Gimmie a break dude - there's a big difference between visiting and having an address somewhere. So – according to your logic; this was completely unavoidable?
If they had a vendetta against him, it was just a matter of time. As it was, he was spending most of his time in the DC area. he was just down there for a visit and to get a second opinion on his knee.
this wasn't an organized crime hit, more than likely it was some ignorant and hapless street thug who would be more inclined to take an opportunity while it was there but wouldn't travel cross state to carry it out. no, it isn't impossible that the perpetrator could have bought a ticket and hunted him down anywhere in the US, just unlikely, hence why they waited for him to return to Miami to carry it out.
Gangs are pretty organized these days. They have their own language, their own colors,their own network. You do know why Crips wont eat at KFC and Bloods wont eat at BK, dont you? I think it could have been more of a group decision than one individual acting on his own.
Rap music like all contemporary art is usually a reflection and commentary on what is going on in society. The explotive commercialization of Rap music in many ways has turned what should be commentary into an accepted form of behavior. Rap artists themselves have become charicterizations of their own commentary and the popular commercialization into mainstream has taken what should be a view to pause and a warning of a coarse sub culture up to a level of accepted mainstream culture. I agree that you can't blame anyone other than the killer, but the obsession with guns, gangs, not talking, retaliation for being dissed is leading to an ever increasing slaughter in the minority community. Art which should be something that makes us pause and think instead is being perverted into a life style.
According to this logic, the commercialization of punk rock has led to wide-spread overuse of drugs and booze, especially by the middle class white community, and countless deaths.... So if a white NFL player ODs and dies, should we ban stadiums from playing "I Wanna Be Sedated" or any related songs? No, of course not.... As you said, entertainment is a reflection of culture... The culture was there before the music.... If you wanna say rap encourages stupid young kids to use the N word, go right ahead... But if you're going to say the commercialization of rap is why there is so much violence in certain communities, you're just ignorant.... You think when earlier rappers like Biggie were rapping about "squeezin gats til the clip is empty" and such, they were just making it up? No, it was going on before well before people were rapping about it.... Art mimics life, not the other way around... This from a song released in 1994, probably written well before that by the Notorious BIG.... From before gangsta rap was 'mainstream'.... "Still tote gats strapped with infrared beams Choppin o's, smokin lye an' Optimo's Money hoes and clothes all a n**** knows A foolish pleasure, whatever I had to find the buried treasure, so grams I had to measure" He didn't just make it up.... As terrible as it is, this kind of culture was widespread long before hip hop
but you are ignoring a huge factor, that such behavior wasn't as mainstream, glorified and desired before rap went mainstream, and as the culture is glorified in black media it it directly effecting future behavior. you have simplified the situation to fit your argument, but it ignores many other factors.
Who said he was making it up? That's the point no. This is now main stream corporate America along with marketing and advertising. You couple that with weak families, many without solid male role models and society through the commercialization of art mimicking life is perpetuating and spreading a vile cruel life onto the weakest and poorest in our society. What should be a glimps into horror by an artist is now a worshipped living hell. By the way I'm not for banning anything, I love freedom and choice. Freedom and choice doesn't exclude responsability.
What behavior wasnt mainstream? Guns, drugs and murder? C'mon. You do realize that we are into the second generation of gangs now. This shit was happening before the music went "mainstream" (read: before kids in suburbia starting buying into it.)
you are confusing the fact that the behavior existed before rap (which no one is disputing) and the fact that rap is now promoting it and influencing the behavior. dynamics change, and just because the behavior existed prior to rap in no way means rap is not influencing the behavior now, yet you want to say there is no connection.
I dont think I said there was no connection- only that the criminal behavior predated the mainstreaming of the "music" (if that's what you want to call it, LOL). I dont have an opnion either way as to whether the music contributed to this crime, but it is just speculating to say it did. this photo of Sean, Rolle, Merriweather and a couple of teammates is floating around today.
I don't mean this about Taylor,because i don't know why this happened. But why do a lot of athletes that "escape" the ghetto through sports,go running back in the offseason with a wad of money,then we read about them getting trouble,shot,shot at,raping women,abusing substances etc? What the fuck is wrong with these people? And people who don't think that Rap and the promotion of thuggery is harmful to society,you're wrong. It's like a contest to go from gang member to gang leader,Using sports and entertainment money to achieve that goal.
Full disclosure. Whitlock wrote: Our self-hatred has been set to music and reinforced by a pervasive culture that promotes a crab-in-barrel mentality. You're damn straight I blame hip hop for playing a role in the genocide of American black men. When your leading causes of death and dysfunction are murder, ignorance and incarceration, there's no reason to give a free pass to a culture that celebrates murder, ignorance and incarceration.
Three detained in Taylor shooting case Associated Press, Updated 3 minutes ago STORY TOOLS: print send blog LIKE THIS STORY? MIAMI (AP) - Police have detained at least three people in the Fort Myers area for questioning in the death of Washington Redskins football star Sean Taylor. A law enforcement official in Lee County confirmed the men were in custody, but requested anonymity because the investigation is being handled by Miami-Dade County police. Miami-Dade police Detective Carlos Maura said he was not aware of anyone in custody. He said only that detectives were in the Fort Myers area for a case, but declined to say which one. The Miami Herald, which first reported the development on its Web site, said investigators believe three suspects learned of Taylor's house through someone who unwittingly set up the burglary by bragging about his wealth. The suspects include two teenagers and a man in his 20s, all from the Fort Myers area, the paper reported. Evidence at Taylor's home indicated one or more intruders barged into the house early Monday in an attempted burglary, Miami-Dade police director Robert Parker said Wednesday. After a confrontation inside the home, Taylor was shot once in the upper leg and died early Tuesday after losing a tremendous amount of blood. Taylor's family has scheduled a funeral service for 11 a.m. Monday at Pharmed Arena at Florida International University in Miami.
