NBA All-Star LeBron James Refuses To ‘Be A Witness’ Against Darfur Genocide
NBA All-Star LeBron James Refuses To ‘Be A Witness’ Against Darfur Genocide
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ Ira Newble recently wrote an open letter criticizing China’s role in the Darfur genocide, urging fellow basketball players to pressure China to change its policy ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics. “China cannot be a legitimate host to the premier international event in the sporting world - the Summer Olympic Games - while it remains complicit in the terrible suffering and destruction that continues to this day,” the letter stated.
While most of Newble’s teammates signed the letter, only two did not: Damon Jones and LeBron James. James, one of the NBA’s most recognizable faces, is a perennial all-star and was named a tri-captain of the 2006 USA World Championship Team. In an op-ed in today’s Christian Science Monitor, NYU history professor Jonathan Zimmerman explains the dynamics behind Jones and James’s decision:
James said he didn’t have enough information about the issue to take a stand. Mr. Jones wouldn’t comment. We can choose to take them at their word, of course — or we can follow the money. Jones has an endorsement contract with an up-and-coming Chinese shoe and apparel company. James has a $90 million deal with Nike, which has huge business interests in China. […]
Ironically, LeBron James has not decided whether he will compete in Beijing. But in the real battle, over Darfur, James has elected to stay on the sidelines. That’s his right, of course. And the rest of us have the right to call his behavior what it is.
China is Sudan’s largest trading partner. Brookings scholar Roberta Cohen wrote, “Were China to use even a small part of its leverage to call Sudan to account, it would go a long way toward saving lives in Sudan.”
In July 2005, the Center for American Progress Action Fund teamed up with the Genocide Intervention Fund to call citizens to “be a witness” of the genocide and ask major television networks to report on the massacre. James now appears in Nike advertisements calling others to be a witness… of his basketball stardom:
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122 Responses to “NBA All-Star LeBron James Refuses To ‘Be A Witness’ Against Darfur Genocide”
I couldn’t find Darfur on a map. Maybe we should start small.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:25 amSelfish multimillionaire? Who here is not surprised?
May 24th, 2007 at 10:26 amalways refreshing when the idiotic athletic “giants” are shown up for what they are. In most cases simply ignorant, non educated special people.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:27 amin this one, greedy bastards that should be playing on the playground. under adult supervision
Follow the money.
Somehow, this always seems to lead to the truth is very short order.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:29 amYou think Hillary will refuse Chi-Com money for her campaign in support of Darfur?
No.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:33 amDo you think we are talking about Hillary?
No.
Swing and a miss.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:36 amAmericans can’t be bothered standing up for their country, their soldiers or the constitution. Why would we expect some athlete, no doubt with a neocon agent and manager telling him what to do, to stand up for people with no money who will never buy the shoes he hawks.
He’s showing the same sense of responsibility all Americans show. None.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:37 amDarfur is a tragedy, but do we really want the Bush Regime to get involved? Every country Dubya goes into becomes worse than if nothing was done.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:40 amJames has a $90 million deal with Nike, which has huge business interests in China. - - The Darfur issue passed by Lebron with a big SWOOSH.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:41 amLook at Patrick1, he sells out his country for the small check he gets from KKK Rove. The US is a country full of self-serving, whining babies.
Only people as stupid as Patrick1 are open about their selfishness but the country is full of them.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:42 amHow can we claim to care about Darfur, if we don’t care about the human right abuses going on in Iraq?
If we take our troops out of Iraq, Darfur would be a walk in the park. Will we, left wing kooks of the left, demand that we return troops to Iraq after the human right abuses surpass that of Rwanda, Darfur, Nazi Germany, etc?
Why do we care so much about Darfur people, but could careless about Iraqi people?
May 24th, 2007 at 10:43 amSeriously, a kid that only knows how to play basketball cant possibly know what is going on in the neighbor state. His agents do all the talking for him. Sad.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:45 amWhat a waste of space. The kid signed like a mega-million dollar deal with the NBA and signed a giga-million dollar deal with Nike and folks are surprised that corporate america owns his soul.
PLEASE
This space would be better used to show pics of Edward’s haircut.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:46 amLeBron can now expect much grief from the moonbat PC nazis.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:46 amPres. Clinton guy on here > US is killing Iraqis and not helping them, but whatever floats your boat guy.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:48 amHey, he’s making his millions, screw everything else.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:48 amPres. Clinton guy on here > US is killing Iraqis and not helping them, but whatever floats your boat guy.
Comment by Jay Randal — May 24, 2007 @ 10:48 am
So, it is not the terrorists killing Iraqis, it is the United States.
Wow, I know that my fringe left wing followers are nuts, but this is beyond believe.
Son, listen to me, the greatest and smartest President to ever set foot on the White House rugs, you are a wacko, a nut and wrong.
Just thought I let you know.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:51 amDon’t blame the stars, blame the idiots who pay to watch them.
Honestly, yes, these “stars” are physically gifted. But so what? Why the hell do millions of people pay to WATCH? It’s because people are lazy and would rather live vicariously though someone else than try to live their own lives.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:53 amLeBron can now expect much grief from the moonbat PC nazis.
Comment by Patrick1nut — May 24, 2007 @ 10:46 am
Or, at least from the Pistons tonight, eh 1nut?
May 24th, 2007 at 10:55 amWow, I know that my fringe left wing followers are nuts, but this is beyond believe.
Comment by President Clinton
Oh, Shock and awe, Gulf War, economic embargo against Saddam for 10+ years… mmm, no, no dead Iraqis dead there.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:57 amLOL Clinton imposter > Bush Regime invaded Iraq and are responsible for all the mayhem killing everybody in Iraq. Real Bill Clinton is too busy playing golf with Bush Senior to hang out on TP threads.
May 24th, 2007 at 10:58 amThe guy is a stud bball player. Just because he wants nothing to do with politics doesn’t mean he isn’t a great guy. I certainly don’t blame him for not wanting to risk $90 million. Who would?
May 24th, 2007 at 10:59 amDude, I can’t be a witness. I’ve got money to make and important stuff to do.
Oy…
May 24th, 2007 at 10:59 amWho would?
