Posted on 29 January 2021
America has been broken by radicalized people out for blood. They’re racists and homophobes and worried about illegal aliens taking their jobs. These are the opinions of Stan Van Gundy, head coach of the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, the self-described poster boy for white guilt and a man who obviously doesn’t get his news from Newsmax.
In his screed on The Players Tribune blog, Van Gundy rants:
“Look how broken this country is.
“Our country’s divides have become so deep, so extreme that it’s actually radicalized people. I mean, really think about that. It’s brought people to the point where they’re out for blood.
“When I looked at my TV, I saw a lot of craziness. But the one thing that really struck me was seeing a sign that said, ‘Take Back OUR Country!’ ”
Van Gundy was referring to Jan. 6, not to a summer’s worth of Black Lives Matter riots, and he suggests we do some soul searching and ask ourselves who they mean by “our,” and who they want to take the country “back” from.
Before we can move forward as a country, Americans must reckon with three of Van Gundy’s so-called “facts”: “This has always been a racist country. It’s always been a sexist country. It’s always been a homophobic country.”
Van Gundy’s periscope view shows an America divided between people fighting for equality and an extremely intense minority “fighting for the status and privilege they see slipping away. We are truly in a fight for the essence of this country and who we’re going to be, and we’re nowhere near agreeing on that.” It’s the “most serious risk this country’s faced in my lifetime,” says the 60-year-old coach. “We can’t waste an opportunity to actually reckon with the racism and hatred that’s been building in this country, long before any individual president took office.”
The racist villains, in Van Gundy’s estimation, “believe that their jobs and their lives are under threat because of increased diversity or immigration, and our politicians play into that, it doesn’t comfort people — it stokes fear. It plays to people’s worst instincts. It plays into racism.”
The Washington Post actually disagrees with Van Gundy’s fake take on immigration, in the story, “ Yes, undocumented immigrants take jobs from Americans. Here’s the proof.” Illegal aliens are depressing wages and opportunities for native-born Americans, Henry Olsen’s 2019 story says.
Van Gundy last month vilified himself as a “poster boy” for white guilt. He also praised NBA veteran Kyle Korver, a white man who grew up in rural Iowa and who also beat himself up for his white privilege in a post on The Players Tribune. Van Gundy admits to feeling guilty every time he gets praised for speaking out, saying: “I mean, I’m a white guy coaching an NBA team. And I know I’ve had way more opportunities and chances than a Black coach would in this position. I’m not taking some huge risk. I’m not really putting anything on the line.”
Golden State Coach Steve Kerr, another left-winger, inspired Van Gundy when he said racism is a white person’s problem. “And it is," Van Gundy says. "Black people suffer the consequences of racism, but it’s our problem. And that’s why we have to speak out when we see it.” Apparently, no one of another race can be a racist.
Young people and the Women’s NBA inspire Van Gundy as well, and the WNBA doesn’t get nearly enough credit for its social justice activism, he says. :
“The W is undoubtedly the most progressive sports league in the country. I mean, I’m proud of our NBA people, but nobody has spoken up, spoken out more as an organization than the WNBA.
“I just find all of those people really inspiring. If I have any kind of hope, that’s where it comes from.”
Van Gundy’s diatribe ends with him saying America has a long way to go, we shouldn’t let up or get too comfortable and we need to keep this fight going.