The Search for Thugs

What is not being addressed is the fact that these young men have the ability to make decisions as adults. Regardless to how difficult life is or what neighborhood one is raised in ultimately it is the individual's decision to seek a better way a create better situation for themselves. Just because they (most young black men) don't have the resources there in front of them to make a better life, doesn't mean the resources aren't there at all, you just have to look in different places until you find them.

"African-American leaders are beginning to ask if the thug is a self-created narrative that's gotten out of control."

There are "thugs" in every nationality but often under different names. The "thug" lifestyle made money for some...music, movies, media personae, etc and people wanted a piece of it. Now, American culture (among others) has been so inundated with the "thug" mindset that has been adopted as a valid lifestyle...something to die for, like a religion. Can you say gang-member? And it isn't just blacks.

"Taylor's death a grim reminder for us all" Written By Jason Whitlock
Read it: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7499442

I think Jason Whitlock's article, "Taylor's death a grim reminder for us all" puts everything into prospective. Read it: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7499442

The media may be a monster, but black folks can't keep shooting themselves in the foot, and then blame someone else for pulling the trigger. I see this with my own eyes. I am a HS basketball coach, and some of the attitudes an comments made by my players, suprise me. I am a black male, but I have been asked by a couple of my players,"Why don't you act black?" WTF.......If acting black means being ignorant, walking around with my pants hanging off my ass, calling other black men ***, and being a wanna be thug, I guess I'm not black. I've instituted a dress code for the players (shirt and tie on game days), and have actually heard, I can't dress like that I'm black.........Until we pull are heads out of our asses, and start taking responsibility for our behavior instead of just saying we're keeping it real, we'll keep taking steps backward instead of foward.........

PEACE,FROM THE BAY!
THE MEDIA IS A MONSTER, IN WHICH IS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NEGATIVE IMAGES
PORTRAYED IN THE NEWS .THE REST OF THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES ON THE PUBLIC, THAT BELIEVES ALL OF WHAT THEY HEAR AND READ, WHEN THE SAME CORPORATION/COMPANIES ARE PRINTING STORIES; OF EVERY YOUNG ,WEALTHY,BLACK,ENTERTAINER OR ATHLETE HAVING THUG TENDENCIES. IT IS A FACT THAT IF A REPORTER RECEIVES A POSITIVE STORY AND A VIOLENT/SCANDAL STORY AT THE SAME TIME ,THEY'RE GOING TO RUN WITH THE VIOLENT/SCANDAL STORY.


COME VIBE;
MYSPACE.COM/KINSNSPACE
KIN CAMELL@IMEEM.COM

PEACE,FROM THE BAY!

THE MEDIA IS A MONSTER SO,
MOST OF THE TIME,DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE.


COME VIBE;
MYSPACE.COM/KINSNSPACE
KIN CAMELL@IMEEM.COM

Lcadet44...you are absolutely correct! I'm glad to know there is actual people out there that make sense.

YoMomma....GROW UP!!!! LEARN HOW TO MAKE COMPLETE SENTENCES!!!

we as BLACK americans need to start to stand up and be accountable for OUR actions. We blame white america for racism, our economic state, our joblessness everything. We are partially to blame, we allow others to "put" us into categories and then LIVE in those categories. If there is an educated brotha out there trying to do his LEGIT thing then he is labled as a "uncle tom" or some sort of sell out. when all he is doing to trying to make a life that is not GHETTO for himself. maybe get out of the social-economic mess that he and his family have found themselves in. We have programs like affirmative action that was put in place to "try" and level the playing field, but some of us are too proud to take what programs like that offer. Ok so some one is telling you that the only reason you were hired is due to affir action....OK sooo I have a job that as long as i do it...I can make a career out of....BUT NOOOOO we have all these people saying that it is wrong for aff action and sets us up to fail...but those same people are more that happy to take the states money when it comes to welfare or other social programs that involve MONEY..have ten kids and get more MONEY....live in this or that ghetto....GET MORE MONEY.....WAKE UP BLACK AMERICA.....get our lives together and STOP trying to blame white america...

At what point will black men take responsibility for their actions? And when will other black people quit covering up the short comings of our young black men? Sean Taylor died tragically and in a senseless manner. If Mr. Taylor hadn't had past issues with law enforcement none of that could have been reported now. How many people have ever just blown off work for a few days because you felt like it? How many people have spit on a coworker because you disagreed with them. I'm tired, tired tired of us excusing our boys bad behavior. When have we heard about Tiki Barber being involved in a law enforcement incident ? Michael Jordan was seen hitting anyone on the court or off. IT'S ABOUT HOME TRAINING AND ACCOUNTABILITY!!!!!

u racist ass hoes i should come over there n beat yo ass!! redneck ass ***

Sadly the view of African Americans has dwindled to thugs, women with multiple children and uneducated youths. We speak so often of the promise that America has but we fail to see that promise, as the portrayal of those images we continue to see on tv, will stay there unless WE decide to make a change. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of the Glory but we are one camera away from doing something stupid and becoming famous for our misdeeds. The media will continue to paint African Americans in a negative light until we STOP paying to see it and STOP giving them a reason to do so. A label knows nothing about the contents of which it is placed upon and there is more to any story that will be put in the media, be it Britney Spears or Sean Taylor so lets stop finding all the negative things to report on and give our youth positive images. Sean didn't die in vain. If this isn't a message for us to straighten up our acts and homes and begin to raise young men instead of thugs then this type of act will continue. Rest in Peace Sean, we owe it to him and our other black men and women who have lost their lives to foolishness to do better.

The main issue with all this is the media! The media loves to change stories or create them just for ratings. The media is getting our son's and daughters killed in the Middle East by falsely reporting stories about them in the attempt to make them look like monsters just to sell a story. They are doing the same thing here. Someone needs to put them in their place, and that starts by getting into their wallets! I refuse to watch the news anymore because i know that a majority of it is bull $h*t!

Sorry he had to go, but like all of us when it's our time black, brown, yellow, white whatever you want to call it, the good Lord will call us home. We may not like the way it happen but he was call home as we all will follow one day,. So this might be a a lesson for all of us to get our own life in order because tomorrow is not Guaranteed!

Ahole he never assaulted any1. the ppl who were with him did. they only charged him to try to bring another black man down

First of all, I am saddened that he had to die this way and I am praying for his family. Now, let's get to the ignorance of the matter; this was a human being and whether he embraced "thug-life" or not, he had a soul and my only concern right now if he had a chance to make peace with his maker before he left here. People are so quick to be judgemental in cases like this and it is indeed sad that the focus is always negative. Hero or not, Sean is gone and he's not coming back. True, he wasn't the first and he won't be the last. We all live in an unsteady world and whether it's the hood or the suburbs, violence is all around us. Just because it's not in your face 24/7, it is there. I've seen just the opposite; kid from the suburbs commits a crime, you hardly hear any negativity. He was abused as a child, etc, etc. Give me a break, please! Sean didn't sound like a saint but it did sound as if he was trying to get his life in order. But no, the media won't even acknowledge that. Stories like that don't sell newspapers and magazines. No one wants to hear the good in the black community. My goodness, have some respect. The man hasn't even been deceased a week and the media is already doing a number on him.

I know alot of wonderful black men however Sean Taylor is not one. If he were not an NFL player he would be in prison for the assault with a deadly weapon he committed. Lets not Martyr such people he was a criminal!