Attorney Says 3 Detained In Taylor Investigation 2 Teens, Third Person Being Questioned POSTED: 11:34 am EST November 30, 2007 UPDATED: 1:04 pm EST November 30, 2007 http://www.local10.com/news/14736793/detail.html MIAMI -- An attorney and family friend for Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor said three people have been detained in the Fort Myers area for questioning in connection with his death. Richard Sharpstein confirmed Friday that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Miami-Dade police detained two teenagers and a third person, Local 10's Rad Berky reported. The Miami Herald reported that investigators believe the three learned of Taylor's house through someone who unwittingly set up the burglary by bragging about his wealth. The newspaper reported their ages as being 17, 19 and 26. Investigators removed a large amount of physical evidence from Taylor's Palmetto Bay home after he was shot early Monday morning. Berky has learned that evidence can place the two or three people in the house. Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Lt. Nancy Perez would only confirm that homicide detectives are in Fort Myers, but she would not say why. Taylor's mother on Thursday said she has her own ideas about the death of her son but prefers to keep them to herself and let the police investigation play out. "It's very hard to say," said Donna Junor. "But I have some thoughts in my mind." Many of Taylor's family members gathered at the small house in Homestead where he spent much of his time growing up. Junor seemed to show her frustration with the attention focused on Taylor's past brushes with the law when asked about statements that having a young daughter had changed him. "He was not exactly a bad person, so I don't see where he was turning his life around because of a baby," she said. Taylor died early Tuesday morning, one day after he was shot in his home during a random burglary, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Robert Parker said. "There is some information that is known by members of the public and we believe that information hasn't reached law enforcement," said Parker. Funeral services will be held at the Pharmed Arena at Florida International University on Monday, Dec. 3, at 11 a.m. The services are open to the public, but seating is limited. At a news conference Wednesday, Parker said there are no suspects because there were no witnesses who could give police a description of the person or people responsible for the killing, but he urged anyone with information to call police or Crime Stoppers. Parker also said that there were no indications that Taylor was targeted or knew his assailant. "There is nothing thus far in the investigation that indicates that there was an involvement on the victim's part," said Parker. Local 10's Rad Berky reported that investigators are focusing their attention on the friends, or more likely, friends of friends of Taylor, who may have visited the NFL star's home. Parker said evidence indicates that one or more intruders barged into Taylor's home. Parker called it "a random event" and said police are looking at the home as a "bona fide" crime scene. But on Tuesday, Richard Sharpstein, an attorney speaking on behalf of Taylor's family, said the shooting was not random. "There are too many coincidences," said Sharpstein. "It's clear this house was targeted." Recreating Events Sharpstein said Taylor, his girlfriend and Taylor's 18-month-old daughter were in the bedroom of Taylor's home when Taylor heard noises in the living room. Sharpstein said Taylor went to investigate and was carrying a machete that he keeps in the bedroom. The intruder kicked in the door and then shot twice, hitting Taylor once in the leg, the attorney said. Taylor lost a significant amount of blood because the bullet hit his femoral artery, Sharpstein said. Miami-Dade police went to Taylor's home at 18050 Old Cutler Road in Palmetto Bay after receiving a call from a woman around 1:30 a.m. Investigators later identified the woman as Taylor's girlfriend, Jackie Garcia. Garcia is the niece of actor Andy Garcia and the mother of Taylor's daughter, also named Jackie. Monday's break-in was at least the second for Taylor in less than two weeks. Taylor's home was ransacked and items were stolen on Nov. 17, Sharpstein said. Taylor had closed the storm shutters on his home after the earlier break-in. During that entry, someone made his or her way through a front window, according to a police report. The house was ransacked and there was damage to an air conditioning duct in the bathroom, where someone may have believed there was something hidden, Berky reported. A kitchen knife was left on the bed, according to the police report, but it wasn't until after Taylor was killed that police began to analyze evidence collected from the first break-in, Berky reported. "We have no reason to think that this was anything but a burglary or a robbery involving an intruder," said Parker. He also said police are looking for more than one person and hoped an arrest would be made "shortly, in short order." Meanwhile, Junor said she was thankful of Taylor and Garcia for her "beautiful granddaughter, and I want to enjoy her for the time." "Whoever took him doesn't understand what they took from us," said Taylor's cousin, Nicole Matthews. Taylor's Background, Playing Career Taylor played football at the University of Miami, where he was a member of the 2001 national championship team as a freshman. In his final season with the Hurricanes in 2003, Taylor was a consensus first-team All-American and named Big East Conference defensive player of the year. He was also a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back. He left school early and became the first UM player selected in the 2004 NFL draft when the Redskins picked him fifth overall. Last June, Taylor agreed to a plea bargain in court on charges that he brandished a weapon at people he suspected had stolen some all-terrain vehicles from his South Florida home. Taylor agreed to 18 months of probation. Taylor was in his fourth season with the Redskins. He led the team with five interceptions but missed the last two games with a knee injury. The 212-pound safety played in his first Pro Bowl in 2006.
