WTMF? Gabby Douglas shouldn't ...

[NitaX]

be on the front page of our local newspaper. See, and ya'll think we make this shit up. Read on and be outraged.

Chris Peck: Racism card clouds dialogue
By Chris Peck

Sunday, August 5, 2012

The calls and letters come with enough regularity that I keep a file. And have for 10 years.

The Summer Olympics on TV prompted the latest entry.

An elderly man, a longtime subscriber to this newspaper, called a few days ago to complain about the Page 1 photograph showing Gabrielle Douglas.

If you have been following the Olympics, you will recognize Gabby.

She's the 16-year-old African-American kid who helped the United States team win the gold medal in women's gymnastics.

Then she won Olympic gold as the best all-around female gymnast in the world.

That's Gabby Douglas — the girl who moved away from her family in Virginia to live in Iowa and work with a coach who thought, if she worked hard enough, she could become the best gymnast in the world. And she did it.

No matter to the caller a few days ago.

He didn't like seeing Gabby leaping above the balance beam on Page 1 of The Commercial Appeal.

To him, the photo was fostering racism, was one more sign of the racist, pro-black orientation of The Commercial Appeal.

Too many black faces in print, he said. Too much alignment with black interests and politicians.

He's not the only entry into my file from the past few days.

Here's a snippet from an e-mail that hit my in-box this past week:

"I would tell you why The Commercial Appeal's business is down,'' it said. "It's because of articles ... that have the tone that people who live in the suburbs are racist and bigots. Why would someone want to support a business when the paper is calling them racist?''

Among other things, the e-mailer didn't like the slant of a column by Wendi C. Thomas. And coverage of the proposed city-county schools merger.

And it cuts both ways, black and white, when it comes to people in Greater Memphis seeing racism in news coverage.

Blasting this newspaper's unwillingness to share the names of anonymous commenters who criticized the merging of city and county schools, County Commissioner Sidney Chism said, "The newspaper has used this issue to promote their own interests. They are the most divisive element we've got in this town.''

Presumably, Chism is seeing the newspaper's defense of commenters remaining anonymous as proof that the paper is trying to protect its white readership in the suburbs.

So what to make of these criticisms?

The simple answer is that newspapers follow the news, track events in the world and report on them.

Gabby Douglas wasn't on Page 1 because she is black.

She was on Page 1 because she won two gold medals for the USA in the Olympics.

The newspaper didn't pick the fight over whether to release the names of its commenters.

That was the Shelby County commissioners, including Sidney Chism, who hired the lawyers who came after the names. What we have done is simply say that we have a tacit agreement with all commenters that allows them to comment anonymously, with all the good and bad that comes with that.

Nothing more.

To practice journalism in Memphis is to know that lofting charges of racism is something of a blood sport here. It's a Memphis version of an improvised explosive device, designed to inflict harm.

The IED of a racism charge is intended to force people into a defensive crouch, calculated to shut off conversations.

And honestly, it's a charge that is used by both African-American and white people around here to great effect.

One reason Memphis seems so bogged down in addressing all kinds of challenges is that the public discourse can't ever seem to get past racial divisions.

Once you bring up racism, the result is often people running to their corners to get ready for the boxing match.

To say Memphis doesn't have racist elements would be naive.

To suggest that race isn't interwoven into our politics, economics and culture would suggest you have your eyes sewn shut.But injecting racism early and often into every social and political issue short-circuits many discussions.

It just shuts things down, closes off minds, drives people to their corners.

Charging racism is a convenient way to avoid thinking about what needs to be done in Memphis to make this a better city.

What this city needs is deep thinking, critical thinking, radical thinking, in fact, about addressing our economic and cultural challenges.

Yelling racism at every turn doesn't help that. So let's stop it.

I don't need a fatter file.

www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/aug/05/chris-peck-hope-is-tougher-than-despair/?print=1

[Melissa W.]

I was pretty upset that my local NBC did an article about her mother's financial difficulties.

[copzgirl1171]

SMDH.

[marie427]

Obviously this guy doesn't follow the Olympics or else he'd know that women's gymnastics is pretty damn popular. If she had won in trampoline gymnastics, then she wouldn't have been on the front page no matter what race she is. But she won among the most sought-after prizes in the Olympics. What a turdbucket.

I guess if Michael Phelps were black, this douchenozzle would be irate to see someone who's won a record 22 medals in total on the front page of his newspaper too.

[casmgn]

Aug 6, 2012 11:48:08 GMT -5 Melissa W. said:

I was pretty upset that my local NBC did an article about her mother's financial difficulties.

