04/17/24
December 01, 2007
Sean Taylor murder was a botched robbery: The Washington Post is a reporting that Sean Taylor's murder was simply a case of a robbery gone wrong. The suspects thought he was out of town and didn't expect anyone to be home.
wrong?? at least one of the suspects were at his house a few months ago for a birthday party... like it or not they knew each other.. which goes to prove my reasoning that he was still around bad people... look at their rap sheets, these boys were not the best people to be inviting in your home.
posted by jlh0837 at 10:54 AM on December 01, 2007
The four suspects all have prior arrests, according to Lee County Sheriff's Office records. Wardlow, 18, was arrested twice for selling marijuana and once for grand theft of a vehicle. Rivera, 17, has been arrested in October for trafficking cocaine and methamphetamine, and he previously was behind bars for altering the identification number on a firearm. Hunte, 20, was arrested previously this year on drug and trespassing charges. And Mitchell, 19, has been arrested twice, most recently in October on charges of driving with a suspended license and violation of probation.
posted by jlh0837 at 10:55 AM on December 01, 2007
The Miami Herald reported that Mitchell and Wardlow had connections to Taylor
posted by jlh0837 at 10:55 AM on December 01, 2007
i rest my case
posted by jlh0837 at 10:56 AM on December 01, 2007
Well, Mike McD, you got everyone, oh wait, sorry, I just read the article. Yes, the 4 arrested thought ST was out of town, but there sure seems to be some connections between them. MikeMcD, 8 days prior someone broke in, took nothing, and left a knife on his bed. That alone is fishy to me. People close to the family indicated there was a link between the men and Taylor's stepsister, Sasha Johnson, That also sounds fishy. The newspaper also reported that Mitchell mowed the home's lawn. Hmmm, yep, still fishy.
posted by BoKnows at 11:02 AM on December 01, 2007
Does that mean you will stop talking?
posted by hawkguy at 11:02 AM on December 01, 2007
no
posted by jlh0837 at 11:14 AM on December 01, 2007
i rest my case Please do. Right or wrong, your wallowing around in another person's death, trying to prove a point, is disgusting, low-class, and unnecessary.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:51 AM on December 01, 2007
You're so clever. I see it now. Clearly he should have have run a criminal background check on the lawnmower to make sure he wasn't around "bad" people Try this thought experiment. Say Tony Romo had a girlfriend and an 18 month old baby. Tony finds out that his house back in Wisconsin has been broken into and that his girlfriend is scared. So he goes home to stay with her and make her feel safe. The night he's home his house is broken into and Tony is murdered. It turns out that the murderer was a teenager that Tony had mowing his lawn and some people that came to a party that Tony's stepsister threw while he was in Dallas that Tony didn't know about. Would you be saying that's fishy or would you be saying that's the worst tragedy you'd ever heard?
posted by Mike McD at 12:41 PM on December 01, 2007
no matter how you look at it, it's a crap situation. I would normally never say this, but good luck to the Redskins this weekend
posted by indigoskye at 01:04 PM on December 01, 2007
I'll leave it at this. The people who theorized that there was something fishy, or that he was a thug and it was related to that ... it looks like you were very very wrong. posted by Mike McD at 9:11 AM CST on December 1 I would say....both. It is no doubt a tragedy. After reading articles with teamates, family, coaches and friends, I do believe that Sean Taylor was doing the right thing for his family. And I respect that. It is no doubt fishy. My point was that your comment indicates that this was purely a botched robbery. There seems to be alot more to it than just some random Joe with a gun.
posted by BoKnows at 01:10 PM on December 01, 2007
I can't understand how these people are being charged with "unpremeditated murder". It seems to me that when you break into someone's house, armed with a firearm, you intend to use it. I had always heard that even the momentary pause between seeing a target and pulling the trigger was enough to establish intent.
