Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7499442?MSNHPHCP&GT1=10637]FOX Sports on MSN - NFL - Taylor's death a grim reminder for us all[/url]

[I]There's a reason I call them the Black KKK. The pain, the fear and the destruction are all the same.

Someone who loved Sean Taylor is crying right now. The life they knew has been destroyed, an 18-month-old baby lost her father, and, if you're a black man living in America, you've been reminded once again that your life is in constant jeopardy of violent death...[/I]

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

damn that's a powerful article

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

Very similar to Deion's points on NFL Network

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

I don't know if someone already posted this today, but below is what the Washington Post said in today's paper on Sean's murder, and their editorial echoes in part what Whitlock said.

[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112702069.html]washingtonpost.com[/url]

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

Wow. Jason does a fantastic job articulating what Deion was trying to say on NFLN.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

Sorry if anyone shares this guy's viewpoint, but it is ridiculous to use this to compare hip hop to the KKK. And to call KKK the parent organization to the Black KKK, which he uses as a name for hip hop, is offensive.

What the hell is going on? Is Sean Taylor's death, an excuse for self-righteous journalists to state their social opinions on varying subjects? These articles seem to be more about social commentary and less about Sean Taylor.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=warriorzpath;385389]What the hell is going on? Is Sean Taylor's death, an excuse for self-righteous journalists to state their social opinions on varying subjects? These articles seem to be more about social commentary and less about Sean Taylor.[/quote]

I hope Sean Taylor's death will spark as much social commentary as it can. Seems like many people don't really care about the great social problems of the times that we are living in until something happens close to home and in this case it hits close to home to a large group of people. It's really always been that way and change only happens when enough people say enough.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=wilsowilso;385395]I hope Sean Taylor's death will spark as much social commentary as it can. Seems like many people don't really care about the great social problems of the times that we are living in until something happens close to home and in this case it hits close to home to a large group of people. It's really always been that way and change only happens when enough people say enough.[/quote]

I actually agree, but some of the stuff coming out of these reporters' mouths are a bit reaching in trying to create a link to Taylor's death.

I get a sense when I hear some of this stuff that Taylor committed a crime or was guilty of something.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=warriorzpath;385389]Sorry if anyone shares this guy's viewpoint, but it is ridiculous to use this to compare hip hop to the KKK. And to call KKK the parent organization to the Black KKK, which he uses as a name for hip hop, is offensive.

What the hell is going on? Is Sean Taylor's death, an excuse for self-righteous journalists to state their social opinions on varying subjects? These articles seem to be more about social commentary and less about Sean Taylor.[/quote]

I can understand where the article's coming from. As a Black female, I know that some Black people, especially on the lower socioeconomic ladder love to blame other people for their problems or the problems of the ghetto and crime in general. But all the guy's trying to say is that if we want to change and stop all this violence and negativity, more specifically, Black on Black crime, we can't look to blame and point fingers or wait for it to go away. We have to take action and do something about it.

Makes enough sense to me.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=warriorzpath;385399]I actually agree, but some of the stuff coming out of these reporters' mouths are a bit reaching in trying to create a link to Taylor's death.

[B] I get a sense when I hear some of this stuff that Taylor committed a crime or was guilty of something.[/B][/quote]

I don't think they're making him seem guilty at all. I think they're making him look like a victim of a senseless act of violence. And that violence can occur to anyone, rich or poor.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=DynamiteRave;385404]I don't think they're making him seem guilty at all. I think they're making him look like a victim of a senseless act of violence. And that violence can occur to anyone, rich or poor.[/quote]

Some are suggesting his past, upbringing, and those he associated with - are direct and indirect causes to his death.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=warriorzpath;385411]Some are suggesting his past, upbringing, and those he associated with - are the blame.[/quote]

I've read that too. Like he couldn't escape his past and I think they're not giving ST enough credit. He wasn't some hardcore drug dealer or some thug. He ran with the wrong crowd for awhile and made some bad decisions. Every kid does that. He was 24 not 44. Anyone in the media who criticizes him for making stupid juvenile decisions, when he actually WAS a juvenile, is pretty hypocritical cause everyone makes bad decisions sometime in life.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

This is not a new message or theme from Jason Whitlock. Examine his body of work and you'll see this thesis running through a lot of it.

