"White Backlash" to Jena Six & Vick

Over the weekend, I saw a story on the "white backlash" from the Jena Six protests. The report detailed how race and opinions (on the case) are related. Not surprisingly, a large percentage of White America did not understand last Thursday's protest. Why were they out there fighting for six thugs? Do they know Mychal Bell has priors and is headed for a life of crime? Oh, here we go, Jesse and Al showed up...time for the race card. I saw the comments on local and national news sites. As the shell of the story made its way to mainstream America, the entire purpose of the fight got lost. Once again, we were misunderstood. So let me state the following: The protests were not about approving violence--we were demanding equal treatment in the judicial system...something that is FAR from the reality in America.

I cannot say that any of this was surprising to me. Being me, I like to look at everything from all perspectives. This is one of the biggest "issues" my friends and family have with me. t takes FOREVER for me to form a concrete opinion on something. I actually asked myself the same questions--double-checking my beliefs. Forming an opinion is a major thing and I like taking the time to weigh all aspects and come to a conclusion which is in-line with the facts AND my personal beliefs. So, believe me when I say I did not "jump" on the Jena Six bandwagon blindly.

Nope, Al and Jesse did not hand me a few race cards to play. There is no single factor--not race, anger or hate--driving my opinion. There is no single part of this story that got me either. It is the sum total that caught my attention (see below for details). Us Black folk don't sit around waiting for something to jump on. I am American and, like the rest of you, I tend to be self-centered. But the more I read about the Jena Six, the more I thought of MY children and how this could easily be one of them.

Regardless of what you think of these guys or the crimes they are accused of, this story did not play out fairly...

- For whatever reason, a group of Black students believed a tree was off-limits because of their race. They asked a school official for "permission" to sit there and did just that one day

- The following day, three nooses were hanging from the tree. The responsible students were expelled from school, however that was over-turned by the school board, and replaced with in-school suspension because hanging a noose is "just a silly prank." Actually, it's a federal hate crime!

- The Black students held a protest after the noose hangers were given a slap on the hand

- In reaction to the protest, the DA visited the school to speak with the students. He has admitted to telling the Black athletes "I can erase your life with the stroke of a pen". The Jena Six were part of the Black athlete crew.

- Teachers and officials allegedly held the Black students in a different light because they protested--some of the protest leaders are now part of the "Jena Six"

- A few days before the fight with Justin, Robert Bailey attended a mostly-White party. When he walked in, he was greeted with a punches and beer bottles. Supposedly, people didn't realize he was INVITED to the party--just assumed he was there to get jumped. Robert's first attacker was a 22-year-old man. His charge? Assault His punishment? Probation

- A few of the "six" ran into one of the guys who beat up Robert. Words were exchanged and the guy pulled a shotgun on them. They wrestled it away and were later charged with assault and theft of the handgun!

- STUDENTS testified that Justin Barker made racial slurs and made fun of how Robert was jumped at the party. This happened over the lunch period preceding the fight.

- At least one of the six says he was not part of the fight, others testified to say it's impossible to pinpoint everyone that was involved. Also only one witness testified to the alleged kick after Justin was unconscious and he was one of the noose hangers!!!

- Attempted second degree murder?...charged as an adult? That doesn't jibe with anything I've seen before and apparently the courts agreed. The initial charges were lowered in court and the appeals court said Mychal Bell should not have been tried as adult

Where is the equality in this picture? Why shouldn't we all question the behavior of this DA? We all deserve equality, regardless of our skin color, priors or anything else.

This evening, we watched ESPN's The Vick Divide which, like the CNN story, detailed how race affects opinions in the Vick case. It was filmed in Atlanta, Ga., and included a fairly diverse audience. Panelists included former Falcons players and talk radio's Neal Boortz. I can sum it up with a few sentences...At one point, Neal Boortz said, "You're not doing Vick a favor by thinking he didn't commit a crime" and the show closed with several Black audience members chanting, "We love Vick! We love Vick" over and over again.

Mike Vick: Can he live?

"I reside in VA, ride in VA
Most likely when I die, I'm gon' die in VA
Virginia's for lovers, but trust there's hate here...

