Lebron James is a shit head
hippiemom
Posts: 3,326
Yeah, it's practically blasphemy to say that in Cleveland ... but honestly, what a self-absorbed jerk.
Newble's activism has roots at home
Friday, May 25, 2007
Connie Schultz
Plain Dealer Columnist
Cleveland Cavaliers player Ira Newble had to do one thing before he went public with his fight to end the genocide in Darfur.
He had to talk to his father.
"I feel real close to this, and the way they're being treated," he said. "I'm not sure what impact this may have on my career, but I need to do this."
His father, a retired production manager for the Ford Motor Co. in Detroit, didn't hesitate. "You know our history, son. You do what you need to do. We're there for you."
This month, the 31-year-old announced his plan to collect NBA players' signatures for a petition titled "Bring the Olympic Dream to Darfur." Ultimately, Newble wants to stop the genocide against tribal populations in the Darfur region of Sudan, where Arab militia groups have slaughtered hundreds of thousands of non-Arab African civilians and created 2 million refugees.
Newble's father, also named Ira, is proud of his son's activism, but he is not surprised. The father is a veteran civil rights activist. He was born and raised in the South and participated in sit-ins at segregated lunch counters.
"Ira was raised to never be a follower, always be a leader," his father said in a phone interview. "He's almost an introvert, really, but this issue matters so much to him."
His son feels called to help. "I get to play basketball for a living, and I love it. That's my job, but it isn't all there is to me. Women and children are being raped. Innocent people are being murdered or displaced from their homes. I can't stand by and do nothing."
Newble's petition targets China, which is hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics but also buys about two-thirds of Sudan's oil. The Sudanese government uses most of its oil profits to buy weapons and aircraft, two-thirds of which are made by China.
China has blocked U.N. efforts to send a peacekeeping force into Darfur. Newble joins other activists in calling for China to pressure the Sudanese government's Khartoum regime to allow peacekeepers into the region.
"China cannot be a legitimate host to the premiere international event in the sporting world . . . while it remains complicit in the terrible suffering and destruction that continues to this day," reads the petition.
An article about Darfur scholar Eric Reeves, an English professor at Smith College, ignited Newble's activism. He talked to Reeves, did more research and then assembled two pages of facts about the genocide and slipped the sheets into his teammates lockers.
"I called them together and said, Guys, I put some information in your lockers. It's an issue I'm getting involved in. Read it, and we'll talk about it."
All but three of his teammates have signed it. David Wesley has been away for family reasons but assured Newble that he's in. Only LeBron James and Damon Jones have refused to sign it. Both have business ties in China.
Newble withholds judgment. "Both of them respect what I'm doing. And when I was LeBron's age, I didn't care about this stuff, either."
Newble is casting a wide net, reaching out to the 400-plus NBA players as well as athletes in the NFL and in Major League Baseball. He's also hoping for the support of his childhood hero, Muhammad Ali. It's a lot of work, but he's in for the long haul.
"This is bigger than sports, bigger than basketball," Newble said. "This is about human beings, and how they are dying at an alarming rate because we are standing by and doing nothing."
Newble has found himself doing a lot of teaching these days, often one person at a time. The genocide in Darfur is in its fifth year, but he meets people every day who've never heard of the region and know nothing about the innocent lives lost there.
"People here in management have come up to me and said, I didn't know anything about this until you started talking about it,' " he said. "You don't judge people for not knowing."
But once they do know? He smiled softly and sighed.
"Well, that's when you find out who you are," he said.
His father would say there was never a doubt what it meant to be Ira Newble.
Newble's activism has roots at home
Friday, May 25, 2007
Connie Schultz
Plain Dealer Columnist
Cleveland Cavaliers player Ira Newble had to do one thing before he went public with his fight to end the genocide in Darfur.
He had to talk to his father.
"I feel real close to this, and the way they're being treated," he said. "I'm not sure what impact this may have on my career, but I need to do this."
His father, a retired production manager for the Ford Motor Co. in Detroit, didn't hesitate. "You know our history, son. You do what you need to do. We're there for you."
This month, the 31-year-old announced his plan to collect NBA players' signatures for a petition titled "Bring the Olympic Dream to Darfur." Ultimately, Newble wants to stop the genocide against tribal populations in the Darfur region of Sudan, where Arab militia groups have slaughtered hundreds of thousands of non-Arab African civilians and created 2 million refugees.
Newble's father, also named Ira, is proud of his son's activism, but he is not surprised. The father is a veteran civil rights activist. He was born and raised in the South and participated in sit-ins at segregated lunch counters.
"Ira was raised to never be a follower, always be a leader," his father said in a phone interview. "He's almost an introvert, really, but this issue matters so much to him."
His son feels called to help. "I get to play basketball for a living, and I love it. That's my job, but it isn't all there is to me. Women and children are being raped. Innocent people are being murdered or displaced from their homes. I can't stand by and do nothing."