And as Matty noted above, it is a powerful piece. Whitlock's columns on this kind of thing always are.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=DynamiteRave;385402]I can understand where the article's coming from. As a Black female, I know that some Black people, especially on the lower socioeconomic ladder love to blame other people for their problems or the problems of the ghetto and crime in general. But all the guy's trying to say is that if we want to change and stop all this violence and negativity, more specifically, Black on Black crime, we can't look to blame and point fingers or wait for it to go away. We have to take action and do something about it.

Makes enough sense to me.[/quote]

I think that's where I find fault in the article. He lists a lot things wrong with a big part of our society. But where does he list any solutions and ways to deal with all of this? Like the old saying goes - if you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

Just like Deion, what Whitlock is saying may be true, but it doesn't mean it's relevant or appropriate right now.

I read the following post by WaPo's Eugene Robinson on their forums and I thought it summed up my feelings perfectly about 90% of the "analysis" that journalists have been spouting in the wake of Sean's death:

[QUOTE]A 24-year-old man, a professional athlete in his prime, is gunned down as his fiance cowers in fear and their young daughter sleeps -- it's hard to imagine a more tragic story. Period. I hope you agree that all who mourn Redskins safety Sean Taylor's passing should resist the temptation to fit what little we really know about his life and death into some kind of familiar narrative about race and pathology.

Asked about Taylor's sudden and awful death, Coach Joe Gibbs said simply that life is fragile. Others have not been so modest, or so wise. They recount Taylor's past "troubles" and try to make him emblematic of Young Black Men in general -- the mean streets, the parasitic friends, the casual violence, the weapons, the beefs, etc., etc. This is argument, not explanation. It's lazy and wrong, and it drives me up the wall.

Do me a favor: If you have to impose an off-the-shelf narrative on Sean Taylor's death, pick something other than the Young Black Men story. How about the Molded into Violence narrative -- the story of how Taylor, like other professional football players (Pat Tillman, for example) was rewarded all his life for the ability to create sudden, explosive havoc on the football field, leaving opponents battered and broken; so why should anyone be surprised that he died a violent death? Or make it into a story about South Florida, where bizarre, brutal crime is almost an art form. Those are bogus narratives, too, but at least they provide a little variety.

Better yet, don't try to make Sean Taylor's life and death into any kind of cautionary tale at all. He was a complicated man. He loved his family, he was a loyal friend, he didn't like talking to the media, he hit as hard as anyone in the National Football League, he doted on his daughter. He had "turned his life around," they say, as if navigating the shoals of career, fatherhood, love and maturity were a simple matter of taking a few GPS readings and heading, um, thataway.

Here's what we know -- at this point, all we can possibly know: Life is fragile. And Sean Taylor was just 24. [/QUOTE]

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=dgack;385420]Just like Deion, what Whitlock is saying may be true, but it doesn't mean it's relevant or appropriate right now.

I read the following post by WaPo's Eugene Robinson on their forums and I thought it summed up my feelings perfectly about 90% of the "analysis" that journalists have been spouting in the wake of Sean's death:[/quote]

Now that's a great article. And ditto on summing up my feelings.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

Whitlock is at it again spewing irrelevant bull just because he hates a genre of music. *SMH*

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

If this tragedy helps to bring attention to and helps to stop the epidemic of black on black violence, then I am all for it. That would be the one positive I see in this senseless act of violence. I do not want Sean to be misrepresented or slandered, don't get me wrong. But sometimes it takes a tragedy like this to get people to act. And Whitlock, as well as the others writing this kind of piece, are (all?) themselves black men. They are best positioned to address this issue, and if they don't do it now, the shock of the event will wear off, and the nation will go back to simply ignoring as just another statistic the next black man gunned down.

