Sean Taylor's legacy: Sad lessons never seem to kick in

[Fire the Media]

By all media accounts Sean Taylor was arrested twice. Once for DUI (not convicted) and the gun incident. Does that make him a thug? Although I am Black and I hate to play the race card, I think the media is prejudice when it comes to reporting stories about us. Is Lindsey Lohan a thug? She's been arrested more times than Sean Taylor? A white man in Texas shoots two people in the back (they died) breaking into his neighbors house and he doesn't get arrested. Is he a thug? Sean Taylor was labeled a troubled individual for things like not showing up to mandatory meetings. Well, is Ely Manning a trouble maker? He refused to play for the team that drafted him. So did John Elway. They were promptly traded and awarded endorsement deals. I'm getting off of my soap box now because it really doesn't matter what I say. The media is full of white middle aged men who don't understand us. Maybe their kids will since they listen to so much rap music.

[Steve B]

95% of the things said about UM are due to jealousy for its success. With the recruiting classes Shannon is going to bring in they will have lots to be jealous about. So dream on- UM will not stay down for long.
As for Taylor's slaying. One of the guys in 2005 he had the run in with was
a burglar. I think this was a murder meant to look like a burglary.

[Huh]

oh please wrote:

<quoted text>
get over it...the gangsta threw a pigskin, he serves/served no purpose other than to reproduce.

Whats your purpose over there in Lexington? Does it involve farm animals? For someone who doesnt care and not understand football you sure are posting to this story a lot. P*** off.

[ATL Gator]

Steve B wrote:

95% of the things said about UM are due to jealousy for its success. With the recruiting classes Shannon is going to bring in they will have lots to be jealous about. So dream on- UM will not stay down for long.
As for Taylor's slaying. One of the guys in 2005 he had the run in with was
a burglar. I think this was a murder meant to look like a burglary.

Jealousy? Yeah we are all jealous of a 5-7 season. What bowl game are they going to again? They can't even make the blue field game. Face it. Miami is done for at least the next 5 years. I can't wait til Tebow Heisman gets a hold of them next year.

[hoogler]

This article is harsh and brutal, but honest. It echoes the sentiments of what we are all thinking but do not want to say. However it needed to be said.

[Chill out]

When I read these posts in the local papers I am amazed by the anger and ignorance of the people who post them. It doesn't seem to matter what the subject is people just feel provoked. It really shows what a sad and dysfunctional place South Florida is. Get out while you still can.

[Peter]

The lesson in this has less to do with whether or not ST made enemies, whether or not he got far enough away from home, or whether or not he was a good guy or a bad guy.

This MURDER has to do with MURDER.

ST is a victim. He was murdered in his home while sleeping with the mother of his child, the child only feet away.

I don't care what ST did in his private life. No tax-paying citizen is to blame for this happening to them.

Our society is failing. That's the discussion.

[KcK]

Dave Hyde wrote:

That the young, black male is the most dispensable currency in America?

Well who's fault is that? White America that if we utter any truth at all about hood mentality we are labeled racists?

Did white America order some directive to poor black mothers who can't even support themselves to start popping out babies when their in their teens?

See, two "racist" comments, rather than facing the truth. Until the black community wants to listen to Bill Cosby instead of Al and Jesse and until the black community wants to start teaching their children the value of life instead of drugs and guns - nothing will change.

I don't even know why this Taylor story has been two days worth of front page news. Another U of M thug bites the bullet, I'm shocked.

Yeah, yeah, he was turning his life around, so was every other thug that has been shot by the police or some gang member - just ask their Mamas.

[Florida Native]

His death will be in vain and it will happen again.

[PERSPECTIVE]

Sometimes , it's good to move away when starting to change your ways. Maturing. Which is by all accounts what it seemed like he was in the process of doing.
If at one time , he was in a gang in Miami, It would be very prudent to move away when the child was born. Gangs don't seem to want to see any of their members succeed or leave. That is sad.

[da hood]

wow wrote:

Some of you are dumb. a man died, plain and simple. show some respect...people saying "the hood". Did you see that house? That was not in the hood jackass. Use the quote "if you have nothing nice to say, dont say nothing" so basically shut the f&*k up. And RIP to Sean Taylor, a man who changed his life for the better, and a great football player.

You can take the person out of the hood, but you can't take the hood out of the person. he could have moved to Beverly Hills, same results.