posted by Howard_T at 01:30 PM on December 01, 2007
"wrong?? at least one of the suspects were at his house a few months ago for a birthday party... like it or not they knew each other.. which goes to prove my reasoning that he was still around bad people... look at their rap sheets, these boys were not the best people to be inviting in your home. posted by jlh0837 at 10:54 AM CST on December 1" Guy, you're an idiot. Anyone, regardless of their ethnic group and current social status know that if you are born in low income or poor neighborhoods, many of your acquaintances will be people that more well off people will have nothing to do with, being around them do not make you a thug.
posted by Cave_Man at 01:34 PM on December 01, 2007
Howard, Florida's a death penalty state. Murder in the commission of a felony is a death penalty bounce, but that might only be a federal statute.
posted by yerfatma at 01:53 PM on December 01, 2007
The_Black_Hand said: "Please do. Right or wrong, your wallowing around in another person's death, trying to prove a point, is disgusting, low-class, and unnecessary."It is disgusting but was probably inevitable considering the way Mike McD started it with his sanctimonious callout.
MikeMcD said: "I'll leave it at this. The people who theorized that there was something fishy, or that he was a thug and it was related to that ... it looks like you were very very wrong."With that sort of tone to start the thread how did you think it would go?
posted by geekyguy at 02:33 PM on December 01, 2007
Howard, yerfatma said what I was going to say, which is that since they were commiting another crime it's potentially a death penalty case - but "intent" and "premeditation" are two different things.
posted by vito90 at 07:28 PM on December 01, 2007
i rest my case jlh- are you a fucking moron or just have no class. Because someone was in a house it does not mean the owner invited his own death. You brag about your marine background and how it could never happen to you- is that because no one knows your moms address and the garage you live in? Or because you are a Super Ninja that no one can touch. You are probably the guy that would have been the middle linebacker for the Patriots this year if your High School coach didn't hate you so much and bring you down. You probably still wear a jersey with "69" on the back so it makes you feel like a stud. You are either ignorant and uninformed about how Sean Taylor has grown and lived lately or just do not care because mom still buys your Froot Loops and Kool cigarettes.
posted by urall cloolis at 01:10 AM on December 02, 2007
Joe (jlh) before you respond about how great you are- I have a challenge for you. We each put up $5,000.00 and play 10 sporting events, we each pick 5. The winner stays on SpoFi anytime they want and the loser shuts the fuck up forever and leaves. Are you willing to compete? If so, pick your 5 sports and when you want your plane ticket to arrive. If not shut the fuck up! I am serious. Ask mommy for the money and lets compete.
posted by urall cloolis at 01:20 AM on December 02, 2007
I will allow justgary, lilbrownbat, yerfatma or anyone else we both feel comfortable with to hold the money, judge the events and award the winnings.
posted by urall cloolis at 01:31 AM on December 02, 2007
And again...RIP Mr. Sean Taylor. You were a pleasure to meet and a lot of people cared about you! You will be missed.
posted by urall cloolis at 01:35 AM on December 02, 2007
How the hell are you going to prove who's right in a disagreement with a sporting challenge? Just ignore him. Sometimes reasoning with the unreasonable is a futile effort. Calling him names is not making your point very well and actually makes you look like a idiot. If you don't agree with his opinion-ok. It's free country.
posted by smdragon at 01:53 AM on December 02, 2007
urall cloolis .. you have to be the stupidest person in the world. does anything you say make any sense? a sporting challenge? well that will just change evertyhing...and i am dying to know... how did you come up with 5,000 dollar amount? you really need some help dude. and by the way i never said that he invited his own death.. all i said was he was still hanging out with people he shouldnt have. just like the miami herald reported. is it really going to make a difference to beat your ass in a few sporting games.. you really are a moron.. you should just shut up, because everytime you open that big fat mouth, the people are around you all become a little dumber.