Comment by Roger_Roger
I would.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:01 amRoger_Rhetoric sez:
Exactly the priorities we would have expected from you, RR.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:01 amWhat about Tibet? No thinking person should support China or have anything to do with the Olympics with the murder, rape, pillage that China is doing to Tibet?
May 24th, 2007 at 11:02 amScrewBush
May 24th, 2007 at 11:04 amThis space would be better used to show pics of Edward’s haircut.
Wow, zing.
We shouldn’t be looking to LeBron James for anything more than entertainment during a basketball game. It’s the current commander in chief that needs to speak out as well as john q. public.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:05 amHe’s a basketball player who never went to college, his opinion is no more important than anyone you see walking down the street. Celebrities are no smarter or insightfull than regular people, and in most cases, they are probably below average. Please quit trying to make a guy who isn’t a role model into one.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:06 amIt’s all about money. Money over people.
Karma, what goes around comes around.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:07 amHmmm… are these the values being taught at Catholic high schools?
May 24th, 2007 at 11:07 amYou think that these athletes would sacrifice important (and lucrative) contracts to make a political statement? Even our polticians themselves are guilty of such things (I can’t badmouth Company X because Company X is a major campaign contributor…) And we expect better behavior from non-politicians? Laughable.
While I have no sympathy for LeBron James, I believe Damon Jones is doing a great service by wearing a relatively cheap basketball shoe. The good there is that he is advocating that to be a star you do not need some ridiculously expensive basketball shoe. And the manufacturer isn’t making nearly as a ridiculous profit margin as Nke does on the sale of these shoes. These are good things.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:08 amLeBron is not playing ball with the PC left. It matters not what your personal beliefs may be, it matters not that you would simply want to live your life your way choosing your own cause if any to promote.
Darfur is the cause of the moment. A situation created by a combination of Islamo Fascism that the left won’t fight and the U.N. which the left loves. Now that liberal ideology has created a problem it is the liberals who look to others to create the solution. The solution of course would be to feed the people who are starving, kill the Islamo Fascists who are killing the innocents and dismantle the U.N. that enables the problem.
If LeBron said that he would receive more respect than signing a letter to say how outraged he is about a problem created by the people who wrote the letter.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:08 amWow, zing.
Comment by squegeebooo
I must be missing something — what’s the obsession with Edwards’ hair? I don’t remember it being remarkable in any particular way.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:08 amOh come on people!
He is an athlete, not a politician! He makes his money by playing basketball. Not a spokesperson, not an advocate, not a politician. Just because we see him on TV and print ads everywhere doesn’t mean he should be expected to be anything else other than what got him in those ads-basketball. Sure, he makes a ton of money while 20% of the nations children are born into poverty and that doesn’t seem right, but it isn’t right to expect him to join a cause just because he has a lot of greenbacks. Are you bashing him because he didn’t sign this letter or because he didn’t sign the letter and HE IS RICH? Maybe your mad that he was making millions right out of high school while you’re managing paycheck to paycheck after 10… 20… 30 years at your career?
Oddly enough….
while it remains complicit in the terrible suffering and destruction that continues to this day
Is there anything different than what we are doing in Iraq? NO.
Should we stop trading with China? What - and stop buying cheap at Walmart?
TP you are whining over nothing - and so is everyone in this post who is pissed about Labron not signing a letter.
WAH WAH WAH
May 24th, 2007 at 11:11 amPatrick1, please explain Islamo Fascism. We need to know our enemy before we fight. Or we should have before we jumped into Iraq so please clarify what exactly Islamo Fascism is all about.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:15 amPatrick1, please explain Islamo Fascism. We need to know our enemy before we fight.
Comment by hellinabucket
He doesnt know. He just cut & pasted another troll´s post.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:20 amWow, Blue healer, were you born a moron, or was it a learned behavior from watching too many overpaid sports stars?
Most of us here don’t shop at Walmart and are trying to get the US out of Iraq. Go back to playing with your little green football……
May 24th, 2007 at 11:22 amI must be missing something — what’s the obsession with Edwards’ hair? I don’t remember it being remarkable in any particular way.
Comment by Zooey
A man that says he is an advocate for the poor and then gets $300 haircuts with campaign money is a bit hypocritical.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:23 amIslamoFascism as a movement defined by Islamists who seek both a return to Sharia law and the violent creation of a new unified Muslim state. This is often conceived by Sunni Islamists as a new Caliphate spanning the former Islamic empire, from Spain to Central Asia
May 24th, 2007 at 11:24 amPatrick1 just likes the sound of the phrase ‘Islamo Fascism’, ’cause no matter how drunk he gets, he can still blurt it out, and it sounds the same.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:27 amIt is also a combination of the ideology of a cult using government to enslave all people who do not hold to the ideology of the cult.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:27 amA damn shame…I say all those endorsements should dry up, or those companies who endorse him, should dry up. Selfish SOB.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:28 amIt is also a combination of the ideology of a cult using government to enslave all people who do not hold to the ideology of the cult.
Comment by Patrick1 — May 24, 2007 @ 11:27 am
Wow, I just think Pee1 just explained AIPAC….
May 24th, 2007 at 11:29 amI must be missing something — what’s the obsession with Edwards’ hair? I don’t remember it being remarkable in any particular way.
Comment by Zooey
The Reich Wing is obsessed because Edwards paid $400 for a haircut in LA. Makes me think Faux News etal. are afraid he’ll get the nomination more than if Hillary or Obama get it.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:30 amA man that says he is an advocate for the poor and then gets $300 haircuts with campaign money is a bit hypocritical.
Comment by timmy
What makes you think he needs campaign money to pay for a haircut? Show us a link that even says it was campaign money or STFU.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:33 amIt is also a combination of the ideology of a cult using government to enslave all people who do not hold to the ideology of the cult.
Comment by Patrick1
Are you sure you’re not thinking of fundamentalist Christians?
May 24th, 2007 at 11:34 amEdwards haircut is proof that there are two Americas.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:34 amComment by Patrick1 — May 24, 2007 @ 11:24 am
Nice Wikipedia plagiarism, you hack.
