Super PAC Shock: GOP Group Considering Bringing Back…
Pastor Carjacked At Detroit Gas Station
(Update: On Jan. 9, the Golf Channel suspended Tilghman for two weeks for "lynch" remark.)The Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman has an interesting sense of humor, and by interesting I mean not in the least bit funny.
During Friday's telecast of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, Tilghman joked on the air that golf's young players should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley."
Ha, ha, ha ... wait a sec, that's not ... funny. It's particularly not amusing, as one can imagine, to African-Americans. (Check out the history of lynching here and here . Note to Kelly: it's not so funny, it's not a joke.)
One can follow the assumption that Tilghman was trying to say other golfers have no shot at beating Tiger Woods unless he's not playing. However, why anyone would use the word "lynch," a dark racist practice, one that continued well into the 20th century, to convey such a thought doesn't quite add up.
Maybe Kelly Tilghman, who grew up in South Carolina and received a golf scholarship to Duke, is racist. Maybe Kelly Tilghman isn't a racist. Perhaps she has "lots of black friends." Perhaps the closest she's ever been to a black person is watching an episode of 'Everybody Hates Chris.' Who knows? Yet, her comments were not only in poor taste; they were idiotic and showed a complete disregard for history.
Perhaps learning from Don Imus' mistakes, Tilghman issued an on-air apology during Sunday's final round and promptly reached out to Woods' reps to further apologize. Tilghman also released a statement, in which she said: "I used some poorly chosen words. I have known Tiger for 12 years and I have apologized directly to him. I also apologize to our viewers who may have been offended by my comments."
What's Tiger Woods take on the matter?
According to Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, "It is a complete non-issue. Kelly and Tiger are friends. It might have been a poor choice of words, but there was absolutely no ill intent whatsoever."
Obama's running for president, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is around the corner, yet Tilghman's comments prove the struggle is far from over.
But if Tiger Woods' is OK with it, are you?
Comments: (225)
Add a comment
By: Morgan on 1/09/2008 4:45PM
She's Tiger's friend, not mine and her comment was unacceptable period. We're not kids here and know what is considered appropriate - if she wanted to make that comment to her "buddy" then she have been done in an less public arena since she's cool with HIM like that. With all of the attention that has stemmed from these types of comments, it is really interesting to see how people still justify it in their own minds that its ok to make these types of comments.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Tarzan on 1/09/2008 5:35PM
I think her comments were funny. We are too up tight. If a brother said it nobody would care!
Keeping the bitches down in Allentown!!!
Peace
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: nancy ellis on 1/09/2008 7:43PM
There is nothing funny about lynching. For 30 years, African Americans were lynched weekly, in this country. The lack of knowledge about Slavery, Jim Crow and the hundreds of lynchings of African Americans is obvious, when someone thinks this phrase is funny. This fact should be mandated in the textbooks of all American Schools and perhaps people would understand the sensitivity of this subject. No one jokes about gassing people in chambers, do they?
NEllis
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Realbrother3 on 1/09/2008 8:21PM
Real Brother here.
I think as Blacks all of us should stop confusing "White Supremacy" for "Racism". Racism is defined as Whites(Non-Blacks) who have a HATRED of Blacks. White Supremacists on the other hand simply believe the White Race is Superior and there doesn't have to be HATRED of Blacks.
A Racist would NOT be Tigers friend and a Racist would NOT be joking when talking about lynching him.
99.9% of ALL Whites(non-Blacks) are White Supremacists while very few HATE us to the point of Lynching us.
When we confuse White Supremacy(voting for Hillary over Obama) with Racism(dragging James Byrd behind a pick up truck to his death) then we allow White Supremacists off the hook because they didn't kill anyone so how could they be Racists?
White Supremacists marry, date, work with, hire, patronize, Blacks. White Supremacists appoint Blacks as Secretary of State, Supreme Court Justice and National Security Advisor. Racists would NEVER do that.
Kelly Tillman is NOT a Racist and she did NOT commit a Racist act, she is a White Supremacist(like the other 99.9% of White folks) and her act of joking about lynching Tiger was a White Supremacist thought.
No Sellout.
TKCAL
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Joy on 1/09/2008 9:41PM
Interesting paradigm worth considering. White supremacy and racism is not synonymous. That answers a lot of questions for me as one of my friends is married to an Anglo and I could not for the life of me understand why, because in my mind I considered the person a racist. It also opens up a new consideration in another area, but this is the wrong forum. Thanks for the enlightenment.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: charles on 1/10/2008 12:02AM
plus she should think before she speaks what if charles davis who was on the program the 19th hole made a remark about one of the top white golfers do u think he would get a second chance i have watched kelly on the golf channel for 2yrs those remarks seem so out of line for her so good luck but remember think before u speak
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: George on 1/10/2008 12:34AM
I'm white (just to be upfront about it). Obviously her remark was hugely inappropriate, but I disagree with the other comments on here which label her remark as undoubtedly racist. In my view, the comment can only be considered racist if Tiger's race factored into her choice of words. Maybe this is true, maybe not.
There are certain words I know never to say in public for obvious reasons. These include the n-word and various 4-letter words. For me, "lynch" was not one of those words (until now obviously). I can imagine myself accidentally using that word in casual speech (in a completely non-racist context... the word need not be directed toward a black person), and not realizing the offensive nature of the word until a few seconds after using it. You could call this carelessness, poor taste, or even ignorance on my part. But it is NOT racist if I never associated the word with a black person to begin with. (To an extent, I would even classify this lack of association as un-racist.)
As racism continues to decrease in our society in the long-term, people will unavoidably begin to forget the offensive nature of certain words as they existed in the old world. If a white person says the word "lynch" without meaning anything bad, this is a sign that racism is disappearing altogether. (No, I'm not suggesting that racism no longer exists. I'm not that ignorant. But it could be a step in the right direction.)
Do not misunderstand me. Obviously, we should never forget the suffering and tribulations of African-Americans in our country's history. I am not advocating that we sweep that under the carpet. We must know the mistakes of history so we know not to repeat them, and we must pay our respect to those who sacrificed so much to establish the civil rights we have today. But I think a certain level of ignorance will be an unfortunate but necessary consequence of the death of racism, when that day comes.
Anyway, the question is whether Kelly Tilghman made this mistake I'm describing. If so, she should not be branded a racist. Rather, she should perhaps be fired for not knowing any better than to say something that would offend so many people.
Please do not delete my comment. (That would be racist and it would depress me after writing this whole thing.) Thanks for your time, and please give me feedback.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Barbara Smith on 1/10/2008 1:59AM
Did we all forget what a Feudian Slip is? Have we all not taken this in the context of the frequency of these comments in the past year and the growing climate of acceptability of vocabulary which should have been archaic by 2008? Anyone who is on national television who has use for a word like "lynch" in any context has a problem. I didn't need the translation of intent given by some of you. No one has a problem with that. However, her choice of words to express
that intention tells more and makes the "joking" not a joke. Golf Channel is becoming reality tv.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Jessie on 1/10/2008 4:49AM
This dude is found at the interracial club mixedfriends.com a moment ago. He has created a personal profile to seek young and hot girls out of his race there.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: myles tune on 1/11/2008 1:14AM
I happen to be the first white missionary ever sent from America by black people. We were great friends then and still are, the ones of us that are still living. That was 45 years ago. We joked with each other and had a great time. It is a shame that we cannot do that today.Then a joke was funny, now it makes headlines.
Reply to this Comment | Report This