posted by jlh0837 at 08:47 AM on December 02, 2007
urall and jlhwhatever, better just go to your respective corners and observe a moment of silence. Really. The thread was started somewhat provocatively, but I agree strongly with the point that it's wrong to suggest that a crime victim asked for it simply because they've had some acquaintance with someone who had a criminal history -- oh, and jhl? what you're doing right now, saying that you "never said that he invited his own death"? That's called backpedaling. I have parties at my house, I allow friends to invite friends, and I don't conduct background checks on any of them. I can pretty much guarantee that I've had people with criminal records in my house. If one of them comes back and burglarizes my house tomorrow, I doubt anyone will say that I asked for it...but then, I'm not a young black NFL player. I guess we just hold them to higher standards, hmm?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:14 AM on December 02, 2007
urall cloolis .. you have to be the stupidest person in the world. does anything you say make any sense? a sporting challenge? well that will just change evertyhing And I am the stupid one? Actually I just wanted you to shut the fuck up and start backpedaling, which I have clearly done. The 5,000 amount was something I know you probably cannot afford to lose, but I can. The sporting challenge was because I KNOW I am clearly a better athlete than you. If you are going to talk about how you could have prevented getting shot in a home invasion (which you have done in a previous post) because of your strong military background I would have thought you also had some balls to back it up. LBB and others, my apologies, I did not mean to get into a pissing match and I clearly went about it the wrong way (including this post, which I couldn't resist). I am out, have a nice day.
posted by urall cloolis at 09:27 AM on December 02, 2007
It's sad Sean Taylor is dead, just as it's sad when anyone is killed in such a senseless way. However, it is impossible, sometimes, to escape your past. You can escape it the majority of the time, but never completely. The part of this situation that bothers me most is the idea (if it is indeed true) that one of the perpetrators was at a party at the home a while back. Even though anyone can be a victim of random violence, I have a fairly good idea the people I allow into my home aren't going to look to victimize me in such a horrible way. True, I didn't grow up living Taylor's life, but he had the means to be able to leave that area if it was such a high-risk environment. His close friends spoke about the enemies he had in Miami, and how there were many in that area who wished him harm. It seems to me a person wanting to turn his life around would be living somewhere else in this country if that was indeed the case. Yes, it's sad he can't/couldn't live wherever he chose, but someone who goes from practically nothing to living in the penthouse, so to speak, is going to be the target of jealousy, resentment, and anger from those still living and struggling in their daily lives. And if he didn't want to make that decision (to move to another part of the country) for himself, he probably should have done it for his young child. I have a good friend who was a tremendous athlete growing up in Phoenix. He played college basketball, on scholarship, in New York state, then chose to remain there to raise his family. Sure he missed Arizona and much of his family, but when comparing things, he realized Phoenix held many more risk factors and potential dangers for his young family, so he didn't return (except for visits, of course). It's sad life has to be that way, but it is.
posted by dyams at 09:28 AM on December 02, 2007
backpedaling? all i said was that he was still hanging out with the wrong people. nowhere did i say he invited his own death. i do believe that he increased his chances of something bad happening because of who he was acquainted with. just like if i was to be hanging out with people that had drug convictions... the likelyhood of something shady happening around me would increase. i dont think he invited his own death, i just think that he didnt change enough of his life to better his chances of something bad happening. and yes i know that he had turned his life around from what had happened in his past, just that i think he needed to separate a little more from quote.. unquote.. thug type people. and nobody has to agree with what i am saying.. i am merely stating my opinion... if you dont like it... so what. i thought thats what these posts were for. i never thought that people would become so ignorant over my opinion.
posted by jlh0837 at 09:30 AM on December 02, 2007
and as for urall cloolis.. how in any way that by being a better athlete than me makes any sense over the death of sean taylor. you really are an idiot. so if i was to come over to your trailer park and kick your ass.. would that make my point anymore... how on earth can you be this moronic?
posted by jlh0837 at 09:34 AM on December 02, 2007
jlh- Actually I am a college educated business owner in the sports industry. I know a lot of friends of Sean Taylor's and have met him once. None of them are close to being "thugs", they are all educated, compassionate people. That is why I take it so personally. As for my trailer park, at least I own it instead of living in mommy's garage and sponging off tax dollars. Now I am out for good. Have a nice day and enjoy talking to the wall.