Ironic, the same place I'm makin' figures at
That there's the same land they used to hang niggas at...in Virginia"

- The Clipse “Virginia”

For some reason, the Mike Vick story has really stirred something in me. Never expected to have as much emotion --or defense--for ole Ron Mexico! As previous posts show, he's one of my favorite f'ups to discuss. I mean, who has better stories than Ron? Stolen watches, herpes, water bottles with hidden compartments and now dogfighting! This guy has proven to be a piece of work. Before now, I had little to no sympathy for him. I admired his talent and accomplishments, but found him comical.

But, something has changed. I am now intrigued, saddened and concerned for Mike. Maybe it's our similarities? We were both born and raised in Virginia. Though our hometowns are seemingly worlds apart, I'm sure that's part of it. We're kinfolk...kinda. I know and understand growing up with an addicted and absent father. After years of bouncing in and out of prison, my own father died of a heroin overdose. I was 16. For the record, Mr. Bodie claims to have been there...but I believe Vick and his moms on that one!

Back to the point, I remember how those things changed me...and not for the best. When you don't have needed support at home, you turn to anyone or anything that will cure that feeling. Thankfully, my issues were minor speed bumps in my life. But, I fully understand how those feelings can have a stronger effect on different people. I've witnessed that with my own brother, who struggled to stay on the right path. So, I guess, I always thought Mike was like many fatherless men I know...immature because he lacked proper home training...which is whose fault?

The point is; I understand Mike. This dog-fighting thing is just an extension of previous behaviors. The details of the case were horrible and I will not dare defend his crimes. He knowingly committed them and should face punishment. But, I don't understand the hate and anger some Americans have dished at him. If I didn't know better, I'd swear people were describing Wayne Williams, the infamous Atlanta Child Killer. Scum of the Earth? Sadistic and mentally insane? Get out of here!

In the WP, John Feinstein wrote an article saying Vick should never play football again. Here's an excerpt:

...But Vick going behind bars doesn't mean he or his story are going away. Even with his plea eliminating the "he's innocent until proven guilty" argument, there will still going to be plenty of people who argue that Vick really isn't a bad guy or that he was set up by prosecutors or they will use the ever-popular cliché: "He made a mistake and deserves another chance."

Does Vick deserve another chance to go on with his life once he has served his jail time? Yes. But not as a professional football player.

There are certain crimes that people commit that make it impossible for them to return to society in certain jobs. If you commit a crime against a child, chances are pretty good you won't be allowed to teach children in the future. If you are seriously involved in drugs you probably shouldn't apply for a job as an airline pilot after your jail time is up. It isn't an absolute, but anyone who has committed a felony will probably find gaining admission to most law schools difficult.

Vick's crime is both brutal and cruel. Other than beating up a woman or a child, killing dogs for sport or entertainment is about as cowardly an act as exists. Those who make the weak "how is it different from hunting?" argument miss the point. I'm no hunter (never held a gun in my life and think the second amendment should be abolished) but there are legitimate reasons why hunting is legal in some places, some of the time. It is heartbreaking when dogs or cats are euthanized legally but at least their deaths are painless and do not take place to give sick people their jollies.

Vick and his friends are sick. Even if Vick can convince people he's truly sorry for what he did -- and it says here the only thing he'll ever be sorry for is getting caught -- that doesn't mean he should be allowed to play in the National Football League again.

If you play in the NFL, you are, by definition, viewed by a lot of people as a hero...Mike Flynn said, describing what it was like to walk onto the field in street clothes because of an injury as opposed to running onto the field in uniform during player introductions: "You go out there in street clothes, you're just another guy. You run through that tunnel in uniform, you feel like you're a God."

Michael Vick doesn't deserve to ever feel that way again. If he wants to go back to Virginia Tech and finish his degree, that's fine. There are plenty of jobs he can get when he's done his jail time. But football shouldn't be one of them.

Forget the money. He's forfeited his right to be a hero, to hear those cheers anymore.

If someone participates in, or even attends, a dog-fighting match, I am willing to bet he's not a member of PETA and has little to no concern for the life of a dog. For whatever reason (e.g., southern upbringing, ignorant, childish), he does not value dogs. In the same way, I do not value fleas, spiders, rats, roaches, ants and the like. Say what you will--and I'm NOT advocating dog-fighting or breaking the law--but that's a valid argument! We have varying levels of respect for animals and one man's lack of respect for dogs cannot be called insane. Not without additional evidence to prove that. Mike may be immature, but I don't think he's insane or crazy.

