By now, I am sure the entire universe has become aware of Richard Sherman, the defensive star for the Super Bowl contenders Seattle Seahawks. He created controversy after their NFC Championship win when he raised his voice, and?called out an opposing?player in his post-game interview. Subsequently, the term “thug” was hurled at Sherman all over the news, Twitter, and Facebook, and Sherman took notice. Since Sherman is actually not quite?the “thug,” and very well educated, he took this opportunity to offer a social critique: that “thug” is just a newer and different way of saying the “n-word.” Whether you agree with this belief or not, I have been pondering why this label was thrown at Sherman, and seems to never get ascribed to others of the white persuasion, such as Justin Bieber, Charlie Sheen, or better yet, Congressman Michael Grimm.
After Tuesday’s State of the Union Address by President Obama, Republican Congressman from New York State Michael Grimm received a question from an NY1 Reporter that did not make him happy. Grimm has been in hot water lately in regards to a federal investigation involving his campaign finances and fundraising. Obviously bothered by the on-camera question, Grimm at first just walked away, electing to disregard the question. Afterwards, and with the cameras still rolling, Rep. Grimm walked back up to the reporter and threatened to throw him off a balcony. Yes, he literally said this. These were the Congressman’s specific words:
“Let me be clear to you, you ever do that to me again I’ll throw you off this? f—–g balcony.”
Yes, that was a threat, and a violent one. I cannot however, recall the term “thug” being so adamantly and commonly thrown around when describing Mr. Grimm as it was for Mr. Sherman. I went to the Merriam-Webster dictionary to refresh my memory on the actual definition of “thug.” It states that a thug is:
“a violent criminal.”
Well, Sherman surely is not that. At the worst, he is probably guilty of boasting as to his own greatness, while simultaneously degrading a fellow football player’s skills. In the grand scheme of things though, and considering the heat of the moment, is that really so egregious?
Representative Grimm, on the other hand, actually violently threatened a reporter who was simply doing his job. Out of these two, it becomes quite clear that Grimm is more of a “thug” than Sherman. Sadly, most people may only know of Sherman from his post-game outburst. Are they aware that he was a top level student? Having gone to Stanford and?graduating with?a 3.9 GPA? People of color often are defined by their worst moments; their numerous achievements and talents, overlooked by one moment where they are seen as “outlandish” or even “threatening.” We can label this intelligent man a “thug” but when a Congressman makes a violent threat, we do not. Politicians are supposed to be on an even higher pedestal than professional athletes. We look to them for honor and integrity. If anything, these remarks by Grimm, considering his place in?society,?should make us more likely to label him a “thug,” but it didn’t.
No, the race card does not always have to be played. It must be noted though, how quickly we are to levy negative terms onto people of color like “ghetto” and “thug” when we do not do this to white people for similar or even worse actions. It is not simply about race. Studies have shown that skin color in general affects how we portray people. Darker skinned-people are often purposely misrepresented as bad and criminal. This is how people like Trayvon?Martin, with no violent or criminal past yet dark skinned, can get labeled?the?”thug” against his own?killer,?George Zimmerman, who actually has a violent criminal past but is lighter skinned.
To read more about color and stereotypes and how it relates to views of crime, go here.
To advance as a society we must become aware of these biases and how they affect the language we use. Yes, Sherman will go on to play in the Super Bowl and is still one of the best defensive players in the NFL. Through his interviews however, I could tell that the constant barrage of “thug” labeling did not sit well with him. Many of my minority friends seemed offended by this as well. The words we use DO matter and we should be more careful. If we are going to toss this word around to people like Sherman, we could at least do the same for someone who makes real “thuggish” comments like the Representative from New York.
Edited/Published by: SB