posted by urall cloolis at 09:55 AM on December 02, 2007
urall cloolis.. i dont care what you do or what you have done.. and being that you have met him once.. i guess that makes you the most knowledgeable person when it comes to who sean taylor was acquainted with. and now that i know you are a college educated business owner in the sports industry, i can see where you came up with this outstanding proposal of a sporting challenge. you really are an idiot, and by the way, the wall is way more educated. i dont see him coming up with crazy ideas.
posted by jlh0837 at 10:22 AM on December 02, 2007
I struggle to see how the below is "hanging out with the wrong people" FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor and his half-sister Sasha Johnson grew up on different coasts of Florida but Taylor wanted to be closer to her and bring a broken family together, according to friends and family members. Taylor bought a $900,000 house in his home town of Miami for his mother, Donna Junor. He invited Sasha Johnson, who grew up in Fort Myers, and her brother to live in it, the friends and family members said... But over the past few days it has become increasingly clear that investigators working on Taylor's killing believe Sasha Johnson, apparently unwittingly, provided a direct link between Taylor and the four Fort Myers men charged with killing him in a bungled burglary attempt of that same home. Previously, it was reported the house belonged exclusively to Taylor, but in interviews Saturday, friends and family members said Taylor bought the house with the intent of his mother living there...After buying the house for Junor, Taylor invited his half-brother Jamal Johnson, 18, and Sasha Johnson to stay there. They all had bedrooms in the house. Family friend Donald Walker said the trio were the house's "primary residents" since Taylor rarely was in town. Neither Junor, Jamal Johnson nor Sasha Johnson was in the house the night of the shooting.
posted by Mike McD at 10:46 AM on December 02, 2007
The "hanging out with bad/wrong company" line came from the original thread and was said by his cousin, who actually said, ''He's been trying to stay away from bad company -- especially for his daughter's sake,'' Leon said. ``Sean wasn't a bad guy at all." This seems to have been echoed by pretty much everyone who actually knew him. It seems, more accurately, that the "bad" company did not want to stay away from him, no fault of his own. Cool Picture, lbb, although I don't get it's significance? Car Wreck? No Hmmm. Shotty Engineering? Maybe, ahhhh, Train Wreck! I got it!!! I think we all need a little cooling off period while we argue about the BCS.
posted by BoKnows at 11:24 AM on December 02, 2007
I struggle to see how the below is "hanging out with the wrong people" The story you linked to seems to point out he did, possibly inadvertently, become involved with the wrong crowd. It seems very noble of Sean apparently trying to keep his large web or relatives, or partial relatives, together. His mother, according to the story, had kids by various men, meaning Sean had half-brothers and sisters all over. But keeping all these people in his life also admitted all their acquaintances into Taylor's life, too. Taylor making a priority of taking care of Sasha Johnson seems to have brought the negative people she associated with into Taylor's life, leading in large part to this tragedy. I guess it's "hanging out with the wrong people" by his involvement with other family members. It's interesting how Taylor's own father described the individuals others brought into Sean's life as "thugs."
posted by dyams at 11:28 AM on December 02, 2007
Cool Picture, lbb, although I don't get it's significance? Car Wreck? No Hmmm. Shotty Engineering? Maybe, ahhhh, Train Wreck! I got it!!! You're pretty new here, so I'm not surprised it didn't occur to you immediately. "Train wreck" is a Spofi-ism that refers to a thread that has been disastrously derailed. With this particular thread, it may have been inevitable; nevertheless, I would hope that some of those who are saying things about your past catching up with you would realize that they're probably tossing stones from the vantage point of a glass house. You control your life, but you don't have total control over the lives of others with whom you are connected. I trust the judgment of my friends and family, but "trust" is the operative word here -- I have faith in them, but I don't have any guarantees. Instead, I am relying on my judgment that their judgment is good. Maybe one or more of us is wrong, and I end up with some nutjob breaking into my house to steal my fabulous collection of whitewater kayaks and videotaped Patriots games. If that happens, and I get killed, will people call it my past catching up with me? Somehow I don't think so.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:42 PM on December 02, 2007
will people call it my past catching up with me? Somehow I don't think so. While I understand your reasoning, lbb, and there is obvious logic to it, the fact remains you are not a famous, wealthy individual living in opulent surroundings that are glamorized and thrown in people's faces on shows such as "Cribs." Anyone can be a victim of a robbery, but Taylor choosing to let individuals from all over to enter into and practically case his home will always carry more risk. While nobody would ever predict the type of outcome Taylor met, I'd bet he, in his own mind, knew some of the people his half-sister associated with were bad influences. Taylor's father's comment about them being "thugs" points out that very thing. While it's admirable Taylor wanted to help them out, maybe he should have thought more about the future of his own (now-fatherless) daughter and left Miami.