And even if we learn tomorrow that Sean was murdered by a crazed white female or a jealous eskimo, it would still be ok to make this point. 12,000 murders in the US last year, and a disproportionate number of them black men on black men. I learned that statistic yesterday by reading about Sean's murder. It's a staggering statistic--3 times the number of US troops killed in the entire Iraq war so far. And we are numb to it--it goes by with basically no comment. If the Taylor Tragedy helps wake us up, then that is a good thing, IMHO.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

PS I am not endorsing Whitlock's claims about the causes of this violence--that is a matter of debate, no doubt. But raising the issue at all is not out of line.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

My bad. It was not 12, 000 killed last year. It was [B]17, 000[/B], 10, 000 by fire arms. That's more than 4 times the number of troops in Iraq killed.

[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112702459.html]washingtonpost.com[/url]

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=ChuckPrez;385430]Whitlock is at it again spewing irrelevant bull just because he hates a genre of music. *SMH*[/quote]

I seriously doubt he hates it. Its just it's taken a turn for the worse since the 80s and early 90s. While there are some rappers who rap about things OTHER than bitches and hos and my 9. There aren't many. I mean you can't fight fire with fire. This inner city violence and violence among the Black community isn't gonna go away while there are still people promoting it.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

I love Hiphop - in fact I wrote my senior thesis in college on it's early development in New York - so I tend to get defensive when people attempt to blame it for social problems which exist independent of it. The problem is this: Hiphop wasn't foisted on the black community, it grew organically in response to worsening economic conditions and declining urban standards of living.

While Hiphop may have provided a style and discourse for articulating the everyday struggle, it didn't create the struggle. The problems in black communities are, were, and will continue to be economic first.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=djnemo65;385467]I love Hiphop - in fact I wrote my senior thesis in college on it's early development in New York - so I tend to get defensive when people attempt to blame it for social problems which exist independent of it. The problem is this: Hiphop wasn't foisted on the black community, it grew organically in response to worsening economic conditions and declining urban standards of living.

While Hiphop may have provided a style and discourse for articulating the everyday struggle, it didn't create the struggle. The problems in black communities are, were, and will continue to be economic first.[/quote]

Okay I'm not crapping on hip hop, cause I'm Black and I've grown up in not the best conditions, so I understand where it's coming from and of course the base of all problems are economic.

And yes, old school hip hop DID focus on economic struggles. I respect old school hip hop. Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, I'm all with that. But I really don't think the bitches and the hos and waving my tech-9 around have anything to do with growing up in poverty.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[QUOTE=djnemo65;385467]While Hiphop may have provided a style and discourse for articulating the everyday struggle, it didn't create the struggle. The problems in black communities are, were, and will continue to be economic first.[/QUOTE]

No but it has since glorified it. It promotes the types of behavior that have shaped a culture of violence and crime. I fail to see how so many people are blind to this. Whether one likes hip-hop for its musical value or not it is ludicrcous to me that they can't see this.

And to argue that the problem is solely based in economics is to ignore evidence to the contrary. I doubt you'll find anyone who would argue the the problem BEGAN as a socioeconomic imbalance. And most would surely agree that the socioeconomic disparities remain a strong force. But the culture of violence and crime is driven by many factors. One of which is the reality that in the black community hip-hop glorifies it. Maybe hip-hop was born out of this "struggle" and simply reflects what has grown naturally but it has become a driving force in promoting the longevity of this negative culture and something needs to be done about that.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=FRPLG;385483]No but it has since glorified it. It promotes the types of behavior that have shaped a culture of violence and crime. I fail to see how so many people are blind to this. Whether one likes hip-hop for its musical value or not it is ludicrcous to me that they can't see this.

