When Will They Learn?

[IrishCanadian25]

Part Two of an IC25 Position Peice​

A few months back, following the incident with Plaxico Burress, I wrote a position peice on the issue of athletes - specifically African American athletes - and firearms. It received a fair amount of response, because this issue spans across several lines: sports, culture, and of course, race.

I hate to do this today of all days (MLK day in the US for those who do not know) but I feel it needs to be re-visited following the Gilbert Arenas issue over the last 2 weeks.

I am not going to question the right of an American to bear arms. Whether or not I believe that is just is irrelevant, and there is no changing it as long as the NRA has the political clout that they have in the US. What I am going to tackle, once again, is the gun culture in the African American community and how athletes seem to once again be at the forefront of it.

In the last few years alone, let's examine the issues with black athletes and guns, shall we?

Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg and wound up in prison.

Last September, Delonte West was pulled over for cutting off a cop and speeding on a motorcycle. In his possession, in a guitar case, was a shotgun and 2 handguns.

Last year, Steve McNair was shot dead, presumably by his 20-year old girlfriend.

Back in 2006, Stephen Jackson (then of the Indiana Pacers) was involved in a nightclub scuffle and fired his gun several times.

Pac-man Jones was arrested when he was involved in a night club scuffle and a member of his entourage fired a round that paralyzed a night manager.

Sebastian Telfair was arrested for felony possession of a firearm in NY.

Pro Boxer Vernon Forrest, traveling with his 11-year old son, is robbed at gunpoint. Forrest complies with the theif, but after the theif leaves, Forrest grabs a loaded gun from under his seat and chases the thug. Forrest is eventually shot dead in front of his son.

This is an alarming trend. White athletes have come out and defended the right of a pro athlete to carry a firearm, but you don't see nearly as many of them firing their weapons, having issues with licensing, or in nightclub scuffles. Clearly, there is an issue witht he culture of the African American athlete that needs to be addressed. The idea that "you can take the man out of the 'hood, but you cannot take the 'hood out of the man" is a cop-out.

The culture needs to be changed. The question is, how?

 

[Big Sexy]

This is an alarming trend. White athletes have come out and defended the right of a pro athlete to carry a firearm, but you don't see nearly as many of them firing their weapons, having issues with licensing, or in nightclub scuffles. Clearly, there is an issue witht he culture of the African American athlete that needs to be addressed. The idea that "you can take the man out of the 'hood, but you cannot take the 'hood out of the man" is a cop-out.

As far as race goes, white athletes don't seem to get in these situations for a couple reasons. Number one, almost all of the gun related incidents have been from the NFL and NBA. Both leagues (especially the NBA) are mostly black athletes. Number two, the white athletes in the leagues usually come from better backgrounds. That isn't an excuse for these black athletes having these gun incidents, it's just the way it is.

The culture needs to be changed. The question is, how?

Basically the athletes need to be held accountable. It has started to happen with guys like Burress serving jail time and Arenas, although he might not spend any time in jail, is definitely going to be suspended by the NBA. There really isn't any way to completely get rid of this problem, but if the athletes are held accountable and are disciplined accordingly you might see a decrease in the problems. And when I talk about discipline, I don't mean a fine or a couple game suspension. I'm talking season long suspensions Roger Goodell style. David Stern needs to back off on the on-court stuff and focus more on off the court things.

I don't mind the athletes having guns. In fact it's probably a good idea to have one. However, they need to be responsible with it. The gun needs to be registered and having multiple guns on you at one time is unnecessary. We can't forget the incidents that happened to athletes like Sean Taylor, Phillip Buchannon, and others. For some of these athletes guns are a necessity, but they need to be responsible with it.

 

[NSL]

I want to expand your topic here, IC, and include violent offenses in general. Jose Offerman recently punched an umpire, and that happened only 2 years after he hit two people with a baseball bat after being struck out.

As far as the culture being changed, I'm not sure how it can be done. The leagues do enough to help it, by putting together programs and community outreach stuff together, and has resources available for all of their athletes.

The best thing to do, is to keep doing exactly what they're doing. Fine, suspensions, and lifetime bannings are the most reasonable deterrent, and it's up to the players (grown men and women, mind you), to grow the hell up.