posted by dyams at 01:06 PM on December 02, 2007
I got immediately Lbb. I was joking. It really is a cool picture. Talk about getting derailed.
posted by BoKnows at 01:31 PM on December 02, 2007
I wonder what people expect when they take these young thugs (athletes?), give them millions of dollars to play a sport most youngsters play for fun, and then leave them with zero supervision? Of course Taylor knew some "bad" people. Which of us doesn't? That does not mean he was a bad person--but I do not agree that this was unpremeditated. These idiots broke into his home, armed, and claim that they didn't know he was home. B------t! These four wastes of human flesh should be sentenced to the same death as Sean Taylor--shoot them.
posted by tmn856 at 01:59 PM on December 02, 2007
Redskins honor Taylor by only using ten men on the first play.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 02:22 PM on December 02, 2007
jlh and urall,I think enough if enough on this matter,more so jlh than any other.The bottom line is that a young person is dead here.It doesn't matter who he knew,where he lived,his ethnical background,him going to college at Miami Fla,who was at his party etc. The man isn't even buried yet!!Another thing jlh,name calling other people who post and read threads and add their thoughts here on Spofi I personally don't think is very cool.So maybe you should go elsewhere.What he should of,could of done,he didn't do.Whether it may have prevented his death or not we'll never know.Let the man rest in peace and his family he left behind go through the healing process after losing a loved one.
posted by Ghastly1 at 03:45 PM on December 02, 2007
"It's sad Sean Taylor is dead, just as it's sad when anyone is killed in such a senseless way. However, it is impossible, sometimes, to escape your past. You can escape it the majority of the time, but never completely. The part of this situation that bothers me most is the idea (if it is indeed true) that one of the perpetrators was at a party at the home a while back. Even though anyone can be a victim of random violence, I have a fairly good idea the people I allow into my home aren't going to look to victimize me in such a horrible way. True, I didn't grow up living Taylor's life, but he had the means to be able to leave that area if it was such a high-risk environment. His close friends spoke about the enemies he had in Miami, and how there were many in that area who wished him harm. It seems to me a person wanting to turn his life around would be living somewhere else in this country if that was indeed the case. Yes, it's sad he can't/couldn't live wherever he chose, but someone who goes from practically nothing to living in the penthouse, so to speak, is going to be the target of jealousy, resentment, and anger from those still living and struggling in their daily lives. And if he didn't want to make that decision (to move to another part of the country) for himself, he probably should have done it for his young child. I have a good friend who was a tremendous athlete growing up in Phoenix. He played college basketball, on scholarship, in New York state, then chose to remain there to raise his family. Sure he missed Arizona and much of his family, but when comparing things, he realized Phoenix held many more risk factors and potential dangers for his young family, so he didn't return (except for visits, of course). It's sad life has to be that way, but it is. posted by dyams at 9:28 AM CST on December 2" dyams; Very thoughtful post. I agree with your premise that when a person has a lot of assets, living among people that do not pose risks. But it takes time for many people to realize that, especially when the person is 24 or younger and has probaly been placed on a pedestal since he was a pre-teen. It is a fortunate situation when one can build wealth over enough years to become mature enough to understand risks significant wealth brings, but unfortunately most young NFL stars do not get that opportunity, they go from being poor or horribly impovished to having hundreds of thousands or millions at their disposal overnight - with hangerons constantly whispering in their ears about how great they are.