Newble's petition targets China, which is hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics but also buys about two-thirds of Sudan's oil. The Sudanese government uses most of its oil profits to buy weapons and aircraft, two-thirds of which are made by China.
China has blocked U.N. efforts to send a peacekeeping force into Darfur. Newble joins other activists in calling for China to pressure the Sudanese government's Khartoum regime to allow peacekeepers into the region.
"China cannot be a legitimate host to the premiere international event in the sporting world . . . while it remains complicit in the terrible suffering and destruction that continues to this day," reads the petition.
An article about Darfur scholar Eric Reeves, an English professor at Smith College, ignited Newble's activism. He talked to Reeves, did more research and then assembled two pages of facts about the genocide and slipped the sheets into his teammates lockers.
"I called them together and said, Guys, I put some information in your lockers. It's an issue I'm getting involved in. Read it, and we'll talk about it."
All but three of his teammates have signed it. David Wesley has been away for family reasons but assured Newble that he's in. Only LeBron James and Damon Jones have refused to sign it. Both have business ties in China.
Newble withholds judgment. "Both of them respect what I'm doing. And when I was LeBron's age, I didn't care about this stuff, either."
Newble is casting a wide net, reaching out to the 400-plus NBA players as well as athletes in the NFL and in Major League Baseball. He's also hoping for the support of his childhood hero, Muhammad Ali. It's a lot of work, but he's in for the long haul.
"This is bigger than sports, bigger than basketball," Newble said. "This is about human beings, and how they are dying at an alarming rate because we are standing by and doing nothing."
Newble has found himself doing a lot of teaching these days, often one person at a time. The genocide in Darfur is in its fifth year, but he meets people every day who've never heard of the region and know nothing about the innocent lives lost there.
"People here in management have come up to me and said, I didn't know anything about this until you started talking about it,' " he said. "You don't judge people for not knowing."
But once they do know? He smiled softly and sighed.
"Well, that's when you find out who you are," he said.
His father would say there was never a doubt what it meant to be Ira Newble.
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
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I'd be hard pressed to judge someone by one thing that they didn't do. I'm sure Lebron donates plenty of money to other charities. No matter how rich you are, you can't solve all the world's problems. As long as he helps other organizations, I don't see the problem.
He's a narrow-minded little prick.
And I can kick his ass, any day of the week for being such a twit.
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sorry, i disagree.
says the tough guy sitting in his parents basement.
Actually, its the middle-aged guy with a slight beer-gut.
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It's a bit more than signing a piece of paper. It's about acknowledging a world, this world of ours, and trying to make it better. He'd just as soon look away and worry about scoring on dollars for himself.
Labron is about the me, me, me, scoring, scoring high, getting those numbers up...
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and you know all of this about the man because he won't sign a pice of paper?
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actually you said it was a bit more than about signing a piece of paper.
you also made comments questioning his knowledge of current political
affairs,turing a blind eye to the problems of the world and calling him selfish and greedy.
I ask you then, how do you know all of this about him?
a god
I'm not saying the guy can't change his mind. Hell, for all I know, this is a publicity stunt for people to become more aware.
So, if that's the case, I'm making the best of it.
He's a punk, and I'll kick his greedy narrow-minded view of the world ass any day of the week.
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says the tough guy sit..........
oops,
I mean
says the fat,balding,middle aged,jealous pencil pusher sitting
in his parents basement.
republicans buy Nike's too!
Evidently Lebron believes that even people who support the genoicide in Darfur buy his sneakers and endorsements
Sometimes we have to accept human nature for what it is, even if it comes in the form of a person who isn't aware of the potential that we see he has for the world.
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btw, i won't even drive past that poster of him hanging on the side of the building downtown.
end of rant
everyone else is out to "get there's" ... that's how they've been brought up ... can't really blame them - that is how society is ... it's all about ME ...
WE ALL BUY products from CHINA ... until everyone is willing to stop doing that - it's kinda hard to lay all our frustration on this guy ...
he's an athlete - what do we really expect from them?
Really, what a prick!!! I've never liked him (and not just 'cause I'm a Spurs fan). Yeah polaris, Steve Nash is a great guy. Our own Manu Ginobili has great charities here in Argentina. And my favorite athlete regarding solidarity work is Patrick Rafter. His efforts are amazing and very hard to find about, 'cause he's very quiet. Agassi's foundation has done great things for kids in Vegas.
And you're right also on the China issue, we're all guilty.
Peace
Caterina
I don't really get what's wrong with saying a crazy 2 year old will keep him up
Athlete's aren't role models. I thought Charles Barkley cleared that up about 20 years ago?
the other foot in the gutter
sweet smell that they adore
I think I'd rather smother
-The Replacements-
yep yep
he doesn't make enough money from his cavs contract? would he be destitute if nike dropped him?? so, basically, he doesn't want to lose his endorsement deals is what it comes down to?
shit, just be honest, say 'i don't want to sign this cos i'm a greedy bastard'
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
he doesnt care about politics
he is a 22 year old ball player
that is all
Remember Tiananmen!!!!
—Dorothy Parker
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