Funny how you didn’t include this bit from the Wikipedia entry:
And this:
And this:
That about sums it up.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:34 amAnd TMM makes the “SMACKDOWN”!! *The crowd roars with approval*
May 24th, 2007 at 11:38 amMore proof that John Edwards is right about their being two Americas.
John Edwards has claim to part of a $500 million sunken pirate treasure. Thus comes the obvious question: What’s John Edwards’ pirate name?
Silky Beard the Pirate?
Captain Fabulous?
Long John Edwards?
It’s too bad I don’t think he has much of a chance in the primary. With the Pink Sapphire beauty treatments and his managing hedge funds to learn about poverty, the guy is pure comedy gold.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:40 amGive me a break. This is news?
What are you people doing about Darfur?
May 24th, 2007 at 11:43 amPee1,
May 24th, 2007 at 11:45 amMan, you must really be threatened to bring on the ad-hominems. It’s all you have, really…..
Not trying to sound like the smart ass but why would anybody pays direct attention at Patrick1 is beyond me.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:45 amI’m not giving any money to the U.N. and I support the war against IslamoFascism. You?
May 24th, 2007 at 11:47 amComment by Patrick1 — May 24, 2007 @ 11:40 am
More plagiarism by the feckless hack.
You’re truly pathetic, Patty. I’m embarrassed for you at this point.
May 24th, 2007 at 11:48 amThanks TPM and others for showing a more rounded description of islamofascism. p1 reminds me of michael wiener savage when he uses the term and it just further clouds any real issues of the day.
$300 dollar haircut. Is that worse than a video diagnosis? Worse than loosing 5 million emails?
May 24th, 2007 at 11:49 am“What makes you think he needs campaign money to pay for a haircut? Show us a link that even says it was campaign money or STFU.”
Comment by shane
Here you go now you can STFU.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18157456/
“WASHINGTON - Looking pretty is costing John Edwards’ presidential campaign a lot of pennies. The Democrat’s campaign committee picked up the tab for two haircuts at $400 each by celebrity stylist Joseph Torrenueva of Beverly Hills, Calif., according to a financial report filed with the Federal Election Commission.
FEC records show Edwards also availed himself of $250 in services from a trendy salon and spa in Dubuque, Iowa, and $225 in services from the Pink Sapphire in Manchester, N.H., which is described on its Web site as “a unique boutique for the mind, body and face” that caters mostly to women.”
May 24th, 2007 at 11:53 amHey, James is just as much a victim, of course in a different way, as the poor people in Darfur. He is still a kid, and he does what he is told by his managers and business advisors. this guy just got out of high school a couple of years ago. He probably could not locate Africa on a map. let alone Darfur.
This is another example of the corporations dictating the issues. It is probably in the shoe contract not to criticise the sweat shops. Who knows?
May 24th, 2007 at 12:01 pmNo Blue Dahlia - I’m not a moron and I’m not a whiner. I don’t shop at Walmart and I do want the US out of Iraq.
That is not the issue here though. You are all pissed because some millionaire didn’t sign a letter denouncing the genocide at Darfur and China’s role as a Sudan’s largest trading partner. Hey, you know what? I didn’t sign that letter either but you won’t find a story on TP about that with a bunch of whiney posts because I am not a public figure and I am not a millionaire (yet).
The fact that this guy is a public figure and makes millions are the ONLY REASONS why this is mentioned on TP. It’s not about the Olympics or China or Darfur… it’s about this guys paycheck. Do we have the right to judge him, or anyone else in his situation, on what charities he does or doesn’t donate to? I don’t think so. Do we have the right to publicly chastize him, or anyone else in his situation, because they declined to support a cause that we believe in? I don’t think so. We don’t have any more right to tell him where to spend his money than I do to tell you where to spend your money.
Get it?
Here is a hint at engaging in successful debate and lending credibility to your view point… Don’ open with an insult.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:02 pmI just want to witness LeBron take us to the finals.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:03 pmMaybe with Jordan gone, we can finally get there and bring a championship home to Cleveland (aside from indoor soccer…sorry Crunch/Force fans)
When did American athletes start acting like 1980’s Republicans over South Africa?
Oh, that’$ right, how $illy of me!
Whores. Africa loses again.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:06 pm.
BH, anyone in the public eye will receive public scrutiny. like it or not.
p1, when was the war on islamofascism started? Is there a web site to contribute to it?
You want to be scared? Look up the latest National Security Presidential Directive and Homeland Security Presidential Directive. Freedoms are being taken away right here and it’s happening within our government. Not some shadowy fear word that was thrown together.
Expensive haircuts or athlete’s ignorance shouldn’t be the focus.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:10 pmhellinabucket…
You’re right, anyone in the public eye will receive public scrutiny.
So where are the articles or the names of the hundreds/thousands of other non-Chinese athletes and organizations in the public eye that will participate in, or make money from the China Olympics? They didn’t sign this letter either.
The “Have-nots” of America get mad when the “Haves” tell them what to do or where to spend there hard earned green (via taxes) and we don’t think that is right. On the flip side, the same “Have-nots” don’t have any right to tell the “Haves” where to spend there money.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:24 pmTimmy, Get a LIFE !!!!
No one on Earth should gives a rat’s ass about a candidate’s haircut. Trying to fabricate this as an issue says that you only seek to mislead because a haircut cannot be an issue. A damn haircut says nothing about the rich, the poor, the war, the tax code, or health care. Zippo, nothing.
Oprah, for example, has done more for benefiting others than about 90% of people. OMG, she throws herself multi-million dollar parties. Well so be it. As long as she personally helps others and encourages others to do the same, who gives a shit.
GOPers, always looking to magnify some little insignificant crap ball into a boulder. It’s the big picture numb-nuts, the big picture is what matters. How do individuals, governments, and institutions wheel and deal millions and billions of dollars to affect the wellfare of the people, not how much someone spends on their hair, clothes, nails, etc. Hell, i don’t have a problem with the WH allowance for gay hookers. It’s the tax breaks to the top 1% which amounts to hundreds of millions if not billions that annoy me.
May 24th, 2007 at 12:54 pmTimmy, Get a LIFE !!!!
