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Subscribe to RSSCHICAGO -- The president of a suburban youth baseball organization has been suspended for posting a racist rant on Facebook regarding the death of singer Whitney Houston.
Oak Lawn officials banned John Kelly from coaching for one year after a parent reportedly spotted the post by Kelly using the "n"-word, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Kelly used the racial slur to complain about the amount of media coverage Houston's death brought.
“I’m so sick of reading about this dumb stupid N - - - - - Whitney Houston,” read part of his Facebook post, according to the Sun-Times.
Read NBCChicago.com's coverage of coach's benching for racial slur
Kelly said his social media page was restricted to adult friends and family, but a former player’s mom spotted the comment and reposted it.
Since the posting, Kelly told the Sun-Times his life has been ruined. He said he's worried about the effect on his business and his kids being taunted. He claims he's not a racist and said he didn't realize he'd used the word in the post.
“I do stand behind everything I said except the ‘n’-word. I regret using that adjective,” he told the Sun Times. “Does that make me a racist? Are you kidding me? It was the farthest thing from my mind. I have some amazing friends who are black.”
This article includes reporting by NBCChicago.com and msnbc.com staff.
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Bull@!$%#.
Call it like you see it, dude. And don't apologize or back down from what you said. If that's what you said, then man-up and say "that's what I said." What?? Black people don't call white people derogatory names? I loved Whitney. She sang like none other. And I'll miss reading about her and listening to new music from her. But really. Flags at half-staff in New Jersey. Come on.
Appropriate that a toxic waste state would celebrate a toxic waste celebrity.
This coach is just a weak fool folks, hiding behind his keyboard.
Ya know I've always wondered about these racist idiots!! What if ever they needed and organ transplant and it just so happend to come from another race and they found out somewhere years down the line! Are they going to want it removed? Or feel grateful that they are alive because of this person....hmmm?
He said he "didn't realize he'd used the word in the post". If you don't even realize you are using the word, wouldn't that imply that he uses it very often..so much so that it has become second nature, a part of his usual conversations.
And he doesn't regret using the word, he regrets GETTING CAUGHT!!!!
Wow, only suspended for a year. I certainly wouldn't want him to be the coach of my child's team or in a position to influence them in any way either. I can only imagine how an African-America parent would feel about that.
His life isn't ruined because of this...it was ruined long before by the poison in his heart for his fellow human being. No one with such an ugly heart full of hate for others could possibly have a good life.
but without fbook and his dumbness to write anything on it he would still have a job and avoid being judged by fbook fan like you. his heart and how he chose his opinion is none of my business but him being on the street and collecting unemployment (which undoubtedly will follow) will have direct impact to me living down the street from him.
K. Snider, you are absolutely right :)
@ YUS: "a fb fan like you" I only read the article...I never made any mention of whether I am a fb fan or not, so I'm not sure where you are coming from on that remark.
If you are going to be in a position to mentor and/or influence children you have a responsibility to behave in a manner that is beneficial to those children. If you show racist tendencies you run the risk of not treating all of the children equally, which is totally unfair to the innocent kids who just want to play a game. Yes, when it's my child that may be affected, your darned right I'm going to be judgmental about the character of that person. As a parent I have every right to be.
yet another fbooking while dumb incident. i guess if you're dumb enough to use fbook you'll also be dumb enough to shoot yourself in the foot in some fashion or another. so keep using it, and i'll just laugh next time it's your story on this page. no matter how well-intentioned and well-behaved you are on fbook someone will not like you and will turn a silly nothingness into a snowball of dirt. have you not been watching the politics on TV? its the same thing, but even worse since you supply the material for them to make a dirt out of you.
This guy is just showing how f-ing stupid he is to post something like that on FB and not expect to be fired. There are a million things that he could say about her that were true without reaching for that. She had a beautiful voice and the potential to have a very easy, uncomplicated and long life and wasted all of it on drugs. Sure, honor her life, but fly my flag at half staff....I don't think so.
Totally agree about the flag flying at half staff. I think Christie was doing a little pandering for the black voter. Save that for true hero's!
Ahhhh pooor thing...he says his widdle life is ruined...... TOO BAD...that's your karma for being an bigot! Maybe he should think of all the lives of Africans and African Americans that have been ruined for decades due to prejudiced idiots like him.
No pity for you dude.... deal with what you created...then keep your disgusting mouth SHUT!
PS...I am Caucasian and detest racism!!!
aLAClax, you had a good point till you had to clarify and pander by telling us your white! Wow, white! Good for you,
Antlerjack, what are you doing, bet Antler jack is not your name, this way you can say what you want. and no one knows.
Personally I loved Houston, when she first came up, then she marr; Brown , who got her on drugs. I have no use for drugs, and fought like a dog to keep my children and Grand children from taking the, and thank God they never did. Now the media makes a hero out of a druggie, and she dies, this is a great example to set for the young children, and young people. We spend Billions on the war on drugs, but the media and Hollywood just glorify using drugs. seems to me we are working at cross purposes. Now I really wonder if the writer on facebook had said black and not the other word, most likely would not be writing this. Racism is rampant in this old world, if people were honest, but most people keep it into themself's, and one heck of the rant about it, just to be vouge.........
I wouldn't blame it on Brown.... she is the druggy. That's our problem always someone else's fault.. blame the doctors... not. it was her fault and she got what was coming.. headliner: "druggy found dead in hotel" .. who cares?
