally, I think that the guy to watch out for in the future is Vince Young of the Titans). McNabb is a very good player, and the fact that he feels that he needs to work doubly-hard to gain acceptance does indicate a wall, invisible or otherwise, that black athletes need to overcome. That being said, some of McNabb's race card arguments lose steam pretty quickly since last I heard, 75% of NFL players are black.

Musing about this further, let's look at this from this angle. You have a predominantly white sport such as hockey. Fighting is considered part of the game and is generally not frowned upon. You have a predominantly black sport like basketball or football. Fighting is considered aggressive and signals a lack of control - remember the whole flap about the Pacers-Pistons game a couple of years back, which spilled into the stands? OK, that is an extreme example, but that was roundly criticized. Several sports commentators called the participants "animals", "savages" and such. There have been bench clearing brawls in hockey and sometimes (albeit rarely) fans are involved in the melee. I don't recall the players being labelled with such names. Remember, I am not one to cry racism at all, so if I were to make such observations, I believe there is intrinsically noteworthy as far as a double-standard is concerned.

I remember a couple of years ago, in hockey, there was a game between the Oilers and Flyers (I think). It was infested by many fights, which the commentators, as impartial as they tried to be (and they weren't try too hard), enjoyed immensely. Most of the fights were white-on-white fights. When it came, however, to Georges LaRoque dropping the gloves with Donald Brashear (both of whom were black), the crowd went significantly wilder and the commentators remarked, "look out, here's the rumble from the ghetto!" You make up your own mind on this one.

North of the border, there has been much discussion about white and black athletes in the Canadian football league (CFL). The CFL has historically been slower to integrate black QBs and coaches, but look at the league now - I follow it more than the NFL, and it's because the CFL has a really good mix of raw talent, not just settling on local talent (though I will be the first one to admit, I love watching Jesse Lumsden - a local boy - play). I've always been a fan of Casey Printers, back to his BC Lions days - so glad that he came back to the CFL after the Chiefs cut him - he is now installed as the starting QB for the Tiger Cats. The local Argos used to have Damon Allen, but now has Michael Bishop as their main pivot - he's a good QB. Henry Burris of the Stampeders just won player of the week - Burris has always been a good QB, and I'm glad to see him back in Calgary. Winnipeg has Kevin Glenn, who is probably the best QB in the CFL right now (yes, even better tha Ricky Ray). The BC Lions have Jurious (sp.) Jackson. The Alouettes are giving Marcus Brady a good shot. Remember, the CFL is an eight-team league, but has made tremendous inroads in integrating black athletes in pivotal roles on teams (not to fulfill a quota, but properly recognize the talent of these players). Guys like Pinball Clemons (who is a strong born-again Christian whom I've met), are examples of guys who really work naturally towards breaking racial stereotypes. Pinball is coach of the Argos and either GM or President of football operations. He is the first CFL black player which I can say that the mass audience has embraced without reservation.

In the NFL, last year's SuperBowl brought together the first-ever pairing of black coaches competing against one another. Both Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith happen to be very mature born again Christians, who are well respected on and off the field. Yet in several online forums in which I participate, after the Superbowl game was all said and done, people started chiming in their opinions on the game, the coaching, the players, etc. A number of people (presumably black, since I can't imagine whites making these kinds of comments) were miffed at the coaches, saying that they weren't aggressive enough, that they "acted like white coaches". Pretty sad when this is the thing you notice about a football game. Even in the CFL years ago, when Danny Barrett's Roughriders (I think) were playing the Argos (coached by Clemons), one of the TV commentators remarked "this is the first meeting of two black guy coaches" (yes, that's what he said).

I still believe people see black and white when they view sports, and treat black athletes and participants differently.