(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Patrick Patterson has drawn the ire of many people for using the word “bulldog” in response to an Instagram user questioning Patterson choosing a White wife.

Patterson claims “bulldog” was a specific reference to the Instagram user’s wife, who is Black, and not a generalization of all Black women.

This all started over a picture Patterson posted on his Instagram account with his wife, wishing her “Happy Anniversary.”

The IG  user stated the only reason Patterson has a White woman as a wife is because he’s an NBA player.

The implication of course being that White women will only marry a Black man if he’s rich, and that when Black men are rich they choose White women to marry.

Patterson responded and said, “True, if I never made it to the nba I would have never met her while playing for Toronto. but why’s it matter. love is love at the end of the day.”

If it ended there we wouldn’t be debating the merits of Blackness, vis a vis interracial marriage.

But here we are.

The IG user then said that if Patterson worked at Walmart he wouldn’t have a chance with the woman. Citing Patterson as another “statistic.” A Black man who is now rich and left his own for someone of another race.

Related: Love Has No Color: Black Women Who Found Love With White Men

The back and forth continued in the comments.

Patterson wrote, “So I should settle for a bulldog and act like I’m happy with my life and preach ‘keep it in your race’ to the world as if Dr. King didn’t fight/die for equality, acceptance, all cultures loving one another, and no hate? “No thanks,” continued the 30-year-old basketball player. “That maybe your life but I don’t want that for mine or my family. Color doesn’t matter. Wake up.”

This is where the outrage went on full tilt and everyone jumped into the comments with an opinion.

Patterson did post an apology via his Instagram account.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5QtawVlaxx/

To be fair to Patterson, inferring that he called all Black women bulldogs is making a leap. We can debate how much of a leap, but a leap nonetheless.

But the problem isn’t just Patterson or the IG user, or even the people in the comments.

The problem is America and who we are as a nation.

A nation built on the backs of Black bodies with an abhorrent, disgusting and insidious system designed to hurt Black people.

And among the entire Black demographic, it can be argued that Black women get hurt the most.

So, it’s easy to understand and empathize with the feelings of Black women and those that feel some type of way about Patterson’s comments.

The world is a melting pot, and people should feel free to love whomever they choose.

But in that choice there is no need to disparage the choices of others, or degrade your own as a means of justification.