And to argue that the problem is solely based in economics is to ignore evidence to the contrary. I doubt you'll find anyone who would argue the the problem BEGAN as a socioeconomic imbalance. And most would surely agree that the socioeconomic disparities remain a strong force. But the culture of violence and crime is driven by many factors. One of which is the reality that in the black community hip-hop glorifies it. Maybe hip-hop was born out of this "struggle" and simply reflects what has grown naturally but it has become a driving force in promoting the longevity of this negative culture and something needs to be done about that.[/quote]

Nice post.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=warriorzpath;385389]Sorry if anyone shares this guy's viewpoint, but it is ridiculous to use this to compare hip hop to the KKK. And to call KKK the parent organization to the Black KKK, which he uses as a name for hip hop, is offensive.

What the hell is going on? Is Sean Taylor's death, an excuse for self-righteous journalists to state their social opinions on varying subjects? These articles seem to be more about social commentary and less about Sean Taylor.[/quote]Frankly, it's high time for self-examination and social commentary when a young man like Taylor is snuffed out just when he's getting his life together. If you don't believe that hip hop culture glorifies murder, and de-sensitives black youth to violence, then you're not paying attention. I think that Whitlock is saying that if young black men were killed with today's regularity by the original KKK, there would be moral outrage. You don't sense outrage to the carnage against black men today. Instead, there's a "don't snitch" mentality, again perpetuated by hip hop culture that rationalizes self-genocide. Whitlock and others like Bill Cosby who have the courage to speak up on this issue are spot on.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[QUOTE=SouperMeister;385497]Frankly, it's high time for self-examination and social commentary when a young man like Taylor is snuffed out just when he's getting his life together. If you don't believe that hip hop culture glorifies murder, and de-sensitives black youth on violence, then you're not paying attention. I think that Whitlock is saying that if young black men were killed with today's regularity by the original KKK, there would be moral outrage. You don't sense outrage to the carnage against black men today. Instead, there's a "don't snitch" mentality, again perpetuated by hip hop culture that rationalizes self-genocide. Whitlock and others like Bill Cosby who have the courage to speak up on this issue are spot on.[/QUOTE]

And unfortunately ridiculed within that community.

I haven't been on this Earth a long time. Less than 30 years but one thing I slowly discovered is the rush to solely blame someone else for one's problems is usually counter-productive for two reasons.

First-
In most situations the root cause of a problem is never singular. One can almost always look inward to find causation. Not sole causation but at least part of the causation. This applies to people and communities. I believe strongly that the black community can look inward and find some causation within for their socioeconmoic and cultural issues they face. Addressing this causation could produce incredible strides toward eliminating the culture of violence and crime.

Second-
In those infrequent cases where there is no apparent causation within one can almost always look within to find solutions to the problems anyways. To look outward is to rely on others to do right by you. I'd rather fix the situation myself even if I didn't have a direct hand in causing it. Again, here the black community can fight this destructive culture that seems to be pervasive without even needing to accept some blame for it's existence. To lay blame outwad and therefore generate expectations that those to blame should fix the problem will never work. It hasn't so far has it?

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

First of all, I followed the 2005 case from Florida very closely and I have never seen anything that would convince me that Taylor brandished a firearm. That was the claim of the men who had stolen his property and had prior criminal records. If people prefer to take their word over Taylor's, then they have taken sides and in doing so are open to criticism. Second, I'm not sure that having your car shot at is an indication of moral turpitude. Especially considering that that shooting was in all likelihood perpetrated by the same people mentioned above.

The other things that are mentioned against Taylor are missing the Rookie symposium, being charged with DWI (later dropped), and strangest of all, the fact that he has been fined by the league seven times for illegal hits and for spitting on that guy in the playoff game.

Taking those in order, missing the rookie orientation was a mistake. It was an immature thing to do, but this country is packed from sea to shining sea with 20 year old morons. Hardly unforgivable.

Second, the DWI also indicates a lack of judgement, but again, one that many have made. Sonny Jurgensen got one in the 1980s when he was well into his forties. Was he inviting disaster? Ditto John Riggins. Could #44 be next? Being pulled over on the beltway near Tysons Corner on suspicion of DWI is hardly indicative of a gangster or criminal lifestyle.

