Chink In The Armor? Really, ESPN?

Some people just haven't a clue. You see, this is what happens when you raise people without teaching them to seek out and appreciate diversity. What's the end-result for not doing so? An idiot. People can't be that racist stupid, can they?

- An ESPN employee was fired for using the phrase "Chink In The Armor" as a headline on ESPN.com after an Asian-American hoops sensation and the Knicks suffered a loss. The headline was only up for roughly 30 minutes before someone decided it would be a good idea to change it.

- A few days prior to that, ESPN News anchor, Max Bretos used the term "Chink" in reference to Jeremy Lin, who is Taiwanese.

- Even MSG, which owns the Knicks, had a graphic on their TV station that showed Jeremy Lin popping out of a fortune cookie. A freakin' fortune cookie!

- Columnist, Jason Whitlock, also tweeted a racist remark about Lin, but later gave a weak apology and blamed his sense of humor for the racial blast. Well, he's racist against his own race some times, so maybe I shouldn't even include him in this discussion.

Look. I understand that everything that's offensive wasn't intended to be racist. The person who thought "Chink in the Armor" was a catchy title probably has no idea that it was offensive because:

A) a lot of younger people don't embrace and study history
B) he probably wasn't taught that it was offensive

I know a guy who is the absolutely nicest guy in the world and he once referred to an Asian woman as "Oriental." After I corrected him, he felt pretty badly. The thing is: he was a 30 year old man who just didn't know. I've even seen people in their 20's use the term "colored" in referencing black people. Probably because they don't know any blacks or cared to learn about any.

I grew up in what was basically an all "black and white" town. I would have loved the opportunity to have friends of other races while growing up. Eventually, my town became more diverse in my early 20's. That gave me an opportunity to ask/learn more. Prior to that, I still took time to try and learn about different cultures as a youth from reading Encyclopedias, watching documentaries, the internet, etc.

The point I'm trying to make is this: racist remarks don't have to be intentional. You can be ignorant of something, make a statement, get badly beaten and wake up in a roadside ditch. Don't wake up in a roadside ditch (some of you will get that reference and laugh uncontrollably). If you're dealing with someone of another background, then maybe it would behoove you to try and learn a little something before opening your mouth.

I like Jeremy Lin. ESPN talks about him too much, but they don't understand restraint, so that's a given for them. Despite that, I think he is good for the NBA and he could be good for diversity (if people took the time to actually learn more about him). He defies all of the NBA stereotypes: he's not black, he's an Ivy-league grad and he hasn't dated a Kardashian (although I heard Kim arranged to meet Jeremy).

Don't do it, Jeremy!!!!!

Bottom line: If you are going to have a job dealing with the public, then it's your responsibility to learn about the public. Not knowing that a phrase offends a race, gender or sexual preference is rarely a good excuse. If you can't take it upon yourself to learn about the people in this country, then do everyone a favor: never leave your home or have children.




How can we improve diversity in America?