Miko Grimes, the wife of former Dolphins and current Buccaneers cornerback Brent Grimes, continued her rant against the Dolphins early Monday by, among other things, referring the decision of owners Stephen Ross to entrust the franchise to Mike Tannenbaum as an effort by Ross to “keep his Jew buddies employed.”
It was an alarming and gratuitous remark from Miko Grimes. She has responded, not surprisingly, to criticism of her comments by going on the offensive, as she often does.
For now, the Dolphins and Buccaneers have opted not to comment on the situation. The Dolphins have informed PFT that the team will have no comment. The Buccaneers also have informed PFT that the organization will not be commenting.
For Miko Grimes, the comments continue.
“America is so f--king soft! No wonder we’re able to fake terrorist attacks (which are nothing but genocide on our own ppl) & yall believe it,” she said after her tweets about the Dolphins gained widespread media attention.
Here’s the problem: Miko Grimes fails or refuses to see the connection between perpetuating the stereotype that successful Jewish business people use their power to benefit other Jewish people and anti-Semitism, which is a form of racism. The fact that she’d so casually shrug off the decision of Ross to hire Tannenbaum as an effort by Ross to “keep his Jew buddies employed” shows that she believes this specific stereotype about Jewish people. Which makes her comment evidence of anti-Semitism and, in turn, racism.
Miko Grimes can deny racial bias all she wants (or change the subject by pointing to racism against African-Americans), but she said what she said. Think of any racial stereotype. If someone presents it as true in any setting (including Twitter), it’s evidence of racial bias.
If racism were manifested only by someone admitting, “I view that other group as lesser than the group I belong to,” there would be no evidence of racism. Except in the most extreme cases.
In this case, reference to a Jewish stereotype in a clearly derisive way shows racial bias and constitutes an insult to Ross, Tannenbaum, and all other people of Jewish heritage. Whether or not the Buccaneers, who are owned by a Jewish family, say or do anything about it remains to be seen.