We have made many strides  when it comes to eliminating racism, two steps forward and one back. The recent comments by billionaire Donald Sterling , the owner of the L.A. Clippers basketball team, is not only shocking but unacceptable in today’s age.

A recorded conversation to his girl friend revealed that he is not fond of  African American people and that they should not be invited. And he is not crazy about associating with them.

Now Sterling has been banned to have any association with basketball and fined $350 million dollars by the NBA Association.

I have always wondered how could smart people be so STUPID?

Does Sterling not know that over 70 percent of his team players  are African-American?

Sad but true that such barbaric and unethical attitudes still exit. Wealth and education does not equal common sense and wisdom.

Many people have faced some form of racism and discrimination whether it be subtle or in your face.

I can still recall my own racism growing up in a mill town Prince George, B.C.,  and then when I started my career in the media.

I can still recall at the age of twelve sitting at a bus stand and getting spat at by an adult and other adults pretended nothing had happened.

Then my  grade ten teacher tells me front of other students that I should never get into a field that requires English because I will end up working in a sawmill anyway.

And when I first went on the air in radio,  the listeners called to complained , “take that Hindu off of the air”. At least they could have got the right religion , I am Sikh.  Then the  owner of the radio station decided to change my on-air name to Tony Gill, this way the listeners will think I was Italian. Yes, it worked, people stopped calling to complain.