No one on Earth should gives a rat’s ass about a candidate’s haircut. Trying to fabricate this as an issue says that you only seek to mislead because a haircut cannot be an issue. A damn haircut says nothing about the rich, the poor, the war, the tax code, or health care. Zippo, nothing.
Oprah, for example, has done more for benefiting others than about 90% of people. OMG, she throws herself multi-million dollar parties. Well so be it. As long as she personally helps others and encourages others to do the same, who gives a shit.
GOPers, always looking to magnify some little insignificant crap ball into a boulder. It’s the big picture numb-nuts, the big picture is what matters. How do individuals, governments, and institutions wheel and deal millions and billions of dollars to affect the wellfare of the people, not how much someone spends on their hair, clothes, nails, etc. Hell, i don’t have a problem with the WH allowance for gay hookers. It’s the tax breaks to the top 1% which amounts to hundreds of millions if not billions that annoy me.
Comment by ScrewBush
I don’t care if he gets a $2000 haircut, but when it is being paid for by campaign dollars it is an issue. If it were a republican people would be all over this here and you know it!
May 24th, 2007 at 1:00 pmEdwards also charged $55,000 to speak about poverty, and nobody sees the hypocrisy?
May 24th, 2007 at 1:03 pm1) LeBron James is a basketball player, not a policy-maker. He’s 22 years old, still a kid.
2) Signing a piece of paper that says “I will not be a witness” saves how many lives?
I consider myself a liberal and I feel very strongly about what is happening in Darfur? But I am not going to denounce people for failing to make superficial gestures toward a cause, simply because they are wealthy or famous. Since when does the liberal cause mandate that celebrities be leaders in social policy?
May 24th, 2007 at 1:35 pmOf course Lebron James doesn’t know enough about the conflict in Dafur, he’s too busy spending the millions of dollars he gets to play basketball. These guys get rich overnight and forget about the rest of the world. Why should he be bothered with something like women and children being raped and murdered? He doesn’t have any blood on his tennis shoes. If this idiot took the time to have one of this posse read a paper or watch the news, this fool would know exactly what is going on over there.
I also fault the NBA for going on with letting its players go to China at a time like this. They (NBA) are more interested in marketing their stupid game than being concerned about things like those going on in Darfur. As long as David Stern doesn’t get his hands dirty, he’s perfectly content to ignore the problems of the world. While I realize it’s not really their problem, they could take a stand against the crimes against humanity which are happening as we speak. Shame, Shame, Shame on Lebron, the other players and the NBA. I guest he NBA stand for Not Borrowed At all.
May 24th, 2007 at 1:55 pmtimmy, should someone who speaks about the european economy get paid in euros?
May 24th, 2007 at 2:08 pmyour argument makes no sense
you are arguing that since he’s anti-poverty that he shouldn’t get paid for the work he does?
Yeah, I could be paid $90MM to forget about genocide too, after-all, it’s just a fellow brotha’ man sellin’ out his fellow brotha’ mans.
You can ask why Lebron sells out here:
http://www.lebronjames.com - got to FORUMS and post (registration required)
or
Email or call his webmaster:
May 24th, 2007 at 2:37 pmjohn@maniacalmarketing.com
Phone: (330) 762-5972
As a (somewhat) liberal, its rather embarrassing to see the blatant ignorance so proudly exhibited by the lefties on this board. First of all, the ridiculous preconception you all have about professional athletes. A little racist, maybe? “Look at the big strong black man running around bouncing a silly little ball. He doesn’t know where Africa is. All he cares about is money and whores and drugs. That’s whats wrong with this country.”
While you will never admit it, that is what you think. So maybe not racism, since you don’t mind skinny nerdy black politicians. More like jealousy coupled with self-righteousness; you don’t like or understand sports and can’t comprehend how it is so enmeshed in our culture, so it makes even less sense that men (in this case LeBron) can make millions of dollars from it. Prejudice, at its worst.
So, with as much smugness as you can muster, you denounce James for not doing what you haven’t either; without knowing him you insult his intelligence and morality. Shame on you.
Get off your high-horse, and if you could so condescend, do come down to earth with the rest of us. I know you may be faced with your own failings, but it will accomplish far more than signing a worthless piece of paper.
As far as LeBron being “uneducated”, or an “idiot”, or a “moron”, I have this. LeBron speaks Mandarin. Do you? Or is English the only language with which you are capable of spouting your jaundiced opinions.
May 24th, 2007 at 2:55 pmtimmy, should someone who speaks about the european economy get paid in euros?
your argument makes no sense
you are arguing that since he’s anti-poverty that he shouldn’t get paid for the work he does?
Comment by Wilco
Charging $55,000 to talk about poverty is totally hypocritical. It shows that he really doesn’t care about the poor, he just wants to make money off his empty rhetoric.
May 24th, 2007 at 2:56 pmOh please Unknown Democrat!
Your view is so niave and filled with assumption…
Show us some proof that James doesn’t know anything about the Darfur situation as you claim.
People who get rich overnight (or just get rich) don’t “forget the rest of the world”. You are assuming that rich people got rich by exploiting others rather than working hard at what they do and being good at what they do. Ever heard of George Soros?
Do you know James personally? Enough to call him an idiot? Doubt it.
Do you know for a fact what charities James donates to? According to this article he said he didn’t sign it because he didn’t have enough information and that he had not decided yet if he was going to Beijing or not.
You said: they could take a stand against the crimes against humanity which are happening as we speak. Shame, Shame, Shame on Lebron, the other players and the NBA. I guest he NBA stand for Not Borrowed At all.
Ok then, following your logic the NBA should just stop it’s business and cease to exist at all because right know America is killing hundreds of thousands of innocent iraqi’s
Funny how in the “land of opportunity” everyone wants to be rich. Some make it, some don’t. Those who don’t harbor resent because they couldn’t, while others could.
We seem to think that when it comes to the rich, they “owe” us something. Krikey, how rich I would be if I had a dollar for every letter that Oprah or Bill Gates received from a complete stranger asking for some free money “because you have so much of it anyway, you won’t miss it”. Regardless of how much money they have, IT’S STILL THEIR MONEY people. They can do with it whatever they want (within the law of course).