I feel like this always happens though - the heartwarming story of how the family sacrificed everything so the star Olympian could pursue his/her dreams.

[Melissa W.]

www.nbcolympics.com/news-blogs/gymnastics/gymnast-gabby-douglas-mom-filed-for-bankruptcy.html

It really doesn't come off as heartwarming.

[msmerymac]

Yeah, I mean, black Olympians AND a black president? WHY ARE YOU PUSHING A RACIAL AGENDA, NEWSPAPERS?!

[cookiemdough]

Aug 6, 2012 11:51:16 GMT -5 casmgn said:

Aug 6, 2012 11:48:08 GMT -5 Melissa W. said:

I was pretty upset that my local NBC did an article about her mother's financial difficulties.

I feel like this always happens though - the heartwarming story of how the family sacrificed everything so the star Olympian could pursue his/her dreams.

I am not sure if I read the same article as wooten but the one I read actually talked about her bankruptcy and then listed all her creditors. It was not a story of sacrifice. It was more like "financially irresponsible mom will profit from daughter's success" kind of thing. I was annoyed.

[Deleted]

I can't wait for all the old people to die.

[Melissa W.]

Yeah they briefly mentioned him in the article too that their home was being foreclosed on. Then it was details about her mom's bankruptcy.

[mominatrix]

Aug 6, 2012 12:00:47 GMT -5 toledo said:

Aug 6, 2012 11:48:08 GMT -5 Melissa W. said:

I was pretty upset that my local NBC did an article about her mother's financial difficulties.

FWIW, the morning news was discussing a similar story about Lochte.

Maybe he'll have to sell off some grillz to pay off debt.

...via mobile.

[decemberwedding07]

Aug 6, 2012 12:00:47 GMT -5 toledo said:

Aug 6, 2012 11:48:08 GMT -5 Melissa W. said:

I was pretty upset that my local NBC did an article about her mother's financial difficulties.

FWIW, the morning news was discussing a similar story about Lochte.

Grills eat up a lot of money, you know. It's really the single greatest source of bankruptcy in the United States. Something needs to be done to regulate the price of grills.

[thejackpot]

Aug 6, 2012 12:01:44 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

Aug 6, 2012 11:51:16 GMT -5 casmgn said:

I feel like this always happens though - the heartwarming story of how the family sacrificed everything so the star Olympian could pursue his/her dreams.

I am not sure if I read the same article as wooten but the one I read actually talked about her bankruptcy and then listed all her creditors. It was not a story of sacrifice. It was more like "financially irresponsible mom will profit from daughter's success" kind of thing. I was annoyed.

[/b]

This. No heartwarming nature at all.

[decemberwedding07]

Aug 6, 2012 12:44:53 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

Aug 6, 2012 12:01:44 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

I am not sure if I read the same article as wooten but the one I read actually talked about her bankruptcy and then listed all her creditors. It was not a story of sacrifice. It was more like "financially irresponsible mom will profit from daughter's success" kind of thing. I was annoyed.

[/b]

This. No heartwarming nature at all.

[/quote]
I just read it and I got the same vibe from it. And she may be just 16, but any money she makes off of endorsements is hers, not her mom's.

[AJL]

It's stories about old farts like this guy that make me wonder if death panels weren't a blessing in disguise.

[Melissa W.]

I love this story.
sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olympics-fourth-place-medal/gabby-douglas-doesn-t-care-think-her-hair-142324549--oly.html

[Chirp]

Aug 6, 2012 12:44:53 GMT -5 thejackpot said:

Aug 6, 2012 12:01:44 GMT -5 cookiemdough said:

I am not sure if I read the same article as wooten but the one I read actually talked about her bankruptcy and then listed all her creditors. It was not a story of sacrifice. It was more like "financially irresponsible mom will profit from daughter's success" kind of thing. I was annoyed.

[/b]

This. No heartwarming nature at all.

[/quote]

Same here.

I got part way through and my first thought was "and this is relevant how"?

STOP THE PRESSES!! OMG! Someone filed Chapter 13 after nearly 5 years of recession in addition to the expenses that come with having your child trained for Olympic gold. Shocker. /sarcasm

[NitaX]

Aug 6, 2012 12:19:29 GMT -5 @mx said:

Nitaw! I need to know more about the guy who committed suicide by shooting himself in the head while handcuffed in the back of a police car. This is as bizarre as it sounds right?

Police claim they didn't do it. It's certainly raised some eyebrows around here. Here's a link to the local story.

www.abc24.com/mostpopular/story/Jonesboro-PD-Suspects-Alleged-Suicide-Remains/WXtjmdocZ0aWKhy87YM34Q.cspx