Kenny Smith's Open Letter To Charles Barkley About Ferguson

MR.CJ
MR.CJ Members Posts: 64,689 ✭✭✭✭✭
Editor’s Note: NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley’s comments about recent events in Ferguson, Mo. received varied reactions in the past two days. One of the people with a reaction to Barkley’s remarks is Kenny Smith, his friend and fellow analyst on TNT’s “Inside the NBA.”

Smith addressed Barkley’s recent comments in an open letter exclusively submitted to For The Win Wednesday afternoon. That letter is featured below in its entirety.

Dear Chuck,

I hope this finds you in the way I always see you, in great spirits, with great joy and full of life. There are some things I want to openly say to you that sometimes in conversation get lost.

Firstly I lied! You ARE the greatest Power Forward of all time. It’s not (Tim) Duncan or (Karl) Malone, they had size and height that you weren’t blessed with and you never had near the talent around you that they were blessed to have. Contrarily you took your teams to similar heights. Secondly, you are a champion in my book. Effort and determination is what makes a champion, not a ring.

Lastly, you are the most entertaining person in sports television (partly because I throw you so many a$sists lol).

However, what I consistently find interesting is how writers and media members view your insights in politics, and now race relations, with the same reverence as your insights in sports.

They did it in the Trayvon Martin trial and now with Mike Brown and the decision in Ferguson. It’s not that you shouldn’t ever have an opinion, but you are often quoted alongside the likes of Al Sharpton and even President Obama. I would hope that Sharpton or President Obama would never be referenced with you when picking the next NBA Champs!

The body of work that our Black Civil Rights leaders put in by planning, executing and activating does not justify you being in the conversation. While your body of work on the court very few compare to nor should be mentioned when you are giving your expert analysis. Again, I respect that you have an opinion on Ferguson. And here’s mine.

The question must be asked: Why is there so much distrust in the police and the legal system from the African American community? Without manifesting what the effects of slavery still have today, Dec 1st still marks only 59 years since Rosa Parks sat on that memorable bus. Many of our parents and grandparents have lived through those times and have passed those stories on to all of us. Those civil rights changes were at one time the law! They were not illegal.

So did the protection of the law by the courts and police make it right? Obviously not, so as African Americans we still know and feel that there are laws and jurisdictions that severely penalize the poor and, most importantly, African Americans greater than any other group. Some laws were initially made without us as equals in mind; that’s just the facts. So the thought process that it’s not for us or by us will unfortunately lead to distrust.

When someone is in “the struggle”, which many of our black communities are in, they are living with a lack of educational facilities, high unemployment and poor recreational facilities. The masses involved in “the struggle” will react in several ways. They can overcome it, challenge it, live in it, or fall victim to it … For those of us who are decades removed from “the struggle” because of our life through sports or business, we now have to acknowledge that every option listed exists. If not, then we are the ignorant ones.

That leads me to the looters and civilians burning buildings which you referred to as “scumbags”. Here’s an analogy: If you put 100 people on an island with no food, no water, no hope of a ship coming, then some will overcome it and be resourceful, some will live in it, others will panic and others will show horrific character, which is wrong. But not to understand that all alternatives are possible is wrong as well.

I was also disheartened to see the reaction of burning buildings and looters by some. However, when you are in “The Struggle” to not expect that that potential reaction is foolish on our part.

The real issue is learning to positively manage your anger so you can be heard. It’s not that they are “scumbags”, their emotions won’t allow them to rationally think through their anger. I applaud that you have done a great job in your anger management in recent times … but not always.

Mike Brown wasn’t about race relations, nor Trayvon Martin or even Hurricane Katrina for that matter. It’s about trust. Do I trust you to help me off the island? If so, do you have my best interests at heart? Do I trust that you will you send a ship or allow me access to build my own ship?

And you were right Chuck, let’s not discredit that there are great police officers in all neighborhoods, but let’s not credit that we shouldn’t have doubt.

See you Thursday night !

Kenny Smith



http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/12/kenny-smith-charles-barkley-ferguson-open-letter-exclusive

Comments

  • KingFreeman
    KingFreeman Members Posts: 13,731 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Seems like he played it safe throwing in compliments and ? but I'm not expecting Kenny to ? up his pay stub so it is what it is. Definitely should have went in more. Really try to cut him. Barkley and ppl like him will read that ? and be completely unphased by it. It won't reach its intended mark.
    Ernie about to get nervous as hell if these guys bring it to the set. Someone on that set need to check Barkley tho.
  • Angeles1son85
    Angeles1son85 Members Posts: 13,544 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Lol kenny just say chuck was wrong for sayin what he said ? gonna be awkward thursday
  • S2J
    S2J Members Posts: 28,458 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This needs to be moved to GNS
  • its....JOHN B
    its....JOHN B Members Posts: 19,830 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Seems like he played it safe throwing in compliments and ? but I'm not expecting Kenny to ? up his pay stub so it is what it is. Definitely should have went in more. Really try to cut him. Barkley and ppl like him will read that ? and be completely unphased by it. It won't reach its intended mark.
    Ernie about to get nervous as hell if these guys bring it to the set. Someone on that set need to check Barkley tho.

    Relax, ? you want him to do start bashing Barkley? He still made Barkley look pretty foolish while doing it in a professional manner, that's still a friend and co worker regardless of what Barkley said, "what he could of done is keep quiet" but he didn't, he opened up conversation and I'll be shocked if it's not addressed tonight
  • its....JOHN B
    its....JOHN B Members Posts: 19,830 ✭✭✭✭✭
    S2J wrote: »
    This needs to be moved to GNS

    No it doesn't
  • dalyricalbandit
    dalyricalbandit Members, Moderators Posts: 67,918 Regulator
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ1Bi2yOD-U

    read that with this playin in the background
  • Swiffness!
    Swiffness! Members Posts: 10,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • KNiGHTS
    KNiGHTS Members Posts: 4,435 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm so sick of this "It's not a race thing" weak ? black folks keep spouting to not offend their white "friends." ? that. It is a race thing when you can watch a white guy point a gun at white officers and they all don't open fire. He's wounded.

    But a black guy can get shot down like Bonnie and Clyde coming out his bachelor party by a van full of unidentified police after he tries to run ... from unidentified dudes hopping out of a van.

    Or a black guy can get choked to death for SUSPICION of selling loose cigarettes.

    Or a 12-year-old can get shot when the police roll up on some GTA ? blasting.

    Or they ? a black man already handcuffed that's face down on the ground.

    Or on and on...

    ? Charles.
  • MasterJayN100
    MasterJayN100 Members Posts: 11,845 ✭✭✭✭✭
    charles barkley is a "black anglo-saxon"=black on the outside with a white man mentality
  • luke1733
    luke1733 Members Posts: 1,490 ✭✭✭✭
    edited December 2014
    That letter was weak compared to what Barkley said. If this was a debate Barkley won. Barkley was wrong, stupid and spoke like the republican black man that grew up around black folk but did nothing to educate himself on his own people's circumstances and written history. Barkley's a victim of propaganda. He speaks his mind without censorship, but on issues that require thought and introspection and perhaps some investigating and actual reading and knowledge PLEASE do not use him. Again, compared to Kenny's weak letter Barkley won. Kenny was soft on it.
    Sidenote: I ain't have no problem with them rioting in Ferguson and I salute them for doing so as long as they did it like the rodney king riots and left black owned businesses alone.