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Message: [QUOTE="Cowtown, post: 1038693, member: 2350"] The law is not about fairness or justice. The law is about striking a balance between the rights of the individual and the needs of society. Sterling has the right to be a jerk and/or a bigot; he does not, however, have the right to act like one to the point where it affects the rights of others. So the NBA has the legal right to protect their interests and proceed against Sterling, just as he has an equally legal right to defend himself. Consider that, "the right to swing your elbow ends at the next man's chin." You can say or do almost anything you want, even some things that are not by definition legal or illegal, until they affect the rights of others. That's why we have a legal system, so that all have access to their rights under the Constitution. And the legally constituted authorities will strive to find the erstwhile mentioned balance. It's probably a good thing that this has come to a head, but these things don't happen in a vacuum. For as Otto has asked, "Why now?" If Sterling has been a jerk for his entire term of ownership, why were his actions and words not unacceptable then, but suddenly seem to be now? And if the NBA did not act sooner, were they effectively condoning his behavior? Have other owners behaved similarly? This is the kind of question lurking in the shadows if Sterling decides to fight this. Another issue is, "Where do we go from here?" For this is quite a precedent. Will the NBA come down with similar weight on the next poor unfortunate who unwisely utters the N-word on the gym floor, or even privately? Who is willing to take on whom, and over what? Can the owners effectively squeeze out another over some new grievance? And can you trust the rest if you're an owner who's a bit of a rogue? "The line" certainly does not apply only to racial incidents. As I said in another thread, once the genie is out of the bottle, it will be difficult to know where he will go, and impossible to get him back in. All who enjoy the NBA better hope Sterling decides not to fight. But this most assuredly doesn't end here. Just IMHO. [/QUOTE]

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