Josh Howard smokes doobies and hates Francis Scott Key. Who knew?
"The Star-Spangled Banner's going on right now and I don't even celebrate that s---," he was recorded saying at a charity flag football game. "I'm black."
Whoa, big fella. Who elected you The Spokesman for All Black People?
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Who does he think he is, Martin Luther Howard?
What Howard said was wholly ignorant, and while he'll never be known as someone who helps to define what it means to be American, he still -- accidentally -- raised a number of interesting and highly debatable issues.
One of them is that it's possible to simultaneously love America and hate some of the things the country stands for. Howard expressed in crude terms what authors like Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison wrote about passionately decades ago, or the Dixie Chicks discussed at the beginning of the Iraq War.
The problem is, it's difficult to look at Howard and sympathize with someone who, because of America, is extraordinarily wealthy. How can someone take the money and then curse the country providing him great financial comfort, particularly at a time when so many people are literally losing everything?
But this is the largest point: What Howard said might have been un-American and you might despise it, but much of the churlish reaction to Howard is just as un-American as his words.
What Howard said was wrong but some of the reaction to him is downright disgraceful and worse than his original words.
Mark Cuban recently printed some of the e-mail he received about the Howard mess and it sounds like some of the e-mail I receive. One read: JOSH HOWARD IS NOTHING BUT A DUMB COON NIGGER. SOMEONE NEEDS TO TEACH HIS MONKEY ASS SOME DAM RESPECT FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM."
Another read: "Hi Mark,Did you know Josh Howard was an America hater when you signed him or was it a surprise? "I don't spend my money on this NBA shit, I am white.
Another: Tell Howard that him and Hussein Obama can go to another country and live if they don't want to support our symbol of freedom."
Those letters -- and there were many, many more -- are far more anti-American than what Howard said.
The response from many sports fans is that Howard is some sort of traitor. Benedict Howard. He's being told to leave America if he doesn't like the country, which is the prototypical false-choice scenario.
If people decide they don't want to attend Dallas Mavericks games or purchase a Howard jersey, that's their right. If they want to hate Howard, that's their right as well.
Yet part of being an American is having the freedom to express unpopular views and still be an American.
Trying to destroy people for their beliefs, no matter how unpopular, is what the Taliban do, not Americans.
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WarpedMind: This was indeed a well written and well reasoned article. Usually, "Mike Freeman" and "well written" or "well reasoned" don't mix, but he's been writing frightfully better than average lately, which would probably explain the paucity of Mike's Malicious Mail lately.
Before Mikey's head gets too big with praise, though, I've gotta say that I'm a bit skeptical as to whether he would seriously "defend with his life" the right for people to give this country a bad name. Whaddya say, Mikey? If I were to bleach my skin and visit your 'hood with a white hood on, are ya saying you've got my back? |
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| Mike Freeman: My "hood" is a highly diverse suburb who'd have just as many whites, Latinos and Asians angry with you in your white hood as African-Americans. Lastly, since I spent a nice chunk of my life in the Army I actually put into some sort of real practice defending my country. How about you Warped? Or do you do your defending of the country via message boards? |
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Howard's words were poorly communicated and stunningly shallow, but Howard shouldn't lose his job or be ex-communicated because of them.
Do we believe in freedom of speech in this country or not?
Well, do we?
While I hate Howard's statements, the old verbiage still stands: I'd die for his right to say them.
Howard likely won't be long for the Mavericks. It's difficult to believe that in a highly conservative city like Dallas, there won't be massive pressure on the team to dump him.
His days in Dallas are likely numbered, no matter the near greatness of Howard's talent.
Owner Mark Cuban told the Dallas Morning News that Howard is actually a better and nicer person than people know. That might be true, but we've yet to see that Howard. We've just seen the immature Howard who admitted to occasional marijuana use. The Howard who was arrested and charged for a late-night street race. The Howard who threw himself a birthday party after a playoff loss. In other words, we've seen the Uncle Tomfoolery Howard.
Now Howard shows further immaturity with his anthem comments.
Cuban might need Ra the Sun God to show Howard in a positive light.
Still, Howard's case shows how thin-skinned and grossly intolerant we remain in this country. Actual debate has been replaced with message board intimidation and boycott threats.
So again, a simple question: Do we believe in freedom of speech?
Or not?
