The NBA players are hardly role models as well — the PGA donates more to charity than the NBA. The NBA just flaunts their community service — you don’t endless public service spots on the PGA, or baseball — compared to the NBA self-glorification.
Gangsta Rap doesn’t lead - it reflects what is already accepted, ie., the rotten culture that’s out there.
Bill Cosby is a lone (black) voice in the wilderness. Juan Williams likes to quote him, but in actuality gives Cosby lip service regarding his own behavior. He’s a shill for the community.
Why am I not surprised by the Michael Vick situation.
The author used ‘african-american’ only once in the article. Pretty amazing in its ownself.
Who is Mike Vicks dad? Anyone? Did Vick grow up with coaches who act like dads (but really, how far will you go when your whole team is centered around one player?)
Hip hop culture is just a symptom, it’s not the disease. The real problem here is a society that refuses to police itself. It celebrates reprobate and villifies the truly good. We are no longer allowed to judge and condemn the errant. It’s not their fault. They’re just a product of a fatherless home, racism, homophobia, islamaphobia, depression, anxiety, ADD, ADHD, poverty, inattentive mother, overbearing mother, too much TV violence, too many video games, cigarettes, trans-fats, lead paint, Alar poisoning, global warming, clergy abuse, bad schools, open borders or George Bush. Name a discretion, they’ve got an excuse. No one is accountable; no one deserves reproach. Walk into any shopping mall in any city in America and you are assaulted with language once reserved for the lowliest of sailors. And it’s coming from all ages and colors and no one even bats an eye. Hip hop is only a problem because we tolerate it, just like the potty mouths at the mall. Michael Vick is not a victim of hip hop; he’s just another example of turinng a blind eye to a problem, He was low-rent before he became a star, and continued to be low-rent after. Music and culture had nothing to do with his problem. He made a decision and no one called him on it; agents, managers, owners, teammates, or the press. Now he is paying a price in the legal system. How long before we hear what his excuse is? Who will be the first to jump to his defense.
Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, Willie Stargell...
I note Mr. Burwell does not mention OJ as a black hero of old.
This battle is over, and the thugs won. How do I know? Because white kids are emulating them.
It’s going to be interesting to check the money/timeline when this all got started.
The indictment starts out “Early 2001”, “May 2001”, “June 2001”. So this looks like it could have all began while Vick was in the spring semester at VT before he left school.
Those dates are before he was drafted by Atlanta. But I’m sure he had signed many lucrative endorsement contracts. And/or had a couple “personal” loans from other folks.
And another thing... it’s not hard for me to understand how someone can do these things to a dog....when he’s already admitted to knowingly giving herpes to at least one woman.
(Can anyone get ahold of a cache from VicksK9Kennels.com )
Marcus Vick has had his share of "unfortunate" incidents, as well.
Of course, whites flocking to The Soprano’s, tatoos and Harleys are how much better?
The "young man"(vick) is the freakin devil from hell. Big deal, he can throw a ball. I pray that devil vick gets back exactly what he gave all those pathetic dogs. Then I hope he burns in hell.
Ah, if it were only that easy. But the whole "gangsta" thing is just another symptom of a deeper cultural mess.
He hasn’t been convicted yet. At the risk of sounding racist, if they have nine blacks on the jury like they did in the O.J. Simpson case, forget getting a conviction.
As if Vick had nothing to do with it.
bump
Stereotypes come around because of some truth. Here is a man that makes millions playing football but he wants to be a thug and many blacks have pit bulls as a status symbol.