posted by Cave_Man at 04:00 PM on December 02, 2007
"I think we all need a little cooling off period while we argue about the BCS. posted by BoKnows at 11:24 AM CST on December 2" You call debating the BCS cooling off? The BCS is a mess, huh? It will be unreal if Ohio State and LSU end up playing the National Championship game, there will be a lot of other teams with legitimate gripes.
posted by Cave_Man at 04:16 PM on December 02, 2007
Absolutely a very thoughtful post. And yes Cave_Man,what you stated above is so true.Gong from being with no or not very much money and then having all that money at your disposal would change myself,and probably most people.And of course the hanger-ons as you pointed out above I'm sure would have a definate impact on one that has all that wealth.
posted by Ghastly1 at 04:29 PM on December 02, 2007
But it takes time for many people to realize that, especially when the person is 24 or younger and has probaly been placed on a pedestal since he was a pre-teen. Excellent point. I agree that wealth and everything that comes with it is thrust on these young athletes far too quickly. They go from having nothing to all of a sudden having everything (financially, that is). I'm not sure, however, that if my large, expensive Miami home had been broken into that recently and a knife left on my bed that I would have been comfortable returning (let alone sleeping with my small child in the house). It's all hindsight at this point, of course.
posted by dyams at 04:32 PM on December 02, 2007
It's all hindsight at this point, of course. I'm afraid it's not even hindsight, unless you know something else about that earlier breakin (like, what was the outcome, what did the police have to offer by way of advice, did he change the locks/upgrade security, etc.). If the cops said, "Look, you're obviously dealing with a nut with a grudge, better move into a hotel for a bit," that would be one thing...but it could very well be they came and looked the scene over and said, "Right, we'll look into it but don't hope for much."
posted by lil_brown_bat at 05:53 PM on December 02, 2007
I only meant it's now hindsight because Taylor's dead.
posted by dyams at 07:36 PM on December 02, 2007
Well, if I can read into a bit of the genius at play here, I think I get the point: If you're rich, stay away from the poor people you grew up with. Friends, family, whatever. They'll probably kill you. Safety first.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:46 PM on December 02, 2007
In my posts, I was talking about this incident in specific, not every single situation of rich vs. poor since the dawn of time. Your little generalization leads me to believe you've never dealt with individuals from any walk of life who are prone to committing crime. Why do you think many of these developments of million-dollar homes exist behind guarded gates, with their own security? Do you drive your family into sections of the Bronx, leave your new car on the street, then go out for a stroll with them? Have you ever dealt with some of these extended families, such as Taylors, where you have several half-brothers, half-sisters, and everything else in between, meaning you're not only inviting them into your home and life, but all their half-siblings and their "friends" and acquaintances. If you or I could speak to some of Taylor's grieving family, they'd probably tell you it's just that type of situation. And no, I'm not saying this happens all the time, in every situation, but it very well may have, according to reports, in this one. Your "If you're rich, stay away from the poor people you grew up with. Friends, family, whatever. They'll probably kill you" statement is a lame attempt to be "politically correct" and throw all rich/poor interactions into the same category. Look into the emerging details of this tragedy a bit closer and you'll probably realize what I've been talking about has some merit.
posted by dyams at 05:48 AM on December 03, 2007
Oh god, not the "politically correct" wank again. Come on, you can do better than that.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:06 AM on December 03, 2007
This thread should be closed (and should never have been started), and any good discussion should be continued in the original thread which is still open and on the front page as of this time.
