You know, I feel like if a white player got caught posting apocryphal Hitler quotes about the Jewish menace on social media, he might have to do a little disavowing too.
I think he’d have to do more disavowing and apologizing than DeSean Jackson did. Why? Because our stupid culture continues to cut a tremendous amount of slack to black Americans who follow Louis Farrakhan. They’re not beyond criticism, as we’ve been reminded in Jackson’s case, but because Farrakhan’s anti-semitism comes packaged with black nationalism, it’ll never completely lose its woke halo. Jackson hasn’t been cut by the Eagles as I write this. I’m not aware of him being fined or even condemned by the league. He’s received not an iota of the condemnation Drew Brees got for politely objecting to kneeling during the national anthem, an occasion on which he thinks of the veterans in his family.
Even the Anti-Defamation League was solicitous of him, treating him more like a confused child than a grown man who didn’t see a problem with invective about Jews “extorting” America in a plan for “world domination” that was attributed to f***ing Hitler:
ADL appreciates @DeSeanJackson10 apology for the #antisemitic posts on his Instagram and the @Eagles condemnation of them. It's our hope he uses this moment as a chance to work with the Jewish community and educate himself further on how dangerous and hurtful antisemitism is.
— ADL Philadelphia (@ADLPhiladelphia) July 7, 2020
Farrakhanists get a break for two reasons. One is the condescending racist impulse that we shouldn’t expect them to know better. They’ve had so many tribulations of their own, they were deprived of equal education for so long, it’s just not fair to demand that they spy the problematic-ness of Nazi leaders ranting about bloodsucking Jews. The other, as I say, is the fact that Farrakhan preaches black empowerment, and well-meaning people of other races don’t want to begrudge African-Americans that given their history of persecution. So if a little “beware the Jewish octopus” rhetoric occasionally spills into his lectures about black pride, hey. It’s only fair that they get to be a little racist too.
There may be a third reason. To some, Farrakhanist drivel may fly simply because “black people can’t be racist.”
Two clips below. The first is amusing because of Skip Bayless’s palpable discomfort in suggesting that Farrakhan crosses the line. The second is Sharpe demanding to know why black athletes don’t have whites defending them the way Tony Dungy will occasionally defend the likes of Brees for his much lesser transgression. I can’t begin to imagine why Jews aren’t leaping to Jackson’s defense over a (fake) *Hitler quote*, but I’d say that all in all Jackson’s had quite a lot of people defending him — through their silence. White players aren’t criticizing him. Black players aren’t criticizing him. The Farrakhanists among them doubtless quietly agree with him. Former NBA player Stephen Jackson, who’s achieved an unusual degree of woke cache from his activism and his long friendship with George Floyd, had this to say in further defense of DeSean Jackson in an Instagram session:
Person he’s on w: "The point is, you did not just say to me that Jews are not trying to divide the black community."
Jackson: "You know that for a fact? … You know who the Rothschilds are? They own all the banks.”
Jackson then said, “I haven’t said one thing that’s untrue yet"
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) July 8, 2020
Sure, why not throw a musing or two about Jewish moneylenders into the mix at this point? He won’t lose his woke halo for it either. This garbage is tolerated, if not encouraged, in Farrakhanist circles. And that itself is basically tolerated in wider American culture.
The only way you can’t get cancelled in 2020 is if you’re a major celebrity that promotes Louis Farrakhan
Watch as Shannon Sharpe says that Louis Farrakhan isn’t an anti-Semite
pic.twitter.com/LecUB4h5ai— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 8, 2020
When whites say something bad in the NFL, they get Tony Dungy to clean it up. Where is the person in the Jewish community that will come to our defense?
I'm not excusing DeSean, but whites never have to disavowal. Jerry Jones & Mr. Kraft stand lock-stock-and-barrel with Trump. pic.twitter.com/H5Bk0vMPb6
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) July 8, 2020