Third, Taylor is a hard nosed defensive player. At times, especially early in his career, he had a tendency to cross the line but I've never thought of him as a dirty player. Ken Houston played like that. Roy Williams plays like that. Butkis and Neitcke played like that and when they are discussed it's folklore. It's cute. No one imputes criminality to them because of it.

Lastly, the spitting incident was a time when Sean went too far. How unfortunate. In terms of the league, though, I don't know how unusual it was. Chris Samuels was spit on in a game earlier this year. Football is a tough game. I don't think it's fair when you are creating a list of offenses against Taylor in order to imply that he is a thug to include things that happened on the football field, unless they are of the Albert Haynesworth variety and I don't think Sean has ever done anything like that. Some networks have decided to conflate the two.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=warriorzpath;385389]Sorry if anyone shares this guy's viewpoint, but it is ridiculous to use this to compare hip hop to the KKK. And to call KKK the parent organization to the Black KKK, which he uses as a name for hip hop, is offensive.

What the hell is going on? Is Sean Taylor's death, an excuse for self-righteous journalists to state their social opinions on varying subjects? These articles seem to be more about social commentary and less about Sean Taylor.[/quote]
I agree with you..

Quite frankly I am black and im appalled by the statements being made..its a real shame that people will use Sean Taylors death as an excuse to say that oh black people are in danger of dying violently.

Truth is WERE ALL IN DANGER! Bullet knows no name..and it damn sure knows no color.

If the player were white the coverage would be the same, bottom line is Taylor was murdered it doesn't have a damn thing to do with color, and I wouldn't be suprised if his killer was white or of another race. Murder is murder, and I don't understand whats so new about this that everyone wants to throw a race card...Im seeing more coverage on that then on trying to get a lead and bring the people that did this to justice!

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

One more thing damnit.


IF music can talk to you and it glorifies so much murder (BTW I listen to rock not rap)

Why not blame it when and if they do catch the person that did this. Then you can go and dig up Tupac or Biggie, or whoever it is that is alive today saying shoot this die fucker die and charge them with murder?

Im sorry but when I hear crap like that I scream get real and Bullshit!.

Ok I'll admit I listen to alot of emo...so if some kid cut his wrists because Hawthorne Heights said cut my writs and black my eyes, can we blame them for his self destructive behavior? Think about it if you still don't get where Im getting at here Im saying we can't blame a musical artist or a genre of music for peoples Deaths. Humanity is simply that cruel and they seek to hurt one another!

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=pg86;385516]One more thing damnit.


IF music can talk to you and it glorifies so much murder (BTW I listen to rock not rap)

Why not blame it when and if they do catch the person that did this. Then you can go and dig up Tupac or Biggie, or whoever it is that is alive today saying shoot this die fucker die and charge them with murder?

Im sorry but when I hear crap like that I scream get real and Bullshit!.

Ok I'll admit I listen to alot of emo...so if some kid cut his wrists because Hawthorne Heights said cut my writs and black my eyes, can we blame them for his self destructive behavior? Think about it if you still don't get where Im getting at here Im saying we can't blame a musical artist or a genre of music for peoples Deaths. Humanity is simply that cruel and they seek to hurt one another![/quote]But we also can't ignore the violence that is routinely glorified by the hip hop culture. It is not the only reason for black on black violence, but it is a factor. Just as surely as violent images coming out of Hollywood and video games are factors for violence in general. The biggest factor may be the openly available supply of guns in this country. What disgusts me most is that the frequent murders that we see on the evening news have almost been accepted as routine. There is a serious lack of social outrage, and the "don't snitch" mentality certainly doesn't help.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[QUOTE=FRPLG;385483]No but it has since glorified it. It promotes the types of behavior that have shaped a culture of violence and crime. I fail to see how so many people are blind to this. Whether one likes hip-hop for its musical value or not it is ludicrcous to me that they can't see this.