posted by scully at 09:14 AM on December 03, 2007
I'm saying "politically correct" meaning how people don't ever want to admit they treat any group differently, whether it be due to wealth, status, race, etc. Weedy trying to say the intentions of my post was to say all wealthy should stay away from all poor is simplistic and ridiculous. My point is the vast majority of people make decisions for themselves and their families all the time about which people or places to either stay away from or avoid, based on how safe they may feel. Anyone who has lived in the inner city, in some of the less-attractive areas, understands this. There's a certain element who will always look to rob and steal whenever the opportunity arises, and Taylor unknowingly made his own home a target of some of these individuals. His father has pretty much said the same thing, referring to the "thugs" who were associating with his half-sister. Just because Taylor grew up in such an environment doesn't mean he's still considered part of it now. He probably was resented, even among former "friends" because he achieved success. That likely has something to do with what Antrelle Rolle said about him (Taylor) now being scared to live in Miami.
posted by dyams at 12:50 PM on December 03, 2007
The term "politically correct" adds more heat than light, dyams. Too many people have used it to mean too many things, for it to be of any use in communication any more. All it's useful for is as a pejorative. There's no doubt that people make decisions based on their perception of how unsafe a situation is -- the key word there, however, is "perception". Your beliefs and conclusions come from your perception, and to state them as universal is just not correct. Furthermore, because we're dealing in the medium of the internet, we are dealing in labels rather than actual experiences. You use the phrases "inner city", "less-attractive areas", "certain element", etc., and if you've actually had that experience yourself, you have certain specifics that you attach to those phrases. Others who have also had the "inner city" or "less-attractive area" experience see it differently. It's not to say that you're wrong or that they're right or vice versa, but a)different people see different things in the same situation, and b)the same label can be applied to two very different situations, one dangerous, the other not. I think Weedy has a point, not so much about your intentions, but I think he was trying to ask where the line gets drawn. The majority of people who live in a high-crime area aren't there because they love living in a high-crime area -- they're there because they lack options. That's what happens to poor people -- they don't get their pick of the nice neighborhoods. So, while you're not saying avoid all poor people, I wonder where in today's reality you're going to find honest, hard-working, decent poor people who aren't living in an area that also includes some no-goods. I don't think you are -- and given that that is the case, and that you are "mak[ing] decisions...all the time about which people or places to either stay away from or avoid", I wonder if this approach doesn't effectively add up to "avoid all poor people".
posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:11 PM on December 03, 2007
My point is the vast majority of people make decisions for themselves and their families all the time about which people or places to either stay away from or avoid, based on how safe they may feel. Anyone who has lived in the inner city, in some of the less-attractive areas, understands this. There's a certain element who will always look to rob and steal whenever the opportunity arises, and Taylor unknowingly made his own home a target of some of these individuals. And my point is that the idea that you can insulate yourself from criminals by selective contact, beyond the risk of alienating yourself from the only people who probably actually like you for you, is a false security. You cannot safeguard yourself that way. You can't. Not really. Not when you're a famous, rich person. You think that Jennifer Aniston runs around with security personnel because she knew some bad people back in the day? No - she's rich and famous. Celebrity robberies are not uncommon at all. Neither are celebrity break-ins. Neither is casing a joint (as one could suggest with the evidence that one of the accused had been there prior). Taylor needed a panic alarm, a dog, or other permiter sercurity measures. I mean, I look at the list of celebrities who have risen from the ghetto and I'm not looking at a who's who of high profile vicitims of robbery, murder and violent deaths. Some were victims, sure - but so are high profile people from all walks. And we need to possibly recognize that we, from what I can glean, justify his death easier because it makes sense that rich black athelete would know criminals. I'm not trying to be naive, here. As soon as Taylor saw the knife in the bedroom he should have upped the security 1000%. Much the way I'm sure many other rich and famous people would. But as a black man, he appears to be subject to some additional responsibility in his murder that I think is a collection of half-truths, some partial truths, but certainly says more about us (whitey) than anything to do with his case.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 05:40 PM on December 03, 2007
Here's a nice espn profile of Sean Taylor I'll leave it at this. The people who theorized that there was something fishy, or that he was a thug and it was related to that ... it looks like you were very very wrong.