Al Sharpton: fighting racial injustice where it really matters — the PGA Tour

The PGA Tour is in Palm Spring, Calif., this week for the Bob Hope Celebrity Classic. The Golf Channel’s lead commentator, Kelly Tilghman, is not. Professional golf and Palm Springs rarely make waves on the civil rights radar, but thanks to the good Rev. All Sharpton, these strangers have crossed paths.

Two weeks ago as the PGA Tour was opening it’s season in Hawaii, Tilghman, during a joking exchange with co-host Nick Faldo about how the next generation of tour pros could catch up with Tiger Woods, said the younger players on the PGA Tour should lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley.

Considering the fact Woods is one of the only African-American men on the PGA Tour, and considering the disgraceful and embarrassing history between lynching and black men in American history, Tilghman’s words were poorly chosen. And she knew it.

Tilghman apologized on the air. She called Woods to personally say she was sorry. When reporters contacted the Woods’ camp for a comment, Tiger’s people said it was a non-issue. Golf Channel executives agreed, saying there would be no action taken.

Until Sharpton stepped up to the tee box and unleashed this drive: "If I got on this show and said I wanted to put some Jewish-American in a gas chamber, I don't care what context I said it in, the entire Jewish community would have the right to say I should be put off this show or my radio show if I said it there," Sharpton told CNN. "Or if I said I wanted to see a woman raped. This is an insult to all blacks. Lynching is not murder in general; it is not assault in general. It is a specific racial term."

Sharpton then compared Tilghamn’s remarks to those made by radio show host Don Imus last year about the Rutgers University women’s basketball team.

It seems now would be an appropriate time to yell, “Fore!” as Sharpton’s shot sailed wildy off course.

Sharpton comparing Tilghman to Imus is ironic, seeing how Sharpton himself has become little more than the shock-jock of the civil right’s movement, launching outrageous sound bites that draw more attention to him than the issues. Most people with common sense have stopped listening to anything Rev. Al has to say, which sadly undermines his efforts to help everyday people who have suffered true injustice and need a strong voice.

Too bad Sharpton has decided to waste his power and influence on something as trivial as the misplaced words of a professional golf commentator. Tiger's a big boy, Al. He can take care of himself.

The real cowards here are the Golf Channel executives who caved under Sharpton’s pressure and suspended Tilghman. Thankfully they weren’t stupid enough to follow Sharpton’s advice and fire her, but that’s hardly an endorsement of their competence or leadership.