GET OVER IT!
May 24th, 2007 at 3:07 pmL’Estasi Dell’Oro
AGREED! WELL SAID!
May 24th, 2007 at 3:08 pmIs James an “idiot”, undeserving of wealth because he never went to college?
Not taking into moral accountability how these people made their money, here is a list of some rich people that never went to college or dropped out of college before achieving a degree.
Remember… Einstein failed out of math class.
Something to ponder…
May 24th, 2007 at 3:16 pmoops!
http://www.pennylicious.com/ 2006/ 10/ 09/ billionaire-dropouts/
May 24th, 2007 at 3:19 pmNEO-CONS…Prejudice against:
Muslims
Africans
Poor people
Liberals
Socialists
LIBERAL FANATICS…Prejudice against…
Christians
Americans
Rich people
Conservatives
Capitalists
Right-wingers aren’t correct nearly as often as they think.
Left-wingers aren’t nearly as open-minded as they think.
Both think they are superior to anyone with a different view.
Form your own opinions people….Get out of the mass of the gullible, regardless of which end of the spectrum you are on. You are intolerant, and you are part of the problem.
May 24th, 2007 at 3:25 pmIf you think Lebron James is selfish for not signing a letter of protest, then YOU are the selfish one. It’s his choice, his business.
When’s the last time you didn’t sign a petition? Or didn’t vote on Election Day? Or failed to toss some money in the Salvation Army bowl at Christmas? Or didn’t donate money for breast cancer research at the DMV? Or didn’t help an old lady across the street? Etc. etc. etc.?
Did Lebron James find out about any of those instances and post a bunch of snarky comments online, calling you a “selfish SOB?” Where do you people get the nerve?
I think it’s great that many of you have educated yourselves on certain issues and you therefore won’t shop at Wal-Mart or you want the troops out of Iraq. But you sound like envious morons when you insult a fellow American citizen simply because he doesn’t want to sign a letter of protest.
Why can’t you celebrate the fact that Ira Newble took a stance on an issue and is using his celebrity to do good in this world? No, you’d much rather just pick on the most famous guy of the bunch, even though most people in the United States couldn’t identify Darfur on a map if their lives depended on it.
Nice going, “activists.” Congratulations on completely changing the focus of the story and turning it into a negative instead of a positive.
May 24th, 2007 at 3:29 pmOh– one more thing:
Lebron James isn’t just some millionaire that “forgot about the rest of the world” once he started making his money. He’s given away MILLIONS to numerous schools, charities, and communities. Do you get that? MILLIONS of dollars.
He’s probably done more good in this world in his short time as a millionaire than many people posting on this website will do in a lifetime. He didn’t hurt anyone by refusing to sign the letter.
May 24th, 2007 at 3:34 pmWell, when his team gets bounced by Detroit, he’ll have plenty of time to research the situation and determine whether or not he wants to get involved.
May 24th, 2007 at 3:37 pmThis TP post is a cheap shot, plain and simple. I think it is just as important to get involved in Darfur as anyone else, but this post is part of a broader hypocrisy in our society that should be stamped out. Let’s review: Lebron James, an athlete who admits to being uninformed about what is happening in Darfur, didn’t sign a statement condemning a country that is not acting to try to stop what is happening in Darfur. It would be one thing if Lebron was supporting a group that directly was involved in what was happening in the Sudan, but all Think Progress has here is two degrees of “non-actions.”
Do we really want to set a standard of criticizing someone for not getting involved in something that they aren’t passionate about? You can argue that Lebron should be passionate about this issue, but everyone is entitled to get involved with the things they choose to, and in any event, by that standard you would have to criticize every other private citizen who isn’t getting involved in Darfur, too. That is NOT the same thing as the Bush administration not getting involved, by the way.
The suggestion that Lebron didn’t get involved because he’s sponsored by Nike…which has factories in China…which is invested in Darfur…is COMPLETELY BASELESS. And even if it is true, guess what, that’s his right! Should no American citizens do any business with China because of Darfur? Here’s an even better question: Does anyone who works at Think Progress wear Nike shoes??? Has EVERYONE who works at Think Progress committed their own time and money to the Darfur cause? Because if they haven’t, they should be called out too, right? For the love of God, make this twisted logic stop already…
May 24th, 2007 at 4:07 pmThirty thousand children die everyday due to disease and starvation. A vast majority of them are black or brown. Hell Bro’, they couldn’t afford those shoes anyway. Hope that new mansion makes you happy, dude. And don’t tell me that Nations kill people…PEOPLE kill people.
May 24th, 2007 at 4:42 pmhes not an ambassador, hes an athlete, he can take on whichever responsibilities he wants to.
get your government to stop trading with china
May 24th, 2007 at 4:59 pmi didnt sign the damn thing either. who gives a crap?
May 24th, 2007 at 5:09 pmAnd what exactly is this petition going to do, it’s not going to change a single thing, on the other hand Lebron can go to China make, make his money, and give back even more than what he has already given to countless charities, and actually get something done, whereas he could sign a piece of paper, make a meaningless statement and everything will most likely stay the same in Darfur.
May 24th, 2007 at 5:21 pm“For the love of God’? “this twisted logic’? And would this be twisted logic also? “What you do to the least of these, you do unto me” Sheep and goats, get in your respective lines. Lebron is young, and seems quite bright. He’ll catch on. I hope. I was abit too harsh earlier. And for the love of God….well, I’ll leave it at that.
May 24th, 2007 at 5:28 pmCircusfifthfloor, I don’t get the relevance of your quote. “What you do to the least of these…”
Lebron James isn’t doing anything to anyone. Refusing to sign a letter isn’t an act against anyone.
May 24th, 2007 at 5:55 pmlebron is soft…
he’s scared to even enter the dunk contest
May 24th, 2007 at 8:08 pmlebron is soft…he’s even scared to enter the dunk competition
May 24th, 2007 at 8:09 pmIf you want a more fair opinion on this, you should check out http://freedarko.blogspot.com/ 2007/ 05/ snack-on-coarsened-paint.html
May 24th, 2007 at 9:10 pmIt would be nice if LeBron did sign the petition, but you can’t force someone to do something. You can’t expect someone who has been sheltered his whole life and never went to college to know a lot about what goes on in the world. I doubt he even cares really.