It's ALWAYS someone else's fault. Haven't you learned that yet?
Why is that always the first thing a racist says when the get caught?
The use of a derogatory word against any race is not appropriate however, where is the uproar when that word is used by musicians producing rap music? I hear it all the time with that genre of music yet no one seems to get suspended by the record company. Just a thought.
I had a neighbor who was of Egyptian descent, definitely light-skinned looking (vaguely olive-tone with brown hair and brown eyes), and she seemed to feel that because she was born on the continent of Africa, it was okay for her to on and on to black people about things like "These N*ggaz said this stupid sh*t and I was like n*gg* please you aint done that dumb b*tch," all the while claiming she wasn't racist at all, and it was really satisfying to see her get her head slammed into a car door over it. Best part was that she had a warrant herself so she couldn't call the cops. The only time that word is appropriate is if you are describing something appalling someone ELSE said.
Next time he needs to check his friends list before he comments to make sure every one is a part of his "crew"
I'm African American and tired of the Whitney coverage so I just change the channel
I disagree with any racist slurs.... other than that HE IS RIGHT ON, and one post suggested he not call Whitney stupid because he doesn't know her... she is STUPID, all drug addicts are STUPID people.
Whitney Houston is no different than any other drug addict found in a hotel after an overdose, only difference it was a nicer hotel. Do we want to fly the flag half mask (or half-staff in America) for every druggy that kill themselves or are found naked in a tub in some hotel?
In God's eye or any other reasonable person, non-groupie type, Whitney isn't one bit better. Just another loser, druggy who killed themselves. Who cares? Enough about the druggy found in hotel dead from OD. Good riddance and could care less about color, fame, fortune, just another loser.
Let's feel sorry for those that die young at the hands of others like the two little Powell boys. Let's fly the flag half staff for them? The beautiful little innocent ones I feel for, the spoiled poor celebrities, who are rich and think they are special, NOT! They could all die and I wouldn't fly my flag half mask.
Unbelievable in this day and age! Really, really unbelievable...
"I have some amazing friends who are black.” Typical reply of a bigot!!
I am white and I work at a high school primarily with African-American at-risk males. Don't even ask why this is a good fit but it is. (OK. I'll tell you. It's because I know who to call. Their Grandma's, Aunts, cousins, brothers...I've known most of them for years so they trust me.)
I hear "my nigga" this and"my nigga" that on a regular basis. And I always remind them that the very word that is so offensive to them when it comes out of the mouth of a non-white person is no more attractive when it comes out of theirs. I tell them: "Hey Big Guy, when you see me in the hall and I see a friend do I say :Hey My Honky,wad up?"
I believe the fundamental issue is respect not rhetoric.. Black or white, I have always been taught to respect the dead. They can't defend themselves and no one else has walked in their shoes.
So-I think the coach made an error in judgement. Does that make him a racist? This thinker does not think so.
You had me until your last sentence. Please!
No big deal, Whitney Houston had a gifted voice(Im a Dinah Washington fan) So she was a hop-head,drug addict,her daughter picked up on itSo quit blinking ,she was no Mother Theresa.SHE WAS A FAILURE OFF THE STAGE, real slow -- AAAS AAA HHHHUUUMMMAAAAN BEIIING
Is negro off limits? Just wondering. What about black bitch? Would that be acceptable? Anything derogatory that doesn't include that word, is that ok?
Conversely, for addressing the white people in the audience, how about honkie? Is that OK to call white people? Cracker? White Cracker? Straight haired bitch? White legged M*^er F*#ker? Is it OK to write a song about sending "whitey to the moon?" Any of this OK? Oh, and what did Oprah say? "I ain' worried 'bout no white girl?" Hmmmmm.
I've heard that word over a million times, mainly from blacks. I find myself saying it by accident now and then. The word won't go away unless the blacks stop using it so freely. I was writing an essay for a class when a couple of black males were using the word freely. I wanted to ask them why they think its okay to use that word, but anybody of a different skin color can't
Oh my...so tired of the if they can use it why can't i bs. I personally do not use the word but have friends who do. It's all the about the history of this country. If you can't understand that then that's on you. I have been call the n-word many times, I just bite my tongue and ignore it. I refuse to give my power to someone that has some type of issue with my color and feels the need to name call. With that being said it's not your everyday person that I care about being racist. It's cops, judges, loan officers and teachers etc.. ppl that have influence over the outcome of how one is treated that I care about. I would not want this guy coaching my child.
If you are sick hearing about her then don't read it simple as that . And this guy is racist to smear such hate like that he should not be over any children because he is not a good role model himself . No gets sick of hearing about Elvis and he was a drug addict that has been dead for 35 years. I'm sick of white people and their hate she just died of course the media is gonna give full coverage, why should they care if you get sick of hearing about her? people obvious care for them to report so much. A fact: Anybody who uses the n word white or black is not very intelligent at all.
He claims he's not a racist and said he didn't realize he'd used the word in the post.
You sir are an idiot, and deserve to have your life ruined for being an idiot.
As for your kids, well, maybe you should have thought about that before being a moron.
As for all that about 'well they use it then why can't I' being a minority myself I don't use racist language toward other people of the same ethnicity, that's why it's unacceptable. Just because there are some that do, that doesn't make it okay to others.
it's ok for black people to use the N word tho, right ?!?!??! give me a break.....N-pleez
You can use it. In your bathroom. With the door closed and locked. And nobody else is home. There, feel better?