Charles Barkley made waves earlier this week when he described the looters in Ferguson, Missouri as “scumbags.” His co-host on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” former Rocket sharpshooter Kenny Smith, then wrote an op-ed for USA Today in opposition in Chuck’s comments. Both former players debated the topic on TNT last night, and it’s worth a listen as our nation continues to fray at the seams over the issue.
It’s not worth editorializing very much about what was said when Chuck and Kenny spoke about the topic last night, or earlier in the week — even after seeing both of them at the Kyrie 1 unveiling on Wednesday. We detest violence in all forms, but we’d also like African-Americans to stop getting gunned down by police and anxious Florida residents.
There are no winners here, but sober reflection on the decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson after he fatally shot Mike Brown, and the ensuing riots and protests that resulted after it was announced is worth as much understanding and nuance as we can conjure.
We should all try and empathize beyond your own purview at times like this, and it also wouldn’t hurt to perform as many small acts of kindness for our fellow man as possible — regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation or any other differing characteristics that have acted as the backdrop to violence in America.
These bromides might sound trite or corny, but they’re all we’ve got at this point. There are a lot of pissed off people right now, and we don’t blame them, but it’s always worth talking about while attempting to understand all sides to the issue.
What do you think?
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