And to argue that the problem is solely based in economics is to ignore evidence to the contrary. I doubt you'll find anyone who would argue the the problem BEGAN as a socioeconomic imbalance. And most would surely agree that the socioeconomic disparities remain a strong force. But the culture of violence and crime is driven by many factors. One of which is the reality that in the black community hip-hop glorifies it. Maybe hip-hop was born out of this "struggle" and simply reflects what has grown naturally but it has become a driving force in promoting the longevity of this negative culture and something needs to be done about that.[/QUOTE]

There's no doubt that a lot of Hiphop music glorifies the worst criminal aspects of contemporary urban life (obviously not all Hiphop, or even most of it, I would argue) but I disagree that it's a driving force, however you are defining that. America is a violent media culture, from our thirst for action movies and realistic first person shooters to torture-porn movies like Saw, to single out Hiphop is absurd. As Jay Z so eloquently says on his new album, "Scarface the movie did more than Scarface the rapper to me/ Still that ain't to blame for half the shit that's happened to me."

By the way, violent crime has actually declined in urban communities over the last 10 years (in spite of increased media coverage). Commensurate with the continued commercial rise of Hiphop. So again, I just am not convinced that negative Hiphop is a driving force in crime.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[QUOTE=warriorzpath;385389]Sorry if anyone shares this guy's viewpoint, but it is ridiculous to use this to compare hip hop to the KKK. And to call KKK the parent organization to the Black KKK, which he uses as a name for hip hop, is offensive.

What the hell is going on? Is Sean Taylor's death, an excuse for self-righteous journalists to state their social opinions on varying subjects? These articles seem to be more about social commentary and less about Sean Taylor.[/QUOTE]

I think that sparking social commentary, especially that involving issues that are generally swept under the rug, is a fantastic monument to Sean's life.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[QUOTE=BleedBurgundy;385533]I think that sparking social commentary, especially that involving issues that are generally swept under the rug, is a fantastic monument to Sean's life.[/QUOTE]

I agree. As a fan I want the focus to be on Sean Taylor, but the fact is that this did not occur in a vacuum. Think about it, today's generation is more familiar with Jay-Z than Jesse Jackson, more well versed in the words of Mystikal than Martin Luther King, why? Why is the smart guy ostracized and the drug dealer idolized? This phenomena is not limited to the black community, but like with most things it is totally exaggerated in the black community.

I have sometimes thought Jason Whitlock was crazy, but this article seemed to be spot on to me. I'm 36, so I grew up listening to Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, came of age on Rakim, made aware by Public Enemy and danced and rapped along with NWA. But what rappers can't do is pretend that they don't have influence, that what they do doesn't influence a whole generation of youth who look up to them. Music is the soundtrack of our lives, and to think that soundtrack doesn't influence our everyday mood is not realistic.

The Black KKK, I didn't take that to be hip hop, but rather a reference to the Black on Black crime that has become rampant in America, and without uproar there is acceptance.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

I wanted to post this without commentary to hear what the forum thinks before I cluttered it with my own thoughts.

Clearly, a very powerful piece. As sportscurmudgeon said, this is indicative of a stance that Whitlock has taken in the past, but never before has he had such a visceral example.

I agree with memphisskin and others that his belief is less of an indictment of hip-hop than it is an indictment of a culture for which some hip-hop music is only a symptom. The number of black Americans killed in gun violence each year is [U]staggering[/U], yet few consider that this violence is systemic. Whether hip-hop is a reflection of this culture or vice-versa, there must be change.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=warriorzpath;385419]I think that's where I find fault in the article. He lists a lot things wrong with a big part of our society. But where does he list any solutions and ways to deal with all of this? Like the old saying goes - if you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem.[/quote]

Actually he does offer a broad solution - black people should resist blaming others & be proacitve to care for their own.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

Wow, very strong and interesting column indeed. He has guts to put that opinion out there. Thanks for posting it, Brud.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[QUOTE=memphisskin;385546]I agree. As a fan I want the focus to be on Sean Taylor, but the fact is that this did not occur in a vacuum. Think about it, today's generation is more familiar with Jay-Z than Jesse Jackson, more well versed in the words of Mystikal than Martin Luther King, why? Why is the smart guy ostracized and the drug dealer idolized? This phenomena is not limited to the black community, but like with most things it is totally exaggerated in the black community.

