| Sir Charles is Right |
31 March 2003
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Charles Barkley Makes Intelligent Comment
Charles Barkley was a fair basketball player, and is a pretty lame broadcaster. However, "Sir Charles" (according to the basketball media and no one else) did make an interesting point this week, to wit, "You know the world is off tilt when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest basketball player is Chinese, and Germany doesn't want to go to war."
As the comedians say, it is funny because it is true. And there are several lessons to be drawn from that observation -- not least of which is that Mr. Barkley is not as foolish as he often appears, and if he feels an apology is in order for things said in the past, he may consider such extended.
However, the most important is the realization that an individual human being may not be in step with the group in which others choose to place him/her. Even the worst bigot will occasionally say, "Not him, he's one of the good ones." That miserable little ray of hope is particularly important in the months ahead.
White men can jump, women can fight in combat, and not all Arabs are Muslim fanatics (or even Muslims). Profiling, whether by race or any other trait, is a dangerous business. One wonders how many Americans could tell an Iraqi Revolutionary Guard from a Kurdish warrior by sight -- and there is a world of difference in this war.
Mr. Barkley reminds the world that groups are made up of quirky human beings, each with unique talents, interests and faults. While our species may not be up to the Christian ideal of "Love thy neighbor as thyself," perhaps "Tolerate those with whom you disagree," is a start.