Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I remember how I felt 11 years ago when Tupac Shakur was killed in Las Vegas. I didn't know the man, and I definitely didn't completely agree with how he was carrying himself at the time, but I knew he was talented and smarter than what he was demonstrating. And I remember seeing signs here and there that he was turning the corner, and I hoped that he could survive the young and dumb portion of his life long enough to live a full life. So when I heard that he was shot, and then he was eventually died, I was sad that he never really got a chance to see how good life could truly be. I felt that same level of sadness when I got out of the shower this morning, and saw that Sean Taylor died. Just like a lot of athletes or youngsters in general, he had gotten into some trouble early in his NFL career, and the media and the executives at the Washington Redskins, really got on him because of that. But by all accounts yesterday, he was on that road to turning his life around off the field. On the field, he was injured, but prior to his injury, he was having another stellar year. Now he's gone. He can't be a father to his daughter, a son to his father, a teammate to the Redskins or anything. I heard someone on the radio comment that this type of violence happens everyday and in every city, and that is very true, but whether its right or wrong, I don't feel for everyone who is on the receiving end of this type of violence, because I don't know their faces. I know Sean Taylor's face. I live in DC, I see and hear his name everyday of the week. He was on one of my fantasy football teams, and I remember seeing him play in college, so it its just a little bit closer to home than Johnny getting shot on the mean streets of Compton. Neither life is less valuable though. Not by a longshot. It's just sad man. I'm sure I'll snap out of this funk by lunchtime but right now I have only known the man has been dead for 2 hours, and its still raw.

A Minute To Pray and Second To Die - Scarface

1 comment:

GemEnigma said...

I am sharing your sentiment, Rashad. I don't want to say anything sappy or cliche'...this is going to take some time to get over. Maybe for the likes of us, it won't take nearly as long, but I strongly encourage each of us to consider his family during this time. We should be inspired by his example of change, and the courage of a "real man" to protect his home and his family, regardless of the circumstance.
I don't have a lot to say other than that....

Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again
http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=tra.17130387&variant=play