These dogs battle it out and often die DURING the match or are so injured they must be put down. So I find it hard to make killing a dog a worse act than viewing a dog fight. I won't pretend to understand why anyone would enjoy a dog-fight, but I've known people who have. I always figured it was fairly similar to enjoying a boxing match or...gasp...a brutal football game! This I know for sure; it is not unheard of in the south. Mike's participation is related to the company he kept and the prevalence of dog-fighting in our country. He is not alone in that world and while we may not condone or understand it, death and injury are part of it. Now that he's pled, animal rights activists are calling for the dogs to be put down--as they do with THOUSANDS of animals. Feinstein says euthanizing, when done legally, is less brutal. Dead is dead. Which reminds me of an interesting and slightly off topic point; we legally electrocute and suffocate humans in many states.

But, Feinstein and many others are calling for an end to the man's life because he fought dogs. What I don't understand is; how does that help anyone? What does taking away a man's right to earn a living--using PURE God-given talent--do to better society? He pled guilty and should serve whatever sentence he's given. However, the public interest should stop there in my opinion. What else does he owe US? Nothing. And the notion that he has lost his "right" to be a hero is silly! What hero, besides the fictional kind, was/is perfect? Every hero of mine, from Martin to Malcolm, had well-documented flaws and imperfections. Even heroes are HUMAN.

Rightfully so, his employer will impose a punishment. So long as it's not done to make an example of him (a la Pacman) and follows standard procedure, I think that's fair. But, I do take issue with us outsiders calling for the man's ban. Again, I ask why? What is it, inside of us, that makes us feel good to see another man's life OVER? Insecurity? Jealousy? I don't know, but I know I am sickened by comments like the above. Everyone DOES deserve a second chance, if not we'd all be up the creek.

"Happy to be escapin poverty, however brief
I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation for dips
...Can I live?"

- Jay-z "Can I Live"

Pacman, Pacman, Pacman

Oh Adam why? Why did you have $80,000, in ones, at the Vegas strip club? Why do you look like you smoke an ounce a day? Why have you behaved in such an ignorant and embarrassing way? First it was Ron Mexico and now this!

I caught bits of Pacman Jones' interview with my favorite bama (Deion Sanders). Interesting stuff indeed! First off, why did Deion look like the Burgundy Bandit? *sigh* he hasn't a clue. But, seriously, the interview was actually very entertaining. I cannot say that I believe Pacman has learned anything but why would I? Why would anyone believe that? Why would anyone expect these athletes to be saints?

A little background for those who are oblivious to what I'm talking about…NFL/NBA ballers can't stay out of trouble! Most recently, two guys, with Atlanta ties, have received a lot of local (Atlanta) and national attention. The biggest story involves Pacman Jones, an Atlanta native and current NFL player for the Titans. He was allegedly involved in 10 criminal incidents over the past two years. He is now facing a stiff penalty with many calling for indefinite suspension. Then there is Michael Vick, the starting QB for the Atlanta Falcons. He has had a few brushes with the law himself! After his water-bottle incident, people were calling him a "thug" and saying he should be suspended

Our society has set them up on a pedestal and allows them to get by in too many ways. Given that our society overlooks things like school performance and violations, in favor of having the players play, how can we expect good behavior? This question is especially valid when we consider many players come from less than perfect circumstances (broken homes, crime-ridden neighborhoods, poor families, etc.).

If you take an immature teen/young man, who has never had money (and/or much stability), give him millions and treat him like he's above everyone else, how can we balk when they do stupid things like bring a trash bag full of $80k to a strip club or sneak marijuana on a plane?

I think the leagues have done a poor job in mentoring and getting players acclimated to this new lifestyle. I am reminded of how the NBA changed its rules and now requires players to wear suits to games. The commissioner was concerned the league was developing the wrong image (too much hip-hop/urban influence.) That may sound good to some. But, in my mind, he was barking up the wrong tree. What the players wear makes little difference when they are acting like hooligans.

It's time we stop treating players like they are above everyone else AND for the leagues to take more responsibility for these young men. Yes, it is ultimately up to the players to behave. But, a normal employer runs criminal background checks and consults references. If the NBA/NFL wants to hire troubled youth or those with limited exposure to civility or wealth, it becomes their responsibility to help these players….especially if they/we EXPECT them to behave!