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Will Sterling go gentle into that good night?

May 1, 2014

Well, Adam Silver, the new NBA commish, did the right thing re: Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling, but what a mess, huh? Will the NBA be able to enforce Sterling’s lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine? Will Sterling sue? Those are the questions of the moment.

Meanwhile, much of the blogosphere is still stuck on the private/public dichotomy. He was set up, this group says, plus, lots of people say things in private that don’t reflect how they act in public. I had this conversation over Easter dinner with a gay friend as he defended former Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich, who lost his job over his private support for the anti-gay Prop 8. This, too, was the act of a private citizen.

But it comes down to leadership.

Brendan Eich’s not-so-subtle prejudice

April 6, 2014

I must say I’m surprised by the backlash to Brendan Eich’s resignation as Mozilla CEO after it was revealed that he was anti-gay marriage. Isn’t he entitled to his personal opinions, his supporters say, or is that just for liberals?

But those who defend Eich – who donated $1,000 to Proposition 8, which sought to ban gay marriage in California – don’t seem to get it. Of course, people are entitled to their personal opinions. What they’re not entitled to is to impose them on others, especially when they violate a person’s civil rights.