[Reality Check]

alf wrote:

none of you ST personally. He had ONE run in with the law. Most people during there lives have a run in with the law. This guy was never hood. Was brought up in a loving middle cass family. Went to one on the most expensive high schools in miami. Never caused any problem while playing at the U. His dad was always a high ranking cop, who preached to Sean and others about doing the right thing.
Incapable of making right choices? He had ONe run in with the lw. Most people have a run with the law once in their lifetime. Not everybody is perfect. Respect the man, his family, his fans and his friends.

Hey jerk, I hate to break your bubble, but MOST people DO NOT have a run in with the law. That's the view from the hood which is a third world county compared to the rest of the world.

[College football fans]

You are the biggest group of idiots I have ever seen. This goes beyond being a fan of 18 & 19 year olds playing football. If you went to UM, FSU, UF,..., who cares. A child's father was murdered. Period. Being a fan of college football, where it's a roller coaster ride from year to year is one thing. Enjoyment in the death of a former player from a rival school is sick. As sick as you all are, I would never wish death on one of your children. It actually should be illegal to allow you to reproduce to begin with. You can't really be this stupid. You would have to be over 150 years old to aquire this much stupidity. You should seek help and give up watching college football. You are way to immature to handle it, apparently.

[Fla Taxpayer]

Matt Armstrong wrote:

The girlfriend did it.

Why did it take 15 minutes for her to call 911 when he was bleeding out on the floor? What was she doing ? Who knows, maybe those 15 minutes could of saved his life. I believe the girlfriend has something to do with it.

[gww]

People, please?????????
A young man has been murdered with his child and girl fried in the same room.
Yes I'm sure Sean did some bad things, havent we all????? Look in the mirror before passiong judgement.
Mr Hydes article while seeming a little cold with the timing hits home.
Bottom line is show some respect for this man & his family.
God bless all concerned and hopefully all parents, teachers, coaches etc. can pass on a clear message to the young people to stay clear of trouble.
Also we need to lose the "hood" shit. This stuff happens all over and there are many problems outside the black community.
It's a people problem, black, white, yellow, you make the choice.
To all of the good people here I offer my condoelences and prayers during this tyring time.
To all the dumb asses that take the opportunity to vent and ridicule, I offer my pitty.
Sean rest in peace and all the best to your family.

fyi: I'm a white male

[Fla Taxpayer]

Reality Check wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey jerk, I hate to break your bubble, but MOST people DO NOT have a run in with the law. That's the view from the hood which is a third world county compared to the rest of the world.

I've been alive for 40 years and I've never had a run in with the law.

[Matt]

Jeffy wrote:

Yeah, Mr. "Wow"... we've never seen or heard of thugs who rose out of the "hood" just because, like any other simian, they were good at athletic pursuits -- but who still remained "in the hood" lifestyle-wise. Suuuure.
We're all supposed to respect this guy Taylor for "turning his life around." Well, what about those of us whose lives we never f*@!&ed up in the first place, who didn't HAVE it to turn around? We should get even MORE respect because we were never thugs to begin with.
Something's gonna come out about this, some connection he had to drugs, or gun-running, or gambling, or dogfighting, or...something. What was with the knife being left on the pillow a week ago? A message from a known enemy?
Last thing I'll say is that this is proof that only a dumb n----- brings a machete to a gunfight.

Maybe because within the terms of his probation he was not allowed to carry a firearm.You my friend are an idiot.

[Theresa]

May his soul rest in peace & in the love of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ...pray for all his family & for the the man who committed this crime & for his family..Lord have mercy on us all & forgive us for all our sins

[OCistheplace2b]

frank wrote:

rape,rob,kill,play sports
its what they do best

lol I don't get it how those people don't like to have judgement pressed on them but they keeping doing the same thing!

[Info]

Maybe i can bring some hard information to this conversation. I have spent a long time working with young black males and it is very important to understand that they consider it a badge of honor to have had several scraps with the law, to have survived a brutal upbringing, to be able to wear big gold chains, to have beat the cr-p out of someone within an inch of their lives, to steal whenever possible from "whitey" regardless of any intrinsic value of the stolen object, to spend the night in jail, to inject their seed into as many females as possible regardless of the consequences or their mates looks or suitability for motherhood, in short....they, young black men, are rewarded within their limited scope of achievements, for being irresponsible in all things, immature and stupid. Is there anyone out there who still does not understand what is going on?