I wonder what the reaction would be if Rush Limbaugh wrote it? - Tom 
Posted on 01/06/2007 5:47:26 AM PST by indcons
"Wrong place at the wrong time."
Who knew the wrong place to be on New Year's Eve was at a party welcoming in the new year? Who knew the wrong time to be murdered was now – when people are so callous about death that it's almost as if we're asking the victim, "Just what did you do to get yourself murdered?"
There are many words to describe the senseless killing of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams. Unfortunate. Heartbreaking. Sad. But here's the one word we can't use in describing such a death: Unexpected.
Over the past 12 months, three NFL players have been shot, and in the past couple weeks, police discovered one NFL player, Bears defensive lineman Tank Johnson, had enough weapons in his home to mount a terrorist attack. University of Miami lineman Bryan Pata was shot to death at his apartment complex in November. In Denver alone, three notable athletes have been shot since 2003 – Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, Denver Nuggets guard Julius Hodge and now, tragically, Williams.
One unavoidable commonality about these episodes of gunplay: all of the athletes are black.
It leads to an inevitable question from all of us, but particularly mainstream America: Why do black athletes often seem to find themselves either holding a gun or staring down the barrel of one?
Real talk for a moment.
Contrary to stodgy opinions, young men have a right to go out. They want to hang with their peers. They want to talk to women. They want to show off a little of their success. Nothing wrong with any of that – as long as they're careful.
Who they're with, what time they're out and what they have is only a small part of the issue. The larger problem here is the one no one is ready to openly discuss.
While America is generally a violent place, no culture in this country glorifies violence more than the African-American community. And consequently, no other racial group is as disproportionately affected by it.
This isn't to say black people invented violence or have a penchant for it. But far too many of us glorify shooting people for revenge, perceived slights or to prove toughness. Two things you almost always see when "MTV Cribs" features a black superstar: a poster of Tony Montana and a poster of the Godfather. Montana and Michael Corleone, though fictional, are considered heroes by young black men everywhere. Montana and Corleone had one thing in common: both killed people to gain respect.
BET, the same network that saw fit to cut its nightly news program, has a new show called "American Gangster," which "chronicles the life and times of some of Black America's most notorious crime figures." It's explained that the program has a strong moral component and doesn't seek to glorify violence, but on BET's Web site the show is promoted by showing Ving Rhames, the king of cool, in slick gangster apparel – as if he were promoting a music video, not a show about violent criminals.
And sure enough, right beneath Rhames' promo ad, a BET dot.commer says, "Young, black males will look at this [show] as an inspiration."
Now, criminal biographies appear on The History Channel all the time, but the difference is that violence is often marketed to blacks in a way that makes it appear more sexy and daring.
Black men constantly receive the message that they can't make it in life through using legitimate means, and the only way they gain society's respect is through the street game.
This is the mentality black athletes greet when they go to the club. A recent Public Library of Science Medicine study shows black men living in urban America have the shortest life expectancy of any other racial group in the country. The life expectancy of a black man in Cleveland is closer to that of West Africans than the average white American. So wearing a jersey every Sunday doesn't protect you from anything.
Of course, movies and songs don't make people kill people, but they can influence the way people think and live.
But ultimately, if we want to see fewer black athletes as victims of violence, African-Americans must stop worshiping at the altar of their own demise.
Jemele Hill, a Page 2 columnist and writer for ESPN the Magazine, can be reached at jemeleespn@gmail.com.
It is not illegal for Tank Johnson to own those weapons. The problem was that he never bothered to get a FOID card which is required in Illinois to purchase guns. It's pretty simple to get (both my wife and I have one). However, the media conflated Tank's irresponsibility (not getting the permit) with his otherwise LEGAL ownership of guns.
The media has decided that gun ownership is a bad thing and flogs stories to support its views. I guess that one day they will decide that other recreational activities are bad and try to get poker chips banned.
I had a dear black friend now deceased tell me that growing up in the 40's and 50's he had it preached to him that "whitey ain't gonna let you make it in his world" and that had been the way it was said since "slavey days" (his words exactly). I suspect that that was partly true. A few black people have made it all along and I'll bet it was because they were told that they COULD make it. Nothing stopped Condi Rice (and many others) in her quest for success.
They call you a sellout or an Uncle Tom/Aunt Jamima because they want to censor your ideas. The minute you speak out and Blacks understand you are speaking the truth you put alot of Jesse Jackmails out of business. Look at Bill Cosby.
Fight the good fight. Those labels are a sign that you speak the Truth to the darkness. This is the Greatest Country in the World for a Black person.
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
He also had "a perfect right" to use good judgment and not go to the club.
Unfortunately, that's becoming a mainstream American view. Liberals disapprove of gun ownership, disapprove of wealth creation. At the same time they manage to consider themselves proponents of individual freedom, and manage to think that the solution to all problems is to throw money at them. Somehow they forget that self defense insures freedom and that wealth creation provides money. Idiots, all of them.
I had a living room packed with teenages for New Year's. They were playing Dance Dance Revolution and laughing so hard at each other. The expenses were only for 2 liter soft drinks, chips, and a homemade taco bar. The payoff is priceless.
Are guns that kill racist?
+
If you want on (or off) this Catholic and Pro-Life ping list, let me know!
What do you think of the Congressional Black Caucus giving Representative William "O.J." Jefferson (D) La. a standing ovation at his swearing in ceremony?
I try to be.
I wonder what the reaction would be if Rush Limbaugh wrote it? - Tom
I know this may sound crazy, but what is the point of having a Congressional Black Caucus. As you can tell I am not a fan of the Crogessional Black Caucus. I was born and raised in Louisiana and don't like William "Money" Jefferson, he reminds me of another Louisiana money man (Edwin Edwards). But I am not surprised they gave him a standing ovation.
America has always had a soft spot for outlaws, ie Jessie James, Billy the Kid, Bonnie and Clyde, Butch and Sundance, etc. etc. etc.
This is just the latest version.
They are just catching on to the disturbing trend? The author should walk down the halls of the local high school
Well I think anytime you are out late at night you have to worry about drunks on the road. I friend of mine (black) lost her husband who is white to a drunk driver this past August. They had 2 kids and she was 5 months pregnant with their 3rd child when he was killed. She just had the baby 2 weeks ago and is now alone with 3 kids under the age of 5 to raise on her own. The only reason he was on the road so late was because he was coming home from work, my heart aches for her. That is one of the reasons I don't go out in the wee late hours, unless I have to. It can not only happen on New Years Eve, but anytime of the year.
"It can not only happen on New Years Eve, but anytime of the year."
I'm not sure where I implied that it can only happen on new years eve. That's just the holiday under discussion on this thread.
Right before this past christmas, an older couple was out looking at Christmas lights and got hit by a 16 year old drunk driver. Killed them both, the drunk driver lived. There are a million stories of people getting hit by drunk drivers, all of them tragic.
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