Also, Lebron may have given lots of money away but he didn’t even make the Top 10 in terms of most generous athletes. Once again, that’s his choice he can do with his money what he wants - no one should be forced to give to charity if they don’t want to.
Blue Healer:
Einstein never failed math class. It’s a common misconception.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:15 pmhttp://www.time.com/time/2007/einstein/3.html
WTF. Action or non action speaks volumes. As sheperds of this planet and it’s children, we must be alert to what causes harm. As for the Wall St. types, where do you find the quote “Business is Business”? Leviticus or Deuteronomy? Many of the people who sit in my church every Sunday do not understand that scripture. You can wink your way around town with your friends, but God is another matter. And if that’s not relevant, what is? Peace, CFF
May 25th, 2007 at 12:29 amAction speaks louder than words. It’s funny how same exact scenarios can be viewed by certain people in an astonishing different way. We are here celebrating Afrika Day with tears on our eyes because we are not and don’t feel like “one”(as a group). We, Afrikans, are not asking the world to feel pity about us, instead we ask the world to be “humanist” and if it is too much to ask for, then just be “quite frankly” as S.A Smith. Sawubuya Afrika
May 25th, 2007 at 6:53 amI’m actually kind of proud of him for not signing something he didn’t know enough about.
It’s just seems believable to me that a 20-something pro athlete wouldn’t know much about Darfur, considering most Americans in general don’t really know much either.
May 25th, 2007 at 7:30 amAll I see, it’s a bunch of jealous people. The kid is smart. he does what all big corporates do (Yahoo!, google, AirBus): Shut up and Do business. When others that make more money like Yahoo! help the chinese implement their policy against freedom of speech who says anything? And you want someone put it’s business in jeopardy because of something that all haters here don’t know about.
May 25th, 2007 at 10:01 amI mean, Baghdad is the most dangerous place in earth. He should stand against the war in Iraq first. But that’s not a popular stand for a US citizen.
Well, considering that what’s going on in darfur isn’t genocide, but instead a civil war, I’d congratulate Lebron and Damon on making the right decision
May 25th, 2007 at 2:15 pmFirst, I want to agree with an earlier post about the somewhat condescending attitude towards athletes that some have shown here. As a former college and pro athlete and division one college coach, I take issue with the fact that people feel that athletes are incapable of being politically aware and taking action based on their beliefs. This does not mean that I am not consistently disappointed with my fellow athletes and their lack of political action. They do have power with their fame and a platform from which they could have tremendous impact on social issues. I constantly put that challenge to them and I attempt to back up my challenge with my own personal lived example.
Some of you have pondered, “What could/should LeBron do in this situation?” He should speak up. Again, he has power and with that power comes great responsibility. Did he ask for this power? No. But it is there and it is real and for him to shirk from that responsibility is both cowardly and immoral. I do not buy the argument that he is unaware and could not point to Africa on a map. He attended a very good Catholic HS and I am quite sure that social justice was part of the curriculum. I will hold out hope that because of the media pressure, he may come around on this issue.
Will it be easy? No. Might it come with a personal and financial cost? Yes. But it is right and just and I hope he comes to realize that sooner than later.
Peace, Jim Keady
p.s. If anyone here would like to learn about the work I have done on the Nike sweatshop issue, please visit http://www.myspace.com/behindtheswoosh. There are a number of video clips there you can check out from ESPN, ABC, NBC and a short film I produced on the issue.
May 25th, 2007 at 4:29 pmThank you Jim. CFF
May 26th, 2007 at 9:11 amYou guys are funny! LOL.
Listen up, maybe Lebron is indeed in love with his money. Maybe not.
You can’t really know. Don’t judge him too soon. He said he can’t sign as he’s not aware of the situation and he needs to know more.
Give him a month or 2. That’s more than enough time for him to know the facts and make up his mind. Only then will we be able to know for sure.
May 27th, 2007 at 11:41 pmJames is a kid who is listening to folks who tell him how to spend his money, where to spend his money, when to spend his money, why he should spend his money and with whom he should spend his money. He’s not going to get caught up in a political cause he knows nothing about and no time and/or inclination to learn anything about it. What does he know about anything, really? Much less taking a political stand on something that he knows diddly about? I doubt if LaBron James can find a bookstore, a map in a bookstore, Africa on the map in the bookstore or Darfur when he finds Africa. What does he know? Only what someone dictates that he should know something.
May 28th, 2007 at 12:40 amTake a step back, everyone. The Chinese are leveraging their considerable influence and investement in the Sudan oil sector to make positive change. In the last month it sent a special envoy to the region with a mandate to solve the Darfur crisis, and it announced that it would support a 3,000-member UN peacekeeping force that will be deployed in the region. This is seen as more than lip service. In fact, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, who visited Beijing this month, said China has “played really quite a positive role” on the Darfur issue.
May 28th, 2007 at 9:31 amThis is mostly due to international pressure. How much of it is due to letters written by NBA players, who knows? Likely very little, but at least they are doing something. Thanks to the work of the UN, the diplomats of like-minded nations, NGOs and concerned citizens around the world, China is coming around on the Darfur issue. Now, if only they would flex their regional muscle and help do something about the military regime in Myanmar. LeBron, get your pen ready.
Personally if LaBron felt he didn’t have enough information then he did the right thing. Many people act without thinking and then refuse to take any responsibility for their actions. Yes, their government is keeping the people oppressed and killing thousands of its citizens. Maybe we should step in, remove the leader and help the people -but wait, we did that with Iraq and everyone says we should not have entered, we should leave and the war is something we should not be a part of. Yet the same people, especially celebrities, that tell us to get out of Iraq are the same ones telling us to go into Dafur. You can’t have it both ways. Pick which way and live with the ramifications.
May 29th, 2007 at 12:13 amI think Lebron did the right thing, and not follow blindly without all the info in hand first, if he then decides to sign well that is his choice, we may or may not agree on it but we should respect it, since I believe that is how I and hopefully many others out there would like to be treated as well, is it what this country was founded on freedom of speech, and freedom of religion, why can’t people just let otheres live their lives the way they want, as long as they are not knowingly harming anyone else.
May 29th, 2007 at 10:37 amChina wants Sudan oil, the way the US wants Iraq oil. No difference guys. Both means to an end and end never justifies the means. Hey Bushie, wanna go to Sudan to liberate them???? They need ya.
Lebron does not want any part of it, partly because it is no win for him. If he takes a stand against China, he ought to take same stand against the USA, and should not have suited up for team USA. In hindsight, maybe he should not have suited up, given US international basketball’s sorry state. Stick to basketball Lebron and play for the USA!!
May 29th, 2007 at 12:09 pmLeave Lebron alone and spend your energy on George W. Bush….he is a lot funnier.
May 29th, 2007 at 12:29 pmIS SWEAR SOME OF YOU MUTHA#$%^’S DON’T HAVE A CLUE. FIRST HE IS ONLY 22, BASKETBALL IS ALL HE PROBABLY KNOWS. SECONDLY, HAVE ANY OF YOU EVER GREW UP IN A CITY THAT WAS RUNDOWN, AND CRACK A VIOLENCE IS EVERYWHERE. I’M FROM AKRON, AND I MOVED, BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST GET TIRED OF SUFFERING. NOW THE PEOPLE OF DARFUR DON’T DESERVE TO BE KILLED, BUT ON THE SAME NOTE, WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THIS COUNTRY PROBLEMS BEFORE WE COMDEMN A YOUNG, BLACK, INNERCITY ATHELETE FOR NOT SIGNING A STUPID PEICE OF PAPER THAT’S NOT GOING TO SAVE LIVES ANYWAY.
May 29th, 2007 at 1:36 pmOk, first of all, I’m with one of the people who stated a great truth about this issue, and taking it one step further: a huge proportion of average people in the world, not just Americans, don’t know crap about Sudan. People in Southeast Asia, people in Hongkong, people in Europe, a large number of them don’t know. Especially people in poor countries, where a lot of them don’t have tv’s, don’t have the internet, and can BARELY READ.
People are only pissed at Lebron because he didn’t sign it *and* he’s rich, and they are jealous that someone so young is good enough at something to be paid millions for it.
People, all athletes are like actors and singers - they are entertainers getting paid for something. The only difference is that athletes like Lebron spend several hours a day exercising, practicing, doing what they can. Because IT’S THEIR JOB. I laugh at people who think athletes shouldn’t get paid so much, that’s like saying capitalism shouldn’t reward the top levels of private companies many times the earning level of the guys who actually do the work at the bottom. That’s fricking capitalism people. There’s nothing wrong with people getting paid more because people are willing to watch their product.
Lebron is actually smarter than the average NBA player, and he makes relatively smart business decisions. Not wanting to sign a letter because he wasn’t informed enough about the issue is surely a better thing to do than signing something blindly. It’s the fricking conference playoffs you non-basketball watching fools! He spends all day watching tape and exercising and practicing and resting to recover from all the physical wear and tear on his body - believe me, Lebron is such a canny PR guy I’m sure he’ll willingly spend time in the off-season to educate himself about the issue so he can decide whether or not his staff can announce that he publicly supports it, but right now is the time of year that matters most to his job.
It’s not like he’s saving lives or something by playing basketball, but you can’t begrudge a guy for wanting to concentrate on a job he loves that rewards him well when it’s fricking crunch time. In the last week alone he’s had millions of people dogging him for not shooting enough in game 1 against the pistons and for forcing things at the end of game 2.
God, it has nothing to do with his contract with Nike you dopes. He just has something more important to him personally to deal with right now, which is doing good in his job to play basketball during the fricking playoffs. And for all you morons who say that there’s more important things to worry about than getting paid and doing your job, well, 1) he can do that stuff after the playoffs, 2) let’s say you’re an engineer and the goddamn deadline is in two weeks and you work so hard everyday you’re exhausted and some coworker wants you to sign some letter about some place you don’t know much about, what are you going to do, honestly? 3) For every elitist snob who considers himself well-informed about big issues and looks down on others who are “not as involved” there are a hundred big issues important to other people that you don’t know jack about.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:18 pmEveryone that thinks LeBron is in the wrong for not signing that worthless paper needs help. I mean come on He has a lot of money, so what. Let him do whatever he wants with it. I totally agree with Blue healer on everything he has stated. Dont worry about what he is doing. Why does everybody have to recognize whbat he did when u could be looking at what Ira Newble did by creating that paper. it may be worthless but it is for a good cause…
May 29th, 2007 at 4:51 pmi m an african myself. I do think that James should not sign this letter becauce china is not the only country messing up in Africa.U ve got France ,England, America and so on …So we have to stop being hypocritical and write a letter against all these countries first.
May 29th, 2007 at 6:21 pmLeBron is a basketball player. When will you idiots figure that out.How much money he makes is irrelvant to world affairs.So what he has a huge contract with nike, anyone of us would love to have that. If he wants to use his clout or not that’s his business.He will never be able to please the masses. Let him play basketball, leave the politics to the politicians.
May 29th, 2007 at 9:20 pmIsn’t it Mr. James right as an american to sign or not sign whatever he chooses? He said he does not have enough information about the issue. I don’t think his signing would make a difference. How about getting the worlds leaders to do their job and find some sort of peace resolution in Darfur. I’m sure China is only one player among many in this slaughter of innocent people. Let LeBron play basketball…he is not a world leader.
May 30th, 2007 at 12:15 amHow weak can LeBron’s comments get? This child has all the resources in the world, and the time, to educate himself on such an important topic. This is not even an issue, unless you believe a good case can be made for subjugating helpless people.
Would he be unable to make a judgment or understand the basics of atrocities? Too bad this is not something as world shaking as the most recent video game.
Maybe someone should help him learn to read and teach him that libraries are really not all that hostile or painful. Even though he may claim it is not his role to sign documents, and it is true his signature may not save many lives, how sad he cannot fathom lending his name or such influence as he claims to such a problem.
May 30th, 2007 at 1:10 amGilbert, you’ve obviously not read anyone’s comments. He actually DOESN’T have the time to educate himself on it right now. It’s the playoffs. He plays more or less once every two or three days, running, jumping and slamming into other guys bodies for 40 minutes at a time. In between, he is spending hours watching tape, practicing, lifting weights, stretching and running.
I dare you to say that you could go through the physical toil he has to go through in a single day and have enough energy afterwards not to just curl up and go to sleep. Could you take getting hit by guys who way 240 to 280 pounds several times a night while jumping and running, then when you come home you don’t want to read the paper because everyone is criticizing you for doing this or not doing that?
And an important issue? Come on. I’m not saying it’s not important… but dude, how many important issues are there that you don’t know anything about? Are you down on health care, aids, gay rights, gun rights, gun control, freedom of speech, health care for the extreme poor in other countries, birth control, abortion, stem cell research, state’s rights, eminent domain, nurse’s unions, medical malpractice, euthanasia, the middle east, independence for Taiwan, AND the Iraq War and whatever else people out there care about and are invested in more than you? Just like everyone else, you pick and choose what issues you care about… so let the guy do the same.
And dude… the guy was raised by his mom on her own. They were damned poor when he was a kid, and lived in a bad neighborhood. Let him enjoy his freaking American dream why don’t you.
May 30th, 2007 at 6:27 amForget Lebron James. Let’s give credit to Ira Newble, the Cleveland Cavalier who took it upon himself to address the Darfur genocide head on. This young man deserves praise not only for putting his name behind this cause but also in getting so many of his teammates to sign on.
Significantly, basketall is part of the Summer Olympics, so for Newble and NBA players to take a stand really is an excelllent way for China to think more deeply about their economic support of the genocide in Sudan. Kudos to Ira!
May 31st, 2007 at 12:42 amschadenfreude made a great point, there are so many issues that people can stand for. He has a 90 million dollar contract with Nike, which does business in China. Logically it doesn’t make sense for him to jump and sign a letter that would mean so much less if someone with less fame signed it. I don’t think that is coming from a manager, or anyone else. That is just common sense, with everything he has going on. Like Coach Keady stated, there comes great responsibility with fame. He has responsibility for him and everything else he is a part of. For everyone my question is, would you be willing to sacrifice your pay check for a cause that is good, but may immediately effect your paycheck and take food from your family and halter your ambitions? I know that most people posting are caring on either side, it is scary how mean these words are for a person who isn’t a murderer, robber, or rapist. There is nobody who does the right thing for everyone, all the time.
Ira Newble great cause, but he wont see any floor time during these finals, so he can work on his other endeavors. What I find interesting is why was this letter brought public, at this time…..distractions. Yes this is a big issue, couldn’t it have waited until maybe, the playoffs are over….about two weeks. Would this letter have changed much in that time span. Couldn’t he have spoken with each player and educated them on the topic before he asked them to sign? A few of them probably signed because it was Ira Newble, realistically.
This is a great time for everyone to do their part. One person can’t do everything, there are enough stars who this issue wouldn’t effect financially as much potentially, that could make a difference. To much altruism can be as detrimental as being selfish.
June 1st, 2007 at 12:19 amLeBron lives in a fantasy bubble and knows only how to dribble a ball, and for $90m to do that is the most embarrassing way to earn a living, how much more evidence does he need before he is convinced Durfur people are being slaughtered, he really doesnt care cos hes not educated enough to care so he doesnt understand and doesnt want to either, maybe someone should sit him down and find a simple way to describe it to him for example: Katrina but tell him its 5000 times worse, then he might be able to register it in his brain if hes smart enough.
June 1st, 2007 at 5:41 amIslamo fascism is an oxymoron. There are a few things that are missing in your so called Islamo fascism 1. Corporatism, 2. Militarism, & 3. Collectivism.
Actually the first moron to publicly speak this phrase (Islamo fascist) was none other than GW Bush. It’s a wonder that people still parrot anything that he says.
June 2nd, 2007 at 8:44 amThe NIKE emblem looks like a stiletto and it is a dagger in the hearts of all who have lost their jobs due to unfair Free Trade. Professional sports stars like LeBron James and Tiger Woods wear the emblem with pride or perhaps for millions they make by displaying it.
It is a sad commentary about our times and no one seems to want to connect the dots between this and terrorism, wars and genocide. The links are there for anyone who wants to see them.
John Perkins’s book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man should be read by these sports stars for a reality check at least. See Tapart News and Art that Talks and explore the lost worlds in the Globalist Flat World with editor and artist Ray Tapajna at http://tapsearch.com/tapartnews and http://tapsearch.com/flatworld or http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ray_Tapajna
June 8th, 2007 at 12:10 pmI’m wondering why we think we have the right to demand that James make a statement about this - he’s 22, plays ball, has given no sense of an interest in global politics, etc. We can impute motives until we’re dead, but it is worth backing up and asking why we think we own him enough to expect anything from him. Outside of playing ball.
June 8th, 2007 at 12:26 pmHigh five to the brainy LeBron.
UN’s five-man panel led by Italian judge Antonio Cassese concluded that there was no genocide in Sudan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4222899.stm
Except US, there was no headline news of Darfur genocide anywhere aound the globe including Europe and African continent . How this “bizzare accusation” came from? The answer is oil. Perhaps US wants a change of regime whom is closer to China than US.
http://www.atimes.com/ atimes/ China_Business/ IE25Cb04.html
I am a believer of truth, not one sided stories. One needs to do due diligence to find out two sides of stories, as in the case of Iraq war before it took place. The world as well as Al Gore knew that there was no WMD before Bush launched the war.
Why didn’t the supporters of war and now the alledged darfur genocide?
This Darfur Genocide is really bizzare. Someone create that out of thin air.
June 10th, 2007 at 1:20 amLebron is learning Mandarin so that he can do more ads and interviews and get into the money in China. He said so himself. He wants to go global and become the first billionaire sports star. These are his priorities. It is sad but he is young so maybe in a few years he will open his eyes a little to the world. He seems like a smart, overhyped guy who will ultimately make up his own mind. For now though, he is just another greedy human being, one who can bounce a ball and throw it through a hoop.
June 13th, 2007 at 12:03 pm