I have sometimes thought Jason Whitlock was crazy, but this article seemed to be spot on to me. I'm 36, so I grew up listening to Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, came of age on Rakim, made aware by Public Enemy and danced and rapped along with NWA. But what rappers can't do is pretend that they don't have influence, that what they do doesn't influence a whole generation of youth who look up to them. Music is the soundtrack of our lives, and to think that soundtrack doesn't influence our everyday mood is not realistic.

The Black KKK, I didn't take that to be hip hop, but rather a reference to the Black on Black crime that has become rampant in America, and without uproar there is acceptance.[/QUOTE]


I'm a white guy so please accept the following question is intended without malice: What is it with that segment of the black community that idealizes the thug lifestyle? (I know that there are segments of all races that idolize it but you know what I mean) I just don't get it. What's the appeal? I've had friends/coworkers who just absolutely let every opportunity to improve themselves pass by because that would be "selling out." For the life of me I dont' get it. It's disgusting to me but I can only imagine it must be truly exhasperating to be black and to see this from your own people in such large quantities. How do you protect your kids from these view points? If these questions/views offend anyone, I apologize, they're honestly just questions, not indictments of anyone's background.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[quote=memphisskin;385546]I agree. As a fan I want the focus to be on Sean Taylor, but the fact is that this did not occur in a vacuum. Think about it, today's generation is more familiar with Jay-Z than Jesse Jackson, more well versed in the words of Mystikal than Martin Luther King, why? Why is the smart guy ostracized and the drug dealer idolized? This phenomena is not limited to the black community, but like with most things it is totally exaggerated in the black community.

I have sometimes thought Jason Whitlock was crazy, but this article seemed to be spot on to me. I'm 36, so I grew up listening to Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, came of age on Rakim, made aware by Public Enemy and danced and rapped along with NWA. But what rappers can't do is pretend that they don't have influence, that what they do doesn't influence a whole generation of youth who look up to them. Music is the soundtrack of our lives, and to think that soundtrack doesn't influence our everyday mood is not realistic.

The Black KKK, I didn't take that to be hip hop, but rather a reference to the Black on Black crime that has become rampant in America, and without uproar there is acceptance.[/quote]

Memphis, I'm 39 & listened to all those that you mentioned & still love them. I used to stick up for NWA et al, buying the line that "it's real" & "we didn't create it." But the difference between them & G. Flash is that the latter described the streets, e.g. "The Message," and "New York,New York", while NWA & gangster rappers really promoted a lifestyle, bragging about how "hard" they are, carrying guns & calling women any disrespectful name that's in style.

Those was nothing romantic about the streets when Flash & Curtis Mayfield for that matter, were writing songs. In fact they criticized the lifestyle & conveyed how bad it really is.

I think you've accurately summed up Whitlock's stance in your last paragraph.

Re: Jason Whitlock column on Taylor
 

[QUOTE=BleedBurgundy;385621]I'm a white guy so please accept the following question is intended without malice: What is it with that segment of the black community that idealizes the thug lifestyle? (I know that there are segments of all races that idolize it but you know what I mean) I just don't get it. What's the appeal? I've had friends/coworkers who just absolutely let every opportunity to improve themselves pass by because that would be "selling out." For the life of me I dont' get it. It's disgusting to me but I can only imagine it must be truly exhasperating to be black and to see this from your own people in such large quantities. How do you protect your kids from these view points? If these questions/views offend anyone, I apologize, they're honestly just questions, not indictments of anyone's background.[/QUOTE]

I'm a white guy too, but I think the music is a reflection of the culture, not the other way around. There existed a culture of despair in many neighborhoods before hip-hop told of it. Any effect that music has on behavior is secondary to the root causes. Rich kids who embrace hip-hop largely aren't turning to violence - poor kids are. My fear is that, though glorifying death needs to stop, we are putting the cart before the horse if we think that getting rid